NGO representatives from 17 sectors comprised of 34 persons met at La Paranda Hotel on March 22, 2011 from 8:00am to 12:00am to discuss on the preparation for formulation of Mid Term Review of NSDP update 2009-2013 and NGO Position Paper on Cambodia's Development to 4th CDCF in 2011. Sharing experience from MEDiCAM representative on how to make the health sector's inputs/comments into the NSDP update was also part of the meeting. Prior to the strategic discussion, the achievements and challenges of Development Issue Forum members on the joint-advocacy work on i) NGO Position Paper to 3rd CDCF and ii) NGO inputs/comments on the first draft NSDP Update were presented to members with mentioning the ownership of all sector NGOs and Groups over the results.
Mr. Chhith Sam Ath, Executive Director of the NGO Forum on Cambodia, on behalf of the three umbrella organization (CCC, MEDiCAM and NGO Forum) welcomed all participants from different NGO sectors taking part in the meeting. In his ten minute remark, Mr. Sam Ath firstly presented the brief history of the aid coordination to Cambodia which started in 1992 after the Paris Peace Agreement signed in Paris where all political factions came and sit together to discuss ways to end decades of civil war in Cambodia. The address highlighted the transformation of the coordination from ICCOR to CGs and to CDCF. Secondly, he briefed them about the evolution of the national planning process in Cambodia that started in 1995 by introducing the Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) I 1996-2000, then SEDP II 2001-2005. However, during the period of SEDP II, the World Bank with initiative toward ensuring country commitment toward poverty reduction and access to more aid funding from the bank required the Royal Government to prepare a national planning adopting the nature of Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). Then an Interim-PRSP was prepared and later developed into National Poverty Reduction Strategy 2003-2005. During that time NGO Forum along with other NGOs in the DIF advocated the donor community to be more harmonized by allowing Cambodia to have one single PRSP. As a result, the efforts of both RGC and Development Partners with contribution from NGOs, a single overarching development policy was developed through consultations with other stakeholders (including CSOs), called the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) 2006-2010. This plan combined a number of development policies including: NPRS, CMDG, National Population Policy etc. Rectangular Strategy served as structural framework for preparation of NSDP. Also in his note, he recalled some challenges the sector NGOs have been facing and also proposed some strategic actions to be taken afterward by the sector NGO.
After the presentation on achievements and challenges during this meeting, the facilitator- Mr. Chea Kimsong, Manager of Development Issues Programme of NGO Forum- alerted all sectoral NGOs/Groups about the opportunity arising from the 18th GDCC meeting. As in previous experiences, NGOs whose concerns were not addressed at the TWG level or not mentioned in the JMIs may prepare their sectoral statement on monitoring JMIs & NSDP Update to be submitted to 18th GDCC meeting to be held on 20 April 2011. Sectoral statement should be sent to NGO Forum for compilation via vanda@ngoforum.org.kh by 06th April 2011. The participants were also provided the estimated timeline for the 19th GDCC meeting that is likely to be held in October 2011. Moreover, the participants discussed on the approaches and strategies toward the preparation of NGO position papers for 4th CDCF meeting likely to be happened by the end of the 2011. During this time period, the Mid-Term Review of NSDP Update will be prepared from April to September 2011 accordingly. The participants are encouraged to work on suggested approaches and strategies as well as identifying the support needs from coordinating organizations such as NGO Forum, CCC and MEDiCAM.
Mr. Ham Hak, a representative of MEDiCAM, shared a practical ways of work to make the health sector�s inputs/comments include into the NSDP Udpate. The presentation indicated some mechanisms that MEDiCAM has applied including setting up meetings at different level and brought out recommendations from sub-national and grass root levels to back up inputs for NSDP Update. The discussion also provided some suggested strategies in which key practical actions and timeline have been set to make sure that the preparations have been fully well organized. Those strategies include:
- Organizing meetings among sectoral NGO to identify the priority or cross-cutting issues for 4th CDCF
- Selecting NGO representative and sectoral NGO leaders to give interventions on selected issues during 4th CDCF
- Conducting dialogue workshops with the relevant donors and line ministries/agencies to making sure that the concerned raised are listened
- Seeking supports from CDC/CRDB and DPs via TWGs to have formal space for CSO/NGO intervention during the discussion of 4th CDCF and to have more sectoral NGO leaders to participate in the 4th CDCF meeting.
Fully discussion among participants observed happening during the course of the meeting before it comes to an end at the same day.
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