Contribute to dev, progress to make foreign aid more effective: EU envoy

The European Union ambassador in Dhaka, Stefan Frowein, has urged the civil society members to find a way to work together to elaborate common positions and lobby effectively to contribute in development and progress to make aid more effective.
   ‘This is especially true in Bangladesh… where civil society plays a crucial role as partner of the government improving the living conditions of thousands and thousands of people,’ he said while addressing a discussion at the National Press Club Tuesday morning.
   Voice (Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment) and Aid Accountability Group jointly organised the discussion titled ‘Role of the Civil Society on Aid Effectiveness’.
   Chaired by Voice executive director Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, the discussion was addressed, among others, by deputy Danish charge d’affaires Jan Moller Hansen, executive director of the Transparency International, Bangladesh Iftekharuzzman and coordinator of Nijera Kori Khusi Kabir.
   DFID adviser for Aid Effectiveness Bo Sundstrom presented at the session the keynote paper on ‘How to work more effectively together to deliver real development outcome’.
   The EU ambassador said: ‘We are debating aid effectiveness in Bangladesh for years now. I think good progress is being made. Government and development partners have intensely discussed the reform of the Local Consultative Group — the LCG — over the last 18 months.’
   He added: ‘Just recently we, the development partners, have finally agreed on a draft Joint Cooperation Strategy that can determine our relations and priorities in this area for the years to come.’
   Frowein noted that now it is up to the government to review and shape this document further through consultation with all stakeholders in order to ensure that the strategy really meets the needs of this country. ‘We hope that by May or June (this year) this strategy would be ready for signature,’ he said.
   The EU ambassador said: ‘Now we are all ready for the BDF (Bangladesh Development Forum) in February. This will be an important spotlight:
   For the first time in five years development agenda of Bangladesh will be in the spotlight of donors as well as government, civil society and media.’
   He hoped that the BDF would definitely become a key event for civil society organisations that want to contribute to aid effectiveness and development.
   Frowein said the non-government organisations in Bangladesh had not involved themselves very actively in the ongoing reform of aid management. ‘So far — like in many other countries — aid effectiveness debate has been held mostly between donors and government.’
   He also stressed the need for taking comprehensive steps to ensure aid effectiveness through maintaining accuracy and accountability.
   Jan Moller Hansen underscored ensuring public and political accountabilities to continue smooth flow of the foreign aids in Bangladesh.

http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jan/27/nat.html