High drama at the High Level Forum, ODIOverseas Development Institute (London) Blog September 2008

I've just returned from the ministerial day at the third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, where I moderated the two main plenary discussions (for other resources prepared by colleagues in advance of the Forum, see ODIOverseas Development Institute (London) on... the Third High Level Forum). The High Level Forum, 2-4 September, was held in Accra, Ghana and generated a great deal of drama. For those who don’t live and breathe aid effectiveness, this is a triennial ministerial event of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD/DAC). The last Forum, in 2005, generated the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness, enshrining principles and targets for things like harmonisation, alignment and mutual accountability between donors and recipients. The process is designed to remedy all those shocking facts we cite – 700 donor missions to Vietnam last year, 25 health donors in many African countries..........................