[Gender] UK Government White Paper on International Development

Wed Jul 19 10:22:27 CDT 2006

To: The Drum Beat Network

From: Warren Feek - Executive Director - The Communication Initiative

Re: UK Government White Paper on International Development

Many best wishes to everyone.    

This is a special note to The Drum Beat network related to the recent
release of the UK Government's White Paper on International Development. The
following text from Department for International Development (DFID) sources
highlights the purpose of the White Paper and its overriding intent.

"The White Paper sets out DFID's priorities and explains how we will work
with the rest of UK Government, partner governments, international
organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and academics to fulfil
the promises made in 2005 to significantly reduce world poverty."

"On Thursday 13 July DFID launched its new White Paper on International
Development, 'eliminating world poverty: making governance work for the
poor'. It sets out what the UK Government will do to reduce world poverty
over the next five years."

[http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://www.dfid.gov.uk/wp2006/defaul
t.asp]

The full White paper can be accessed in PDF format through the DFID website
at
http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://www.dfid.gov.uk/wp2006/default
.asp  There is a summary of the White Paper within The CI's Strategic
Thinking section at
http://www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/st2006/thinking-1808.html

I am sending this special note to the network for three reasons [a] because
it is a major policy announcement from a significant bilateral agency and
[b] because I am aware that many of you will be in contact with DFID staff
across a range of DFID departments, offices and staff roles. Hopefully, from
both of those perspectives it is helpful to outline some of the content from
the White Paper that could be supportive of your development communication
and media development efforts. 

The note below [1] Outlines the major messages of the White Paper [2]
Highlights a major resourcing outcome of the White Paper relative to our
field and [3] Provides some quotes from the White paper that you may be able
to use to argue for the importance and value of your work in the context of
these new DFID policies, priorities and strategies.

1.	The White Paper's Main Focus

In the words of The White Paper, the main messages include:

"We will deliver the promises we made in 2005 by: increasing our development
budget to 0.7% of gross national income by 2013; concentrating our resources
on the poorest countries - particularly sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia -
and working more in fragile states; making sure that wider UK policies
support development; and doubling funding for science and technology.

We will put governance at the centre of our work - focusing on building
states that are capable, responsive and accountable to their citizens. We
will use a new framework for assessing the quality of governance to do this
and use the assessment to tailor our support appropriately to country
circumstances. We will also step up our efforts dramatically to tackle
corruption internationally, for example through a new anti-corruption unit
and follow up to Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

We will increase our effort to help people have security, incomes through
growth and public services. We will commit 50% of all future bilateral aid
to public services for poor people - social protection will be a major new
area of work."

2.	The Governance and Transparency Fund

The White Paper includes this decision as announced: 

"The UK will: 

- Set up a new £100 million Governance and Transparency Fund to strengthen
civil society and the media to help citizens hold their governments to
account.

- Work in our partner countries to help make public institutions more
accountable, for example by strengthening parliamentary and regulatory
oversight.

- Support more responsive governance, for example, by helping partner
countries to consult with poor people, and to produce better statistics on
poverty and monitor their progress in overcoming it.

- Improve the effectiveness of our technical assistance, pool our funding
with other donors where possible, increase the use of local providers and
ensure value for money."

Of course this phrase in the first point above - "to strengthen civil
society and the media to help citizens hold their governments to account" -
incorporates many of the core elements of development communication and
media development. For "citizens [to] hold their governments to account" it
is necessary to share INFORMATION and KNOWLEDGE more widely, listen to and
support a prominent VOICE for citizens and facilitate stronger and wider
public and private DEBATE and DIALOGUE on key issues. From both the civil
society and media perspectives, and the umbilical cord that links those
processes, there appears a very strong argument for development
communication and media development strategies and activities as essential
components for the priority allocation of resources from this £100 million
Governance and Transparency Fund.              

3.	Supporting Points and Examples

Throughout the paper there are a number of quotes and examples that
reinforce the perspective outlined above about the vital importance of
development communication and media development as a central component of
implementing the White Paper's programme of action and achieving its goals.
Just a few examples, grouped by some key elements of development
communication and media development, include: 

VOICE: 

...a greater willingness by civil society and media to speak out pushed
political leaders to improve the performance of the state. [Page 22]

Business associations pinpoint how to improve conditions for investment and
remove red tape. Civil society groups such as trade unions, co-operatives
and faith groups press for better public services. In many countries, civil
society is helping to improve the quality of public spending by identifying
whether the poor - including women and disabled people - will benefit. [Page
27]

PARTICIPATION: 

Good governance is not just about government. It is also about political
parties, parliament, the judiciary, the media, and civil society. It is
about how citizens, leaders and public institutions relate to each other in
order to make change happen. [Page 20]

Famines, for example, are less likely where there is a free media, because
the press creates pressure on governments to provide relief. [Page 20]

DEBATE and DIALOGUE

PRSs [Poverty Reduction Strategies] have helped put the fight against
poverty at the centre of the public policy debate in developing countries.
This has improved the quality of their budgets and financial management, and
raised the level of public spending to tackle poverty. [Page 120]

The media and civil society organisations hold governments to account. The
media ask tough questions and encourage debate. [Page 27]

Grassroots organisations and the media play a vital role in generating
public debate about corruption by campaigning against it. [Page 29]

Case Study Box: "Fuelling accountability in Azerbaijan's future depends on
its oil and gas resources, which are being developed by international
companies. Azerbaijan joined the Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative in June 2003, as one of the first pilot countries. A National
Committee on EITI was established in November 2003. Three EITI reports,
published between March 2005 and January 2006, have sparked wide debate -
especially where there are discrepancies between the numbers reported by
companies and the Government. Azeri civil society is now better able to
scrutinise the oil and gas sector and is more closely involved in
discussions with the Government and the oil companies. In turn, this has
stimulated a wider public debate on how transparency and accountability can
contribute to democracy and the rule of law. [Page 40]

Grass roots mediation in Somalia: The "Somali Dialogue for Peace" Project,
helped ensure a peaceful parliamentary election process in Somaliland in
2005 by developing codes of conduct for the political parties and media, and
by facilitating dialogue to avoid violence in the territories disputed
between Somaliland and Puntland....The project has also worked to address
long-standing clan conflict that has obstructed humanitarian and development
work in Mudug and Galgadud in the central regions of Somalia. [Page 50]

INFORMATION and KNOWLEDGE

More also needs to be done to hold service providers to account. For
example, publishing local budget information can show whether more money is
being spent on men's or women's health. [Page 80]

Fighting stigma and discrimination, making condoms available and providing
better information so people can protect themselves will be important too.
[Page 79]

Action is needed to tackle social and cultural discrimination that prevents
women getting information and health care... [Page 79]

Invest in monitoring human rights and support the media to raise awareness
and gather evidence when states fail in their responsibilities. [Page 53]

As indicated these are just a few quotes. You can search the sections of the
White Paper at
http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://www.dfid.gov.uk/wp2006/default
.asp  for quotes and examples that may be more specific to your work and
context.

OK - hope that this note helps - with many best wishes to everyone.

Warren

Warren Feek
Executive Director
The Communication Initiative
wfeek at comminit.com
http://www.comminit.com

1-250-658-6372 [ph]
1-250-658-1728 [fx]
1-250-480-9770 [mobile]

***

To unsubscribe please reply to this email with "Unsubscribe: Drum Beat" in
the subject line.