PIF Countries Attend International Aid Effectiveness Meeting

25 November 2011

Pacific Island Forum countries will make strong representation at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF4) in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 29 November to 1 December 2011.

The HLF4 aims to review the global progress in achieving the commitments made by partner countries and development partners under the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the 2008 Accra Agenda for Action, to improve the effectiveness of development assistance and shape new commitments to further ensure all resources that support development efforts will help reduce poverty and accelerate progress in achieving the MDGs.

About 2000 delegates will converge on Busan comprising developing and donor countries, government representatives, parliamentarians, civil society organisations, and private sector representatives, who will among other things:
• assess global progress in improving the quality of aid against the agreed commitments;
• share global experiences in delivering the best results; and,
• agree on a Busan Outcome Document to further enhance efforts globally and within countries to make aid more effective in reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

“With the unique challenges, vulnerabilities and limited capacities of some of the Forum island countries impacting on their ability to lead and progress their development agenda, it is important that the Pacific is well represented at this High Level Forum and advocate for specific recognition,” says Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

Mr Slade said: “Countries in the region are considered recipients of some of the highest aid per capita although their progress on development outcomes including the Millennium Development Goals remain comparatively slow and mixed.”

Forum Leaders recognize the significant challenges to FICs in achieving their national development priorities and their commitments to internationally agreed development goals and targets.

The Pacific Plan was adopted as the master strategy on regional cooperation and integration. A range of regional frameworks and principles including the Pacific Aid Effectiveness Principles have been adopted to provide guidance and direction in implementing the priorities of the Plan.

“The Forum through its Secretariat will use the Busan High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness to show case the Cairns Compact on Strengthening Development Coordination (Forum Compact), which was adopted by Forum Leaders in 2009 through a Side Event jointly organised with the African Union agency, the New Partnerships for African Development (NEPAD) as a regional framework for promoting good practice in development cooperation,” said Mr Slade.

The Forum Secretariat has also secured time within the Knowledge and Innovation Space at the Busan HLF4 to promote the usefulness of the Peer Review process under the Forum Compact as an innovative and tailored process for the region. The value in looking beyond the experiences of the Pacific and draw from lessons learned in other regions to strengthen the peer review process or to foster inter-regional peer to peer learning will be considered through a mini-debate which will draw on experiences in the Caribbean region.

Forum Secretary General, Mr Slade said: “The plan is to use both the Joint Side Event with the Africans and the Mini-debate as an attempt to influence the outcomes of the Busan High Level Forum to address some of the challenges of the Pacific region’s development agenda.”

ENDS.

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