What is the GPEDC Senior-Level Meeting and why is it important?
The Senior-Level Meeting (SLM) is a gathering of key decision-makers and senior representatives hosted by the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) to review progress on the effective development co-operation (EDC) agenda and to discuss how to accelerate country-level progress on the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
It takes place on July 13 to 14, 2019 in New York, just ahead of the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) Ministerial Segment.
The GPEDC is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together all types of development actors – national and local governments, civil society, private sector, bilateral and multilateral organisations, trade unions, parliaments, and foundations – to advance the effectiveness of their development efforts, to deliver results that are long-lasting, and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.
The SLM is a key moment for knowledge exchange and critical reflection regarding progress on effectiveness commitments made in Paris, Accra, Busan, Mexico, and Nairobi. Through the SLM, development actors will explore ways to align their work and commitments with the HLPF’s. GPEDC identified three main objectives of the SLM:
- Affirm effectiveness as an essential driver for sustainable development;
- Expand the reach of effectiveness with context-sensitive approaches, and through convening development actors on a more equal footing; and
- Explore effectiveness challenges and priorities for the future
Why is the SLM important for the civil society?
The SLM reaffirms the importance of four development effectiveness principles championed by civil society – ownership by partner countries, focusing on results, inclusive partnerships, and mutual accountability and transparency – in evaluating development outcomes.
SLM also gives civil society a space for engaging various stakeholders on the issue of effective development co-operation, especially in monitoring progress on the EDC commitments of all development actors in relation to the SDGs. Specifically, the SLM will allow CSOs to share their insights into different goals under review in 2019, in particular SDGs 16 and 17 which are critical to civil society and the effectiveness agenda. Finally, the SLM provides a multi-stakeholder structure to include civil society in the decision-making process regarding EDC.
What is CPDE?
The CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) is an open platform that unites civil society organisations (CSOs) from around the world on the issue of effective development co-operation. We strive to make development more effective by reshaping the global aid architecture and empowering CSOs working on the ground.
In promoting EDC in all areas of work, both our own and the work of others, we contribute to the advancement of human rights and attainment of sustainable development. CPDE’s constituencies from 6 regions (Africa, Asia, Pacific, Europe, Middle East & North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean), and eight sectors (Agriculture and Rural Development, Feminist Group, Indigenous Peoples, Faith-Based Organisations, International Civil Society Organisations, Youth, Labour, and Migrants and Diaspora).
How will CPDE engage in the SLM?
CPDE represents CSOs in the Steering Committee of the GPEDC. We have been actively engaged in all aspects of the GPEDCs work, including its governance structure, implementation of its work programme, rollout of the monitoring framework, and Global Partnership initiatives and activities at the national level. The SLM will showcase all of these initiatives and CPDE will participate in a manner equal to our involvement in the GPEDC as a whole.
At and prior to the SLM CPDE intends to: (a) be involved in the preparations and preparatory activities, including agenda setting; (b) to have a high-level profile in the SLM itself participating in panels, parallel sessions, organising side events and holding a CSO pre-forum; and (c) sustain engagement in the follow up of the SLM and the subsequent GPEDC work programme.
CPDE is sending representatives of our diverse constituencies to share their insights in the discussions on achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are also organising a Civil Society Forum titled Addressing Accountability, Strengthening Advocacy for Effective Development Cooperation, to be held on July 12, 2019. Guided by the CPDE Manifesto, forum participants will discuss positions, messages, and key demands of CSOs to make development cooperation more effective and impactful for CPDE constituencies.
What are CPDE’s key messages for the SLM?
CPDE will be releasing a statement for the SLM, which contains the following key messages:
• Strongly encourage all members of the Global Partnership to stress the fundamental importance of the development cooperation principles for achieving rapid progress in advancing Agenda 2030, which remains stalled on the Means of Implementation (Goal 17).
- Elaborate and monitor human rights-based approaches in carrying out shared commitments to EDC principles as a foundation for strengthening outcomes in relation to the SDGs.
- Build on the outcomes of the GPEDC Third Monitoring exercise as elaborated in the 2019 Progress Report through a current work stream by advancing a time-bound agenda for the renewal of unfulfilled commitments from Paris to Busan for the next High-Level Meeting.
- Initiate a multi-stakeholder work stream with the mandate to assess the different challenges affecting shrinking and closing civic space, including CSOs’ own development effectiveness, and to propose specific recommendations for the next High-Level Meeting on urgent actions on the part of all development actors in the Global Partnership.
- Build upon the Kampala Principles to develop a monitoring indicator for the effective private sector engagement in development cooperation, including an assessment of blended finance and other leveraging arrangements, with case studies to test this indicator in a range of partner countries prior to the Fourth Monitoring Round.
- Implement a plan of action for adapting the monitoring framework for the Fourth Monitoring Round for countries facing conditions of conflict and/or fragility, follow the proposals made to the 17th Steering Committee held in Kampala, in the context of stock-taking and lessons learned from the 2018 Third Monitoring Round.
How can others support the CPDE delegation to the SLM?
We urge civil society advocates to watch out for and widely share our statement and other advocacy materials on advancing the effectiveness agenda, to be posted on our website and social media.
Our content may also be forwarded through email to governments, parliamentarians, local government authorities, members of the press, other CSOs, think-tanks, development practitioners, and the academe.
