In November 1997, the British Government published its long-awaited White Paper on international development, the first comprehensive statement on British aid for 22 years. It has been widely welcomed as a significant shift in the orientation of British development policy and as a marker for other donors. This Briefing Paper provides an overview of the main components of the White Paper, goes on to discuss the implementation of these new policies, and ends by placing this British initiative in its wider international context.