Two things:
1) I'm glad paying over money doesn't buy votes
2) Just because the US gives the highest dollar amount doesn't mean it gives the most proportionately:
http://www.oecd.org/pdf/M00037000/M00037872.pdf - in dollars (US$11b)
http://www.oecd.org/pdf/M00037000/M00037873.pdf - as percent of gross national income (0.11%)
You will note the US gives the
least as a percentage of GNI. Sweden, much aligned on this BBS recently, is up the top.
I found this explanation of ODA and the agreed level (note NZ not even close - I am the pot calling the kettle black):
When the world's governments met at the Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, they adopted a programme for action under the auspices of the United Nations -- Agenda 21. Amongst other things, this included an Official Development Assistance (ODA) aid target of 0.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) for rich nations, roughly 22 members of the OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development), known as the Development Assistance Committee (DAC). ODA is basically aid from the governments of the wealthy nations, but doesn't include private contributions or private capital flows and investments. The main objective of ODA is to promote development. It is therefore a kind of measure on the priorities that governments themselves put on such matters. Whether that necessarily reflects their citizen's wishes and priorities is a different matter! Other aid, such as private capital flows may be for investment purposes, etc.) From
here