On 4 February we held a workshop at Cassidy’s Hotel in Dublin co-organised by the Irish Development NGO Platform Dochas (www.dochas.ie). There were participants from the Irish Development NGO community as well as from Irish Aid.
There was an interesting and lively debate primarily focused on the added value/comparative advantage of EC aid and the code of conduct for the division of labour. The participants addressed concerns relating to ownership and accountability in EC Aid. This was tackled both from the national Irish context and the need to ensure accountability to Irish citizens, but also the importance of ensuring and reinforcing the ownership of partner countries and people in decisions around aid.
We touched upon the importance of engaging Parliaments South and North in discussions about improving accountability in aid.The discussion also looked at the potential impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the poverty focus and impact of the EU’s development actions. The need to engage in a broader public debate on this issue is clearly felt in due to the upcoming referendum on the Treaty.
List of participants - .doc| .pdf
Filed under: Roundtables
