Activities

Committee for Development Effectiveness - 'The Seoul Group'

At the CID AGM, 2010, it was agreed that a CID development effectiveness group be established to enhance the aid and development effectiveness agenda. The Committee for Development Effectiveness ("the Seoul Group" named after the original host city for the next High Level Forum meeting in 2011) will be directly related to strengthening the role and voice of New Zealand international NGOs and will bring together proactive CID members who aim to improve their accountability and legitimacy.

The Seoul Group will also address the question of the enabling environment . A flourishing New Zealand development NGO sector requires an enabling environment, which depends upon the actions and policies of all development actors, including the government. For this reason we have extended the invitation to join The Seoul Group to interested people from universities, MFAT and other organisations who have relevant experience and wish to advance the important agenda of development effectiveness.

The Seoul Group will look at two main issues. First, in the next 10 months there will be more developments within the Open Forum that we need to be informed about and also feed into, from a New Zealand perspective. Second, how do we ensure development is effective and that NGOs are accountable?

Membership of the group is open to all CID members, and expressions of interest are welcome from others with an interest in the global development and aid effectiveness agenda. Pauline McKay was elected at the AGM to be convenor of the Seoul Group.

Seoul Group's objectives are:

• to sustain a dialogue at the national level while improving the knowledge and understanding of CID members in regards to aid and development effectiveness;
• to create ownership of the principles and to link CID member's understanding, knowledge and experience into the greater international dialogue which is currently taking place; and
• to develop a national strategy, guidelines and indicators to help put the principles into practice while harmonising efforts with CID members and MFAT prior to the next High Level Meeting in Busan, South Korea in December 2011.

Open Forum on Development Effectiveness

The Open Forum is a global process aimed to establish a consensus on key principles that should guide NGOs involved in international development. CID's consultation involved intensive discussions amongst representatives of New Zealand NGOs in a workshop 12-13 May 2010 to propose Principles for CSO Development Effectiveness.

For more information or documents please see: Open Forum