CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS ADOPT THE BEIRUT DECLARATION TO UPHOLD DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION COMMITEMENTS
Cross section of participants at the 6th Global Council Meeting in Beirut
Photo credit: CAMYOSFOP 2019
The 2030 Agenda came at a critical point when the world is still reeling from the impacts of the multiple global crises and the intensification of neoliberal development agenda. The agenda underscored the need for concerted efforts of all development partners for its achievement.
With the coming to force of the new development agenda in 2015, Development partners meet in Kenya during the 2nd High Level Meeting on Development Effectiveness in 2016 to chart the way for its implementation. The main outcome of the meeting was the Nairobi Outcome Document (NOD) which recognized Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as equal development partners. Despite this recognition, the trend of shrinking and closing civic space is worsening. CSO reports over the years point to structural and systemic factors that contribute to this trend. These factors range from legal and regulatory impediments to CSO operations and closing spaces for political participation, to human rights violations and killings.
In this light, over 50 Members of the CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and the Pacific, representing faith-based organizations, feminist constituency, international civil society organizations, indigenous peoples, migrants and diaspora, rural constituency, trade unions, and the youth, gathered for the CPDE Policy Conference held on February 27, 2019 in Beirut, Lebanon to call on all development stakeholders to uphold Effective Development Cooperation (EDC) commitments, reverse the trend of shrinking and closing civic spaces, and address the issue of corporate-driven development.
The Beirut Declaration to Uphold Development Cooperation Commitments
The Declaration recognizes the importance of Effective Development Cooperation as means to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to contribute in addressing long-standing issues of poverty, marginalization, and inequality within and between countries, and between men and women. It underlines the major issues in development cooperation and the actions that need to be fulfilled by the governments and other development actors.
CSOs in the Declaration agree to explore the issues of the effectiveness of humanitarian aid and climate finance as important emerging concerns in development cooperation, advance the rights of the marginalized and disenfranchised sectors of the society and challenging corporate-driven development, Building solidarity and alliances with CSOs and other development actors in advancing Development Effectiveness (DE), push for the rights-based application of DE principles in all development levels, and upholding the accountability of all development actors to their EDC commitments.
CSOs also reiterate their call on all development stakeholders to uphold Effective Development Cooperation principles, reverse the trend of shrinking and closing civic spaces, and address the issue of corporate capture of development, and other emerging concerns.
CAMYOSFOP is a member of the Civil Society Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) and is also Africa Regional Coordinator of the CPDE Youth Constituency. CAMYOSFOP works on engaging youth CSOs in Cameroon and Africa in development effectiveness Processes. In this light, CAMYOSFOP published a policy document on assessing Youth Driven Social Accountability Indicators within the 20130 Agenda Landscape in 2018. The analyses present a gloomy picture of youth involvement in development effectiveness processes in Cameroon, challenges and recommendations to the government and other key stakeholders.
Compiled by:
Ms. Suwun Rita Beri
Programs Officer