CONCORD PRIORITIES FOR 2006

Presentation for the TRIALOG Central TrainingBudapest, 9 – 10 March 2006

Overview of the presentation

1. OVERALL FRAMEWORK OF DEVELOPMENT AID AT EUROPEAN LEVEL

2. CONCORD ADVOCACY WORK

3. KEY ISSUES FOR 2006

4. CONCORD PRIORITIES FOR 2006

Advocate for EU level engagement

Is the European Commission more than 26th donor?

Member States see mainly two added values of EU: mega infrastructure projects and regional integration

EC hardly develops own strategies. No added value.

EC has no political role in UN but has channelled 1 bio. € through UN agencies. No added value.

If added value of common Development Strategy is not seen, development aid could be re-nationalized in a few years.

     

Advocate for EU level engagement

-         Foreign Policy-         Neighbourhood-         Accession Countries-         Trade-         Security and Defence-         Migration -         Development

If Development is still seen as priority, there is a fight for resources between:-         Southern Governments-         United Nations (and Under-organisations)-         EU Institutions (e.g. EIB)-         Private Sector-    NGDOs / CSO

Advocate for EU level engagement

Added value of European level ???

« Potential » added value of European level:

• 3 C’s: Coordination, coherence, complementary at MS level• “Acquis communautaire”• Policy dialogue • Framework setting• Weight as region in international processes (UN, WTO, Cotonou,…)

“If we do not participate in this process,

others will decide for us. “

Members of CONCORD39 members in 2006

ActionAid Aprodev Austrian platformBelgian platform British platform Caritas

Cidse Czech platform Danish platform

Dutch platform Eurodad Euronaid

Eurostep Finnish platform French platform

German platform Greek platform IPPF

Irish platform Italian platform Luxembourg platform

Malta platform Portuguese platform Slovakian platform

Solidar

EU-CORDSpanish platform Swedish platform

Terre des Hommes Forum

Representing over 16001600 European Development and Relief NGOs

Save the Children World Vision

Adra

CBMI

Plan

Oxfam

Latvia platform

Hungarian platform

Poland platform

Membership

CONCORD EUROPE

NGO Network (18)National Platform (21)

Development / Relief NGO

Civil Society Contact Group

Social, Environmental, …

To improve transparency

and accountability

2%Other4%

To be part of the European

Network (Clong -> Concord)

14%

To increase access to funding

25%

To improve the quality of

their activities*

26%

To advocate at the political

level29%

Why do NGOs choose to join CONCORD’s members?

EU N

atio

nal L

evel

EU N

atio

nal L

evel

Main Priorities:

Advocacy (29%)Improve the quality of their activities (26%)Increase access to funding (25%)

8%

8%

8%

8%

7%7%7%

7%

6%

6%

5%

5%5%2% 3%

8%

National development policiesHuman Rights & DemocracyEducationFunding of NGOs**EnvironmentHealthCivil Society participationRelief & Humanitarian AidTradeFood Security and Agriculture*EU PoliciesPeace & Conflict preventionMigrationInternational agendaWeapons trafficOther

Main sectors of advocacy for EU NGOs

No dominant sector of advocacy – a strength or a weakness?

EU N

atio

nal L

evel

EU N

atio

nal L

evel

National Development Policies – most common (8,6%)Weapons traffic – 0%

Structure• Working groups: Experts from CONCORD members

Policy group: Presidency, Gender, Security and Development, Financial Perspectives, Coherence

EU Funding for Development and Relief: Deconcentration, Financial regulations, Rationalisation

Development Education Forum

Food Security, Enlargement, Cotonou, Humanitarian aid, Trade, FFD

• The Convenors' Forum: Convenors of working groups to ensure coherence

• The General Assembly / Consultative Assembly

• Board

• Secretariat

Objectives

MAIN OBJECTIVE

To enhance the impact of European development NGOs vis-à-vis the European Institutions by combining expertise and accountability.

• CONCORD contributes to a responsible and coherent EU Development Policy towards the developing world.

• CONCORD promotes the role of European development and humanitarian NGOs in defining and delivering European development and humanitarian aid policies.

Activities

• Exchange information, analyses and intelligenceWorking groups

• Define, approve and disseminate common positions Civil Society Contact Group: common statement on rationalisation of thematic funding instruments

• AdvocateMeetings with European institutions

• CommunicateExtranet, news letter

• Organize trainings, meetings, conferencesEuropean NGO conference on MDG+5

CONCORD advocacy

ECHOEUROPEAID

DG DEV

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

COREPER SECRETARIAT

ECON / SOC COMMITTEE

COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

DG ADMIN

DG JHA

DG TRADEGENERAL SECRETARIAT

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

MINISTERS

DEV COM

COM FOREIGN AFFAIRS

BUDGET COM

DG RELEX

DELEG.DELEG. DELEG.

Key issues for 2006 (I)

• Coherence GAERC Conference Austrian Presidency Finnish Presidency CONCORD – Evert Vermeer Foundation: Project « EU Coherence »

• Role of Civil Society Transparency Initiative (Kallas) Plan D (Wallström) Code of Conduct (Frattini) Critics in EP Preparation of German Presidency

Key Issues for 2006 (II)

• After GCAP 05: Monitoring EU/EC aid commitments Aid Monitoring Report Aid Watcher Seminar Advocacy at national and European level

• Negotiations on EU-Budgets, Instruments and Programs DCECI – EP document Geographical and thematical Programs Framework of Dialogue with Civil Society

• European public awareness and development education strategy • Deconcentration• OECD DAC• …

Key issues for 06EU

EU Coherence for Development among EU external policies

Quantity and Quality of Aid

Financial perspectives 07-13, Policy Framework, Programs

Civil Society Engagement, dialogue with EU instit.,

EC-NGO-Partnership, Financial Regulation, Non-State Actors

CONCORD

EU Coherence project with EVF, Austrian & Finnish Presidencies

More and better aid, “Aid-watcher”,

Policy WG

FFD WG

FDR WG, WGE?

FDR WG, “Vision” paper

Role of Civil Society, German Presidency, CSCG

Global

Specific

Challenges for CONCORD 2006

• Future of GCAP (Europe)• Membership support• Reflection on framework for contacts with extra-european NGO-Platforms• GAs and Board elections

And many more…

MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT: always there for you !

avogt@concordeurope.org

+32 2 743 87 72

ΜΚΟΕλληνική Επιτροπη Μη Κυβερνητικων ΟργανωσεωνΓια Την

Ανάπτυξηllenic Committee οf Non Governmental Development Organisations

NGO

Belgian Platform

The confederation