JPA Report on "Effectiveness of Aid and Definition of Public Development Aid"

Honourables Waven William (Seychelles) and Anne Van Lancker (Member of the European Parliament), Co-Rapporteurs for the ACP and the EU, respectively, presented their preliminary Working Document on "Effectiveness of Aid and Definition of Public Development Aid" to the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade, meeting on Saturday 15th March 2008 during the 15th Session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) in Ljubljana (Slovenia).

A key point made in the Working Document, which is of direct relevance to countries like Seychelles, is the case of the Small Island Developing States and the Middle Income Countries, whose specific concerns are not properly addressed in international development strategies. The Report calls for the EU to join hands with the ACP to influence change in the international community's attitude towards these countries.

The Report is largely based on the panel discussions of the Committee at its January 2008 Brussels inter-sessional meeting. It draws attention to the Paris Declaration of 2005 and the Third High Level Forum (HLF3) on Aid Effectiveness, scheduled to take place in Accra (Ghana), 2-4 September 2008. The primary intention of the HLF 3 is to take stock and review the progress made in implementing the Paris Declaration with a view to broaden and deepen the dialogue on aid effectiveness by giving space and voice to partner countries and newer actors (such as Civil Society Organsations and emerging donors). It is widely expected to identify the action needed and hurdles to overcome in order to make progress in improving aid effectiveness for 2010 and beyond. The Co-Rapporteurs are hoping that their Working Document can feed into HLF3, and called for the JPA to approve their request for their participation in the Accra meeting.

Members of the Committee congratulated the Co-Rapporteurs for the draft working document and suggested many ideas for the Raporteurs to consider in drafting the Resolution, which will be tabled for further discussions in the Committee's next meeting in Brussels, September 2008. The final Report is expected to be adopted in Papua New Guinea, November 2008, at the JPA's 16th Session.

Direct from Ljubljana.