Last week, ahead of the 2022 Effective Development Co-operation Summit, Steering Committee members met to discuss the Outcome Document to be adopted by key decision-makers and stakeholders at the Summit this December.
Mr. Thomas Gass (Co-Chair from Switzerland) representing the host of the Summit highlighted that “we need to demonstrate that we can walk the talk on country ownership, results, multi-stakeholder involvement, and accountability and transparency – these four principles are critical for building trust. This is what we want to convey at the Summit in December. We want to make sure there is new commitment by all development partners to the principles.”
The Steering Committee welcomed Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) and the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA) who will be the incoming Co-Chair entities replacing Bangladesh and Switzerland, respectively, after the Summit.
"We believe development co-operation can support inclusive and socioeconomic transformation. BAPPENAS will continue to strengthen inclusive international development co-operation in line with SDGs,” said Dr. Wisnu Utomo, Director of Foreign Policy and International Development Co-operation. Ms. Marie Ottosson, SIDA’s Assistant Director General, also spoke on behalf of Sweden: “Sweden has always been a strong promoter and believer in development co-operation effectiveness. Finding new ways to work together to maximize the impact for people in poverty is needed and the GPEDC is the right platform to achieve this."
At the onset of the meeting, Steering Committee members applauded the concise and action—oriented first draft of the Summit Outcome Document. More deliberations will take place in the coming weeks through the knowledge-sharing platform (please provide your comments here as relevant).
Members discussed how to implement the vision to shift the attention of the Partnership to the country level in practice. Based on informal exchanges, members discussed how to operationalize a new, member-led and multi-stakeholder ‘delivery model’, one that is supported by national and regional partners, built around the new monitoring and integrated in national processes. Members also agreed on new Terms of References for Co-Chairs and Steering Committee members and proposals for updated working arrangements, stressing the need for political will and commitment from different stakeholders to ensure we can deliver these commitments at country level post the Summit.
The new GPEDC monitoring will be launched at the Summit, following which the 4th monitoring round will commence in early 2023. To prepare for this, over 30 countries have already expressed interest in participating in the new monitoring from 2023, and in galvanizing political commitment ahead of the Summit. The Steering Committee further welcomed that the monitoring will now generate evidence on the Kampala Principles for Private Sector Engagement in Development Co-operation.
Members also discussed the series of innovative instruments and multi-stakeholder processes that will be launched at the Summit to fast-track the delivery of commitments on effective development co-operation, based on the work of members throughout the 2020-22 Work Programme. In this context, as the last Steering Committee meeting before the Summit and as the current Work Programme comes to an end, Steering Committee members reflected on their experiences, while also highlighting the challenges of delivering on a wide number of priorities during the pandemic. A more practical, functional and focused Work Programme is envisaged for 2023-2025.