The Centre for Global Development (CDV) and Foreign Policy magazine have launched the first annual Commitment to Development Index (CDI), which ranks 21 of the world’s richest countries based on their dedication to policies that benefit the 5 billion people living in poorer nations worldwide. The first annual CDI has Japan and the US – the two countries providing the highest absolute amounts of foreign aid to the developing world – occupying the last two places. Japan ranks last overall, with low marks for migration and aid.

The US ranks high in trade policy but has particularly poor ratings for environmental policy and contributions to peacekeeping. The Netherlands emerges as the top-ranked nation thanks to its strong performance in aid, trade, investment and environmental policies. Two other small countries, Denmark and Portugal, follow in second and third place, respectively. The CDI is intended to educate the rich-world public and policymakers about how much more they could do to help the global poor and encourage more development-friendly policies.

In conjunction with the Index launch, CDV has published a policy brief, From Promise to Performance: How rich countries can help poor countries help themselves, which argues that rich countries, like developing countries, should be held accountable for their promises to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals.

For more information see http://www.cgdev.org or http://www.foreignpolicy.com