Civil Society Organizations are in World Wide Process to Set Principles on their Own Development Effectiveness

Dhaka, 6th June 2010. Today in a press conference held at National Press Club, Dhaka, leaders from BAPA, CDP, EquityBD and SUPRO announced the date and process on Bangladesh National Consultation on open forum on civil society organization (CSO)’s development effectiveness. This is a part of global dialogue process which was initiated after the Accra Conference on aid effectiveness that held during 2008, being lead by 25 international civil society organizations which includes, AFRODAD, ANND  CONCORD,  CIVICUS, ACT, CIDSE,  Plan and Care International etc. In Asia Pacific the dialogues being facilitated by Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN). The process will be culminated in 2011 at Korea during fourth high level forum on aid effectiveness. The press conference was moderated by Dr. Abdul Matin of BAPA. Mostafa Kamal Akanda and Rezaul Karim Chowdury of EquityBD/COAST, Jahangir Hossain Masum of CDP and Iqbal Uddin of SUPRO have spoken on the occasion.

Organizers mentioned that there were 71 organizational representatives have been selected from around 500 applications in Bangladesh through a careful selection process, and basically who are not from faith based organizations and politically non-partisan. They will be assisted by thirteen national and two international resource persons (e.g., Mrs., Maria from APRN, Philippines and Mr. Anil from SANSAD, India) in a two-day residential workshop. They will identify CSO work principles, indicators to gain credibility, partnership principles, and challenges in enabling environment. The findings will be presented in a multi stakeholder consultation to be held in CIRDAP auditorium on 17th June, 2010 where representatives from government, political leaders, donors and international non government organizations will be invited. Dr. Matin of BAPA mentioned that, this is also a process to bring all possible Bangladeshi CSOs in an informal relation and dialogue process for minimum coordination in future and also to review the role of CSOs. Rezaul Karim Chowdury of EquityBD has mentioned that, Bangladesh is a multi driver society, where CSO role is vibrant, and the role has to be strengthened to make a balance between state and market factors. He quoted from Amratya Sen that, it is the democratic society where the important guarantee is that that no body will die without food. Iqbal Uddin of SUPRO said that Bangladeshi CSOs have remarkable experiences and enabling environment that have to be shared in global level. Jahangir Hossain Masum of CDP mentioned that, through this open forum the group will try to set examples to maintain utmost level of transparency and participation. He and the group sought cooperation from media on disseminating information on the open forum, so that the dialogue process will be strengthened.

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