Source: Concord Flash, nr. 57, January 2009During the 2009 Swedish EU Presidency, the goals of CONCORD Sweden are to highlight necessary improvements and suggestions for the Swedish presidency to focus on. The overall priority is to raise awareness and understanding of EU as a global actor, and that the view of CSOs on EU development policy and coherence policy coherence is influencing Swedish policy in the EU to a larger extent. Seminars, dialogue with Swedish policy makers, and dissemination of information to the media and the general public are the tools for achieving this.
The priority issues are policy coherence for development, aid effectiveness, democracy & human rights, and climate and development. The priorities will be the content of several activities, including seminars and production of information material, for example around climate and development ahead of the December meeting in Copenhagen, and the follow up of the EU post Accra commitments on aid effectiveness. A CSO progress report on policy coherence for development with European decision makers and the general public as targets groups will be produced by CONCORD Sweden in collaboration with CONCORD Europe and other platforms. The report will consist of an evaluation of the progress of EU coherence policy, and will focus on a limited amount of thematic areas.
The 2009 European Development Days will take place in October in Stockholm, with the theme Citizenship and Development, and the EDD will be a key event for CONCORD Sweden to share the experience and viewpoints of Swedish civil society with key official development actors, and European civil society, on democratic governance and human rights.
For further information: Peter Sorbom (peter.sorbom@concord.se)
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