Revision of strategy for support to civil society in developing countries (Civilsamfundsstrategi) [in Danish]

In May 2008, the department for Humanitarian Assistance and NGO Cooperation (HUM) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched a call for comments to the revised strategy for support to civil society in developing countries. A call for inputs was issued for network members to contribute to a joint DDRN response. A response was formulated by the secretariat and board of DDRN to be also used as an input in the ongoing dialogue with the Danish NGOs.

The DDRN contribution is intented as an effort to stress the potential involved in NGO-research cooperation in Denmark as well as in the South. The contribution suggests two minor changes in the text of the strategy and a series of areas for strengthened cooperation among NGOs and researchers, The DDRN contribution was sent to HUM on June 11 and posted on the Ministry’s website in the section presenting responses to the official hearing. You can also download the contribution here [pdf].

Strategy for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification

In August 2007, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Department for Environment and Sustainable Development)  invited DDRN to provide comments to the ten-year strategy for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The Convention was developed as a result of the Rio Summit and after a decade of implementation, a strategic plan and framework to enhance the implementation of the Convention has been elaborated by a Danish financed consultancy team. The strategy was to be discussed and adopted at the 8th Conference of the Parties, which was held in Madrid, Spain, from September 3 to 14, 2007.

Associate Professor Kjeld Rasmussen, a member of DDRN, provided written comments to the strategy and several paticipated in a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide further input to be discussed at the conference in Madrid. Here you can read the comments by Kjeld Rasmussen [pdf].

Africa Strategy

In June 2007 the new policy for Danish cooperation with Africa was sent to public hearing in Denmark. The Government launched a website for the purpose, where participants had the opportunity of blogging with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Development Cooperation, and of inserting comments for public reading. Based on member contributions, DDRN contributed its comments, stressing the role of knowledge across the different sectors. DDRN also recommended that the areas of ecology, environment and governance are given attention as Danish comparative advantages in development aid. Please follow the link and read the policy contribution.

Good Governance Strategy
In April 2007, a working group was established to provide comments on a new Good Governance Strategy. The activities were coordinated by the secretariat, and DDRN's deputy chair Ass. Prof. Mette Kjaer (Aarhus University) compiled the comments arising from an email-based working group consisting of 21 members from all over the world. The response stressed on four aspects: definitions and concepts, feasibility of reform, omissions, and structural conditions of good governance. Follow the link to read the document.