Opportunities for civil society to promote good governance through international cooperation

1. Opportunities for civil society to promote good governance through international cooperation

2. Overview • An exploratory workshop – building on participants knowledge, work situations and expectations • Recalling shared understanding – feedback on TI’s paper • Current aid framework - hurdles to implementation • Civil society role in the current aid framework • Civil society part of the problem ? – A new way of functioning required • Advocacy opportunities for European civil society • Advocacy opportunities for partner civil society • Discussion

3. Knowledge, opportunities & expectations • Previous exposure and experience of reaching – or not reaching the poor • Where opportunities / constraints to prevent corruption are perceived • What do we expect to leave with – practicable ideas? • Collective advocacy, internal change?

4. Shared understanding–feedback on TI’s paper • Public accountability is key to preventing corruption • Aid has broken the domestic accountability chain – perpetuating poverty in rich developing countries • Mutual accountability – a new ‘conditionality’ on aid requiring donor and recipient governments to ensure accountability to their citizens i.e.: • Aid must support institutions of domestic accountability • Aid must support the poor in demanding accountability

5. New aid framework Increasing policy and budget based support: Budget support to strengthen domestic accountability - a way forward ? Budget support – an opportunity for civil society to strengthen democratic accountability

6. Hurdles to implementation • No incentive for donor and recipient administrations to ensure accountability • Downward accountability to beneficiaries is political, requires support to democratic processes & challenges state capture • Civil society is used as substitute for accountability to beneficiaries • Beneficiaries & taxpayers not aware of rights, poorly informed, with no incentive to participate

7. Civil society role in current framework Aid framework focuses on accountability to citizens and parliaments and multi-stakeholder processes UNCAC: ensuring inclusive, informed and empowered participation in domestic decision-making (Article 13) Paris Declaration: ownership through accountability to citizens and parliaments (Article 3) and multistakeholder processes (Article 14&48)

8. Civil society part of the problem ? Vested interests of donors, recipients, civil society to continue transfers from European taxpayers to the poor Vested interests to continue to supply public services – particularly of civil society in partner countries Vested interests to represent beneficiaries and demand funds to ensure their representation

9. Challenge to function differently From providing financial resources to providing information and demanding democratic accountability In donor countries • Ensure accountability to taxpayers on donor commitments In recipient countries • Track and support domestic accountability to beneficiaries

10. European civil society & donors What can be done immediately: • Demand space in donor coordination forums and processes to track commitments on domestic accountability (UNCAC, MDG, Paris Decl, WB GAC, CAS, EU CSP etc.) • Create space for partner civil society in donor supported processes in partner countries (donor forums, CAS, DBS, SwAPs etc.)

11. Also • Hold national and European parliamentarians to account on oversight (Bilateral, EU, WB funding) • Support parliamentary oversight of EU financing (ALA committees), WB progrs. Key indicators: • Disbursement links to informed, institutionalised, entitlement based participiation, resource mobilisation, field staff positions & cross donor forums – MoUs, DIPs

12. Advocacy messages to taxpayers • Emphasize linkages – e.g. ENP links corruption, poverty, migration • OECD Convention - Taxpayers must hold companies to account that bribe governments and impoverish local populations and cause distress migration • Sharing necessary both across the globe and within countries

13. New role of partner civil society Support beneficiaries to: • participate in political and administrative decision-making forums • make informed choices of beneficial policy option • demand accountability on services and resources • voice concerns on the effectiveness of downward accountability measures • exercise entitlement rights (EITI)

14. Also • Build coalitions with parliamentarians and media to strengthen democratic accountability • Enter decision-making forums on national development strategies and sector policies • Enter decision-making forums on donor CAS and programme formulations • Focus on sectors, decentralisation etc. relevant to the poor and having a broader appeal

15. Advocacy messages • Rights and entitlements of citizens to national resources • Transparency of - and public participation in - decision-making processes • Tracking conversion of inclusive growth promises through the policy, budget and implementation process

16. Discussion • Immediate opportunities • Civil society should demand a place at the table of donor coordination (Paris Decl.) • Join other CSOs, Civicus, Action Aid, TI advocacy effort in tracking implementation for Accra 2008 • Occupy existing spaces of the WB, EBRD, EBI, ADBs, all bilateral aid agencies, the OECD • Other ideas?

17. EU opportunities • Deriving from the UNCAC; Paris Declaration and OECD DAC work, Country Strategy Paper, Sector Budget Guidelines, civil society and beneficiaries are repeatedly mentioned as key stakeholders, whose participation is nessary both for sustainable development and to prevent corruption • In none of the above does European civil society participate to protect both tax-payers interest (upward accountability) or beneficiary interests (downward accountability) • Forums in which civil society could ensure their role: through member countries that are on the ALA committees (EDF), Quality Support Groups, current consultation on access to documents