CSO’s on the Road to Busan: Key Messages and Proposals

What are the BetterAid and the Open Forum  The BetterAid is a global platform bringing together hundreds of CSOs  Origins in the lead up to the HLF3 in Accra  BetterAid Coordinating Group (BACG) facilitates the platform and engages as a member of the Working Party on Aid Effectiveness  BetterAid supports local CSOs to develop plans to monitor and implement the Accra Agenda for Action

What are the BetterAid and the Open Forum  Initiated prior to Accra, the Open Forum is an initiative to identify the principals that will improve CSO development effectiveness  CSO consultations in over 60 countries have led to the endorsement of the Istanbul principles in Sep 2010  The Istanbul principles guide the work and practice of CSOs they include: 1. Respect and Promote Human rights and Social Justice 2. Embody Gender Equality and Equity …

CSO Key Messages and Proposals  Need for progress in four interdependent areas: A. Fully evaluate and deepen the Paris and Accra commitments; B. Strengthen development effectiveness through practices based on human rights standards; C. Support CSOs as independent development actors in their own right, and commit to an enabling environment for their work in all countries; and D. Promote equitable and just development cooperation architecture.

A. Fully evaluate and deepen the Paris and Accra commitments 1. Redress the failure to make progress on the Paris and Accra commitments – address reasons for underachievement, based on evidence from all stakeholders 2. Strengthen the Paris and Accra commitments through democratic ownership 2.1 Establish Democratic Ownership as the core aid and development principle – Citizens’ voices must be the basis for development plans and actions 2.2 Give priority to inclusive multi- stakeholder dialogue – through regular country- level policy dialogues

A. Fully evaluate and deepen the Paris and Accra commitments 2.3 Use country systems as the first option – in line with the Accra commitments, to increase transparency and participation without limiting CSO involvement 2.4 End policy conditionality – end all donor policy conditionality attached to aid negotiations and disbursement 2.5 Fully untie all forms of aid – including food aid, technical assistance and preference to local and regional procurement 2.6 Implement demand driven technical assistance – responsive to countries needs and preferences to indigenous expertise 2.7 Address the unpredictability of aid flows – for long term development planning 2.8 Orient Private sector development for self-sustaining livelihoods – private sector to endorse development standards; public funds need to prioritize livelihood development

A. Fully evaluate and deepen the Paris and Accra commitments 3. Implement full transparency to strengthen accountability and good governance 3.1 Create clear and inclusive accountability frameworks – rooted in country led accountability processes and based on UN convention against corruption 3.2 Implement the highest standards of openness and transparency by all aid actors – consistent with the International Aid Transparency Initiative standards

B. Strengthen development effectiveness through human rights standards and focus on the causes of poverty & inequality 4. Commit to and implement rights-based approaches to development – international human right standards as basis to eradicate the root causes of poverty and inequality while promoting democratic ownership 5. Promote and implement gender equality and women’s rights – gender equality needs to be placed at the center of development effectiveness 6. Implement the decent work agenda as cornerstone for socially inclusive and sustainable development strategies – recognize social and economic rights with inclusion, protection and dialogue

C. Participation of CSOs as independent actors in their own right 7. Endorse the Istanbul Principles and Open Forum’s International Framework on CSO Development Effectiveness – Istanbul Principles need to be endorsed as assessment of CSO contributions to development 8. Agree on minimum standards for government and donor policies, laws, regulations and practices that create and enabling environment for CSOs – work with and enable CSOs to achieve full potentials as development actors based on the Istanbul Principles and Human Rights standards

D. Promote equitable and just development cooperation architecture 9. Launch an inclusive Busan Compact at HLF4 bringing together time-bound commitments and fundamental reforms in the governance of development cooperation – ensure mandatory outcomes with accountability mechanisms 10. Create an equitable and inclusive multilateral forum for policy dialogue and standard setting – as successor of the Working Party on Aid Effectiveness this forum needs a clear mandate