ARD stakeholders to advance key messages for Busan

Over 50 international representatives from civil society, farmers’ organisations, donors, government and the private sector determined today to continue the constructive dialogue and advance points of consensus in the lead up to HLF4 in Busan.

The delegates were meeting under the auspices of a Multi-stakeholder forum on aid and development effectiveness in agriculture and rural development, held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 8 April 2011. The meeting was co-hosted by the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development, the People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS), BetterAid and the Agricultural Non State Actors’ Forum (ANSAF) of Tanzania.

// Dialogue and collaboration

Building on a history of partnership and collaborative engagement on issues affecting aid effectiveness in the agriculture and rural development sector, the delegates’ aim was to reach consensus on the key factors determining aid and development effectiveness in agriculture and rural development to address rural poverty and food security.

The delegates determined to consolidate their partnership and develop a common approach to the 4th High Level Conference on Aid Effectiveness (HLF4), to take place in Busan, South Korea, on 29 November to 1 December 2011.

// Aid and development effectiveness in agriculture and rural development

The gathered delegates identified particularities of the agriculture sector that present both challenges and opportunities for ameliorating the way aid is delivered at international, regional, national and local levels to improve the livelihoods of the world’s poorest people, 75 percent of whom depend on agriculture for their livings.

During the dialogue, the delegates reviewed progress made and experience gained through implementing key aid effectiveness principles - including ownership, alignment and harmonisation - in the agriculture and rural development sector since the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005) and the Accra Agenda for Action (2008). They also looked at remaining challenges to be addressed, and future opportunities to be attained in the next phases of the international aid effectiveness process.

// Download

• Agenda
• Agricultural sector experiences in implementing the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness

// Presentations

• Antonio Tujan Jr., Director, IBON International - Africa wide regional CSO consultation: Workshop recommendations
• Brian Baldwin, Vice-Chair, Global Donor Platform for Rural Development - Perspectives for Busan
• Earnán Ó Cléirigh, Senior Policy Advisor, Poverty Reduction and Growth Division, Development Co-operation Directorate, OECD - Aid effectiveness and agriculture and rural development at Busan
• Rosa Muraguri-Mwololo, Quality Assurance and Results Consultant, UN-HABITAT Nairobi - African Community of Practice on Managing for Development Results
• Sarojeni Rengam, Executive Director, PAN-AP; Steering Council member, PCFS - Aid and development effectiveness for food security and food sovereignty
• Dr. Azra Zayeed, Co-Chair, People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS) - CSOs on the road to Busan: Key messages and proposals
• Vitalice Meja, Reality of Aid Africa Network - Aid effectiveness meeting

// Towards key messages for Busan

Mindful of the limited attention paid to agriculture and rural development in previous HLFs, and based on points of consensus reached at the workshop, the delegates proactively developed a set of recommendations for improving aid and development effectiveness in agriculture and rural development. It is anticipated that these be further developed into a set of key messages to be carried by agriculture and rural development stakeholders into the HLF4 in Busan.

Delegates themselves highlighted three overarching issues in their deliberations: accountability, results and multiple-stakeholder engagement.

• Results are vital for country-level planning and as a basis for accountability. They can be achieved through comprehensive, needs-based agrarian programmes where beneficiaries “own” the results, and should be measured by household consumption.
• Decision-making should recognise and involve all stakeholders – from governments, civil society, donors and the private sector – use country systems, and ensure ownership of outcomes by local communities and marginalised groups, including women, religious and ethnic minorities and small scale farmers.
• Accountability of all stakeholders towards rural communities was considered key. The role and capacity of parliaments must be further strengthened to enable them to act as development accountability mechanisms , their mandated function.
• Communication of focussed and clear ‘messages’ to decision makers is critical. Delegates highlighted the role of both the formal media and social media in performing this function.
• The capacity of all stakeholders to work together must be built and facilitated through an enabling environment that promotes consultation, discourse and consensus-building between them. However, the challenge remains to all partners recognise and develop their mutual responsibility towards each other.

// Comment!

All agriculture and rural development stakeholders are invited to comment on these recommendations below. All comments will contribute towards our common efforts in the coming months to develop a set of key messages to convey to decision makers gathered at HLF4 in Busan.

Media contact: Shaughn McArthur // +49 171 5655 863 // This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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