What needs to be done and where to start with to accelerate the effectiveness of our aid and development system ?
This will be an interactive panel discussion pitched against the challenging context in which the development community finds itself today.
The 193 countries of the UN Assembly have adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in September last year. From ending poverty ‘in all forms everywhere’ to ensuring access to affordable clean energy for all: the goals are our common compass that member states have agreed to realize before 2030. These 17 goals and 169 targets present an ambitious target in itself. The challenge to meet these aspirational goals is compounded by the raw facts that we read about in the news everyday: ongoing conflicts that result in humanitarian disasters, climate change impacts that result in lost harvests and loss of biodiversity, and poor infrastructure and governance in developing countries to sustain change. It presents a familiar picture to those of us working in Geneva in International Organizations, NGOs, United Nations operations, donor agencies, Foundations and sustainability departments of companies.
If we call this, ie you, part of our global response to the development challenge, what can we do to improve our current set up? How can we tap into the local fabric and build more resilient communities? What can we do to optimize the efficiency of the development delivery system? How can we assure full accountability of all actors in the aid chain, from local grassroots to large international organizations, to deliver against their stated mission and the global targets set? How to mobilize an accountable and coordinated civil society sector? What would we recommend traditional donors do? And what do they think they could improve and optimize the ‘value for money’ proposition to taxpayers?
The invited panelists represent the various sides of the development challenge and participants are actively encouraged to contribute during the discussions.
