Eurostep
South Asia Consultation
Eradication of Poverty and the Quality of Aid
26
to 29 September 2000
Statement
of Recommendations
Meeting in Haryana, India, representatives
of journalists, academics, NGOs and other Civil Society actors
from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and India together
with representatives from European NGOs within Eurostep have
drawn the following conclusions and recommendations:
1.
The process of development is inherently political. If it is
inequitable and non-participatory it can actually create poverty.
The objective of eradicating poverty can only be achieved through
struggle in which people living in poverty are empowered to take
control of their own lives and resources. People living in
poverty, the majority of who are women, are best able to identify
the structural obstacles that perpetuate and accentuate poverty.
In consequence they are also best placed to set the agenda to
address these obstacles and to define solutions that can
eradicate poverty.
2.
The definition and framework of the Poverty Reduction Strategy
Papers as defined by the World Bank and IMF cannot eradicate
poverty. On the contrary the policies and practices of the
Bretton Woods Institutions, as they are currently modelled,
accentuate poverty.
3.
Current forms of globalisation based on unfettered liberalisation
accentuate global inequalities both between countries and within
countries. On the other hand global alliances can actually
contribute to the eradication of poverty.
4.
It is clear that a rights based approach to social development,
which recognises the multi-faceted nature of poverty, is central
to its eradication. The rights based approach can also ensure
that the dignity of people living in poverty is recognised.
5.
The struggle to eradicate poverty calls for partnerships and
alliances based on shared values and principles together with
mutuality of concerns.
6.
Past development policy and practice which emphasised
technocratic approaches have dis-empowered people living in
poverty by de-politicising their struggles.
7.
Therefore the participants from South Asia and Europe will work
together towards:
i.
Promoting a multi-dimensional, democratic and comprehensive
dialogue.
ii.
Work towards linking constituencies in the North and South to
develop common strategies particularly
with regard to the adverse affects of structural adjustment.
iii.
Promoting viable development alternatives based on people's own
knowledge and innovations.
iv.
Defending peoples livelihoods including through guarding and
nurturing bio-diversity, community resources and their own
knowledge systems.
v.
Promoting the development and capacities of civil society
organisations to create political and economic democracy.
vi.
Work towards identifying common strategies that address food
security concerns including reforms of current policies, such as
the CAP and the agreement on agriculture of WTO.
vii.
Raise awareness of violation of human rights and help promote
developing civil societies in countries where civil society is
non-existent.
8.
We call upon the European Union to:
i.
Develop new pro-poor development strategies independently of
IMF/World Bank models, in consultation with representatives of
civil society and peoples organisations.
ii.
Develop its Country Strategy papers in proper consultation with
organisations of civil society, ensuring that the voices of
people living in poverty are heard and reflected in formulating
the strategies and agendas of poverty alleviation/eradication
programmes. In addition, a regional strategy for South Asia
should be established.
iii.
Develop suitable mechanisms for consultative processes, including
a right to information that take into account traditional forms
of civil society. In this context the use new information
technology, the media (inclusive of community and alternative
forms) and public hearings in project impact areas should be
incorporated.
iv.
Give increased emphasis to providing relevant support to people's
initiatives for poverty eradication.
v.
Ensure that in its budget allocations there is an increased
reflection of the proportion of people living in poverty within
South Asia. In addition emphasis should be given to financing
important social sectors. Scarce ODA resources should not be
diverted to the private sector.
vi.
Establish mechanisms for a social audit in all projects that it
supports and to make a commitment to adequately address any
negative consequences that are identified.
vii.
Work to ensure that global trade and investment regulations allow
national governments to regulate and control their economies in
ways that protect the rights of all its people.
viii.
Use its political and economic influence to make the structures
of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (more)
democratic.
ix.
Mobilise its member states to agree not to sell military arms to
countries of South Asia.
x.
The European Union should explicitly mainstream gender in all its
development co-operation agreements that it negotiates with South
Asian and other countries.
xi.
Strive towards promotion and preservation of a multi-polar world
in which there is a respect for democratic principles and space.
9.
We call upon the state and governments in South Asia to:
i.
Enhance and strengthen their commitments to social sectors and in
particular to ensure that the basic needs of all people are met.
ii.
Ensure that the rights of citizens to life, human dignity and
livelihoods are protected and promoted, particularly those of the
marginalised and minorities.
iii.
Ensure that the policies and practices of the state and its
institutions are carried out in a transparent, effective and
accountable way, free of corruption. South Asian governments in
collaboration with the EU countries to take initiatives to stop
market driven corruption.
iv.
Reject structural adjustment models defined by the World Bank and
the IMF. In addition not to bind themselves to the WTO’s
agreement on agriculture.
v.
Reduce expenditures on defence to provide further resources for
health, education, agriculture, and other programmes that address
the needs of people living in poverty.
vi.
Actively work together and support networks and alliances on
crosscutting areas of concern such as trafficking of women,
water, refugees, citizenship, violence, ecology and disasters.
vii.
Ensure that their plans emerge from a consultative process that
specifically involves the marginalised. Gender concerns should be
emphasised in all such development plans.
10.
We call on Eurostep and its members to:
i.
Work towards the establishment of mechanisms of dialogue between
civil society constituencies in Europe and South Asia and between
South Asian civil society and EU institutions.
ii.
Promote the alternative development models drawn from people's
experiences and knowledge with a view to their mainstreaming
within EU development policies and practices.
iii.
Support South Asian networks and alliances on crosscutting areas
of concern such as trafficking of women, water, refugees,
citizenship, violence, ecology and disasters.
iv.
Work towards deepening and broadening global alliances that can
effectively project the concerns and voices of people living in
poverty and promote pro-poor solutions.
v.
Work together in partnership to build capacity and support for
effective policy intervention at local, national and global level
based on a pro-poor agenda.
vi.
Help promote and establish a global alliance to establish a
permanent, independent social audit commission on the policy and
practice of the WTO.
vii.
Provide information and analysis of the development policy and
practice of the European Union.
11.
We call on Civil Society in South Asia to:
i.
Work towards setting up regional alliances and supporting
existing ones to work on strategies to effectively change and
combat the harmful economic policies of globalisation,
liberalisation and privatisation which cause increasing poverty
in the region.
ii.
Develop strategies that create space for people's initiatives,
and support their struggles, recognising the specific and
different contexts of marginalised groups.
iii.
Develop common strategies that make governments, states and local
authorities accountable and responsive to peoples needs.
iv.
Establish dialogue collectively and individually with EU
representatives.
v.
Set up a People for Peace Structures in the region to influence
governments to reduce defence expenditure and work towards peace
in the region.
vi.
Work for the establishment of a social audit in all projects
supported by the EU, and to press for the EU to adequately
address any negative consequences that are identified.
29 September
2000
Updated on 6 October 2000
Please address comments to [email protected]
Developer's Note: These pages were developed for use on the
Netscape browser.