A blog on the challenges of the EU's international cooperation
This compilation of reviews of the implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) commissioned by the Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AfriMAP) of the Open Society Foundations network identifies challenges that stakeholders involved in reforming the APRM should be aware of and commit to resolving. The countries covered are: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa.
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EU Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has stressed the need to strengthen the profile of development cooperation ahead of the adoption of the new EU Financial Perspectives framework (covering 2014-2020). The European Commission is already preparing proposals, to be put forward in April 2011, for the Financial Perspectives. Proposals for new financial instruments, including the development cooperation instrument, are also being prepared and will be put forward soon thereafter. These will determine the direction of EU external relations in the future. During a debate with members of the European Parliament’s Development Committee on 13 July, Commissioner ...
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The main focus of the latest issue of ECDPM-ICTSD’s Trade Negotiations Insights (TNI) is on the degree of fiscal revenue loss the ACP face due to the Economic Partnership Agreements and how ACP governments can compensate such losses through adjustment measures, engaging in fiscal reforms and ensuring a better mobilisation of their domestic resources. The intention is to launch a discussion in future TNIs on both of these issues. Do you have experiences or views to share?
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Joining up Africa: Support to Regional Integration addresses key issues to improve donor support to regional integration processes in Africa. The principal conclusion is that the Paris Declaration principles are not as well applied at the regional as at national level in Africa, though both regional organisations and development partners are keen that they should be. A number of challenges need to be overcome to achieve real progress before the Seoul High Level Forum in 2011. Can you add any experiences or suggestions?
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During the second EU-Africa Summit in 2007, strong commitments were made by African and EU leaders “to build a strategic political partnership overcoming the traditional donor-recipient relationship …’’. In order to track the progress made towards this objective, the Europe Africa Policy Research Network (EARN) agreed the outline for a report to track progress on global issues of common interest (beyond development aid) at a meeting on 7-8 June. Due to be published prior to the third EU-Africa Summit in November, the EARN report will identify achievements and missed opportunities in the three years between ...
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This informal note from public presentations by Gary Quince indicates that while national and intra-ACP funding is proceeding well, the mere one percent of regional European Development Fund financing committed to date augurs for an urgent change in approach to ensure that funding is not lost. Capacity building for programming and agreement on division of labour at all levels in the regions and in the EU is necessary. Issues need to be addressed in the Mid Term Review of the regional EDF programmes due to start in 2011. Any comment from the ACP regions?
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by MELISSA JULIAN on JUNE 7, 2010 Four leading European Think-Tanks have published a new policy note titled ‘Development-proofing the EEAS’ in response to the new blueprint on the European External Action Service (EEAS) agreed by the EU General Affairs Council. The document elaborates on the four key priorities set out by heads of the four organisations: Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE) and ECDPM – in their Open Letter of 5 May. Noting that speed is of the essence in implementing ...
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In order to derive maximum benefits from trade liberalisation processes, the competitiveness of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries’ private sector is crucial. A new paper from ECDPM and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) analyses the successful experience of the Integrated Development Programme for the Caribbean Rum Sector – from its inception and design to its concrete management and implementation – as an example of how Aid for Trade driven by the private sector can best support ACP development. It is meant to inform ACP private sector players who are ...
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The publication of the Dutch Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) report: “Less pretension, more ambition: Development Aid that makes a difference”, caused quite a stir. Skeptics were quick to seize on the report as endorsement for the view that aid needs radical reform, or should even be scrapped altogether. On Tuesday 23rd March, the lead writer of the report Peter van Lieshout was in Maastricht to debate some of the implications of the report at the EU level. Also sitting around the table were ECDPM director Paul Engel and Mrs Brave Ndisale, Head of ...
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On Wednesday 17 March, the Development Committee of the European Parliament reserved a slot for four leading European research institutes to present their recent report on the future of EU Development Cooperation. Their presentation informed an exchange of views with Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and the Members of the Committee. Our organisation, together with three other leading European development cooperation institutes (German Development Institute in Bonn, Overseas Development Institute in London and La Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior in Madrid), recently published a Memorandum titled ‘New Challenges, New Beginnings: Next Steps ...
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