Save the Dates! Promoting a Transformative Agenda for Sustainable Development: A Regional Conference on Development Models

(Plus a strategy session on Rio+20 on 17 August 2011)

Reality of Aid Asia-Pacific (ROA-AP), IBON International and the Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN) are pleased to announce the dates for the Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Development Models: Promoting a Transformative Agenda for Sustainable Development in Busan and Beyond, to be held 15-16 August 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The conference aims to achieve the following:

• Increase the awareness and understanding of CSOs and peoples’ movements in the South on key issues in Busan (including a new consensus on development) to inform a coordinated Asia Pacific action plan towards Busan
• Bring different CSOs and peoples movements in the South into a common discussion to exchange ideas, experiences and analyses on development models and develop a common regional advocacy agenda

BACKGROUND:

At Busan, 2000 delegates, including high level government officials, donors, multilateral organizations and CSOs, will be coming together to take stock of progress against the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action and define a new framework on the quality of aid for the future.

However, discussions at Busan will go beyond aid effectiveness, but will touch on development as the core of major global challenges. According to OECD, “while aid is- and will continue to be- a significant resource for development, its potential can only be fulfilled if it acts as a lever on the policies and resources of all those engaged in development”. Busan seeks to identify ways to maximize the impact of resources for development. According to the OECD-DAC political roadmap, Busan would offer “a significant opportunity to reach an inclusive consensus on aid and development to guide agreement on the post-MDG future”.

Apart from Busan, development is placed at the heart of other international discussions and actions. Besides the Asian model of growth, there is also much discussion around sustainable development and the green economy leading up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (also known as Rio+20) in 2012. And in preparation, the conference will be followed by a one-day strategy session for CSOs and peoples movement in the South to discuss in-depth the policy agenda in Rio+20, particularly the social and development implications of the Rio themes of “green economy” and “institutional framework for sustainable development” that will inform a common CSO advocacy agenda.

The recent spate of crises on food, energy and climate and the increasing poverty underscore the urgency of pushing for a global shift to a sustainable development pathway. The expanded and sustained participation of civil society and peoples movements in policy debates is crucial to promoting a transformative agenda towards development that truly upholds the interests of the poor and the marginalized, today and in future generations.

Information on how you can participate in the conference will be forthcoming shortly! Please follow these websites for updates: www.realityofaid.org, www.aprnet.org and www.iboninternational.org or get in touch with the secretariat at adanlogrealityofaid.org and secretariataprnet.org.