The 1997 and 2000 White Papers

Last updated: July 2003

The overall framework of DFID developmental policy is set out in the 1997 White Paper 'Eliminating World Poverty: A challenge for the 21st Century'. That policy was expanded upon by the 2000 White Paper 'Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor'.

White Papers are the means by which UK Governments set out proposed policies in specific areas. You can find out more about White Papers on The Stationery Office's website here.

The 1997 White Paper committed the UK Government to focusing development co-operation on the elimination of world poverty, with a particular focus on a selected number of International Development Targets (or IDTs). These targets were drawn from a wide range of targets agreed at various UN conferences in the 1990s, and were brought together in the OECD Development Assistance Committee's 1996 publication 'Shaping the 21st Century: The contribution of development co-operation'.

In 2000, a new White Paper refined and further developed DFID's approach to development issues, drew out lessons of experience to date, and made a careful analysis of the challenges and opportunities posed by globalisation.

The 1997 White Paper is available to download here and the 2000 White Paper here. Summary versions in different languages are available from the Publications area of this site, or can be sent to you.

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