Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November 2009 Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam hosted in Vientiane, Lao PDR November 9 th –10 th 2009 Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability – Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam Somchith Inthamith Director General, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Lao PDR CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT EFFECTIVENESS FACILITY FOR ASIA AND PACIFIC

Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November What should be the role of regional forums, especially in peer learning on national mutual accountability frameworks? 2.What more can be done to further strengthen the voices of recipient countries and multiple stakeholders in global and regional mechanisms? Addressing two questions at the DCF

Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November 2009 Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability – a regional forum to strengthen mutual accountability at the national level Round 1: Peer-to-Peer Exchange June 2008 Round 2: Peer-to-Peer Exchange in November 2009 Round 3: South – South Cooperation 2010…

Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November 2009 What changes have we seen since 2008? 1. An increasing focus on operationalising mutual accountability in all three countries including a)A greater focus on sector level mutual accountability – establishing plans, targets and dialogue mechanisms b)Establishing clear national structures, processes and data management for aid management to hold donors accountable 2. Operationalisation has brought new concerns on how to balance central lead and sector level championing 3. Continuing lack of understanding of international communitys definition of domestic accountability and its relationship to mutual accountability 4. Less donors championing aid effectiveness and less peer pressure for behaviour change in donor community

Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November 2009 Challenges …some the same and some different Country specificity – all mutual accountability depend on particular conditions of a country Lack of individual donor accountability or of any organisation in any stakeholder group Decreasing donor capacity to take aid effectiveness forward (less staff not more staff time?) Need to continually assess and review– people and issues change fast… climate change beginning to dominate agenda?

Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November 2009 DCF Question 1: What should be the role of regional forums, especially in peer learning on national mutual accountability frameworks? Recommendations from the Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability and next steps…

Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November Balance the focus of peer-to-peer initiatives between (i)Strengthening the international policy process; and (ii)Providing capacity development across countries to support national (and su-national) implementation 2.Strengthening the international policy process: work regionally to support a core group of officials across a number of partner countries to engage with international processes 3.Next year include support specific South-South cooperation activities – eg Laos asked to visit Vietnam to support Sector Working Groups 4.Deepen engagement with donors so they own recommendations at the country level but dont let them dominate discussion!

Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November Localising the PD supported country ownership and supporting regional reviews (across a few countries) makes evidence more meaningful and supports identification of south-south cooperation opportunities 6.Regional support in monitoring trends at global level and across countries to support partner countries in keeping on top of issues (eg climate change or emerging financing mechanisms and new donors)

Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November 2009 DCF Question 2: What more can be done to further strengthen the voices of recipient countries and multiple stakeholders in global and regional mechanisms Recommendations from the Articulating Voice in the Asia Pacific Initiative

Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November All international mutual accountability mechanisms need to assess their cost - benefit in terms of impact at the country level 2.Regional mechanisms should be resourced to enable partner countries to work together to bring more representative views to the international level

Joint Initiative on Mutual Accountability: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam November Capacity development should be integrated into international policy process so to strengthen partner countries engagement at the international level (such as through regional peer-to-peer initiatives) 4. Partner countries should be supported to think through together what a post HLF4 mechanism for mutual accountability should look like – this will make it more effective for mutual accountability.