2 Improved donor cooperation and collaboration with partner countries for pro-poor growth in rural areas by Christoph Kohlmeyer BMZ,Co-Chair of the Global Donor Platform IFAD Governing Council, Rome, February 16th 2006

3 1.Why the Platform? 2. What is the Platform? - Activities & products - Organization - Towards improved donor cooperation 3.The Platform and the Paris Declaration Presentation outline

4 Growing consensus: We‘ll miss MDGs if rural poverty not reduced. But: Consensus on how to reduce rural poverty is fragile Differences in policies, ineffective lesson-learning, duplication of efforts impede sustainable RD at the same time: Paris Declarations demand „aid effectiveness“ and a re-orientation of the delivery mechanisms So: GDPRD launched end-2003 as a joint initiative of donor agencies and international finance institutions 1. Why do we need a Global Donor Platform?

5 A communication and facilitation mechanism between donors, partner countries, high-level policy dialogue, and national development frameworks A learning network between countries as well as between donor head-offices and field staff Ultimate objective: Reduce poverty and enhance economic growth in rural areas in developing countries through improved donor cooperation, collaboration & coordinated dialogue with partner countries 2. What is the Platform?

6 Three pillars: Pillar 1 Advocate needs/opportunities of rural poor Product:: “The role of agriculture in achieving the MDGs”, donor pamphlet & narrative paper Key messages: Agricultural growth = Best avenue to pro-poor growth. No other way to better employ existing resources & create enough jobs GDPRD promotes its messages through its Focal Points at donor agencies, in conferences and through broad media Activities and products (1)

7 Pillar 2 Promote shared learning Products: Platform website to share donor experiences and documents ( Online Forum to facilitate drafting joint policies (e.g. Joint Donor Rural Concept) Rural Focus of PRSPs (led by IFAD, with other members) Lessons learnt from in-country facilitation services (Pillar 3) Facilitate donor understanding of what RD means today and how to jointly implement it with partner countries Activities & products (2)

8 Pillar 3: Foster H&A efforts in RD at country level Products: Build a global community of practice for PBAs and link existing regional networks: e.g. RUTA/Central America, Hub/West Africa, Africa Forum. T echnical & financial support to donor harmonisation & alignment, based on jointly drafted, long-term action plans in pilot countries Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Nicaragua Documenting lessons learned from “real-life” donor cooperation, identifying knowledge gaps about Paris Declaration and bottlenecks in donor cooperation Activities & products (3)

9 Steering Committee (SC) is the main decision-maker SC is composed of the Focal Points of 6 member- organizations Germany‘s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development (BMZ) and FAO are present co-chairs Chai: FAO BMZ EUFAOCIDABMZWBDFID Chair: FAO BMZ Organization (1)

10 25 members at present (bi- and multilateral) Platform Secretariat is housed by BMZ in Bonn, Germany, and managed by GTZ Organization (2) Platform Secretariat

11 Towards improved donor cooperation In-country facilitation: Platform acts as “external and independent facilitator” in the coordination processes between donors and partners as they work to set up the new modes of delivery for better harmonisation & alignment in development aid (PBAs, SWAps, budget support etc). The Platform moderates the joint development of a road map between donors and partners functions as honest broker in the coordination processes helps create an atmosphere of trust and transparency

12 Providing a global learning network on how to implement the Paris Declaration in agricultural and rural programmes; close cooperation with regional and other sector initiatives GDPRD works with Learning Network on Programme- Based Approaches to help monitor implementation of Paris Declaration (with the Joint Venture on Monitoring the Paris Declaration, hosted by the OECD/DAC) 3. GDPRD and the Paris Declaration Raise respective country profile through dissemination of ‘pioneer work’ in the translation of harmonization & alignment principles into practice in the rural sector

13 Thank you very much for your attention! or