Towards an effective development policy

Economic and social actors and other civil society organisations can contribute, through their expertise and involvement, to the current and future challenges of development cooperation policy and be active partners for the European Institutions in creating a more coordinated, inclusive and efficient development policy.

On 20 March, the European Economic and Social Committee's External Relations Section held a conference on innovative ways to engage in development policy, by offering a platform to non-traditional development actors such as businesses, employers' organisations, trade unions, consumers, foundations, diaspora communities and crowdfunding platforms to share their knowledge and experiences, and give visibility to their initiatives. The conference was attended by the Commissioner responsible for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica i.

"Development policy is deeply rooted in the European Union's core values. Therefore its profile has to be raised. Part of this is also strengthening employers' organisations, chambers of commerce, trade unions, consumer and agriculture organisations in developing countries, which will allow those countries to help themselves," said EESC president Henri Malosse. Commissioner Mimica underlined that in his view, development policy has to be built on three core elements: comprehension, universality and multi-stakeholder engagement. "Europe has to move from being the biggest donor to being the most effective donor", the Commissioner said, "therefore it is necessary to bundle all initiatives".

The conference gave these less traditional stakeholders the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment through very successful projects in the developing world. These examples showed how their expertise could help to find innovative way to finance development projects, ensure efficient use of development funds and enhance social dialogue and worker protection. Existing cooperation with traditional actors and donors was underlined, as co-financing is a key aspect of these activities. The participants agreed that there is still room for improvement as only when all relevant stakeholders are fully included can the overarching goal of an efficient and effective development policy be achieved.

"Europe has also to lead by example", said Viktors Makarovs, the representative of the Latvian government which currently holds the Presidency of the European Council. "The fight for rule of law and transparency, against tax evasion, and for growth which is not achieved at the expense of our environment or future generations has to unite us in Europe." The positive spirit of such a policy will inspire many others in both the developed and the developing world.

More information and the presentation can be found on our webpage.

For more information, please contact:

EESC Press Unit

E-mail: press@eesc.europa.eu

Tel: + 32 2 546 8141 / +32 473 520 774