The A-B-C of good governance

“We have to act in solidarity, and make a shift from aid to smarter development policies which include the involvement of civil society in the reform processes” writes Staffan Nilsson in his blog. Here, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) dedicates a long post on the 26th meeting of the ACP-EU economic and social interest groups, which took place in Brusselson from July 5 to July 7. As a matter of fact under the Catonou Agreement, the EESC is tasked with organising regular consultation with representatives of ACP economic and social players in order to reinforce relations between African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) and the European Union.

According to Nilsson, it is essential to encourage the participation of civil society in public decision-making process, since “the contribution of civil society organisations to economic, social, agricultural and environmental strategies can be fundamental in lifting billions of people out of poverty”. He writes, adding more concretely that civil society is essential in giving African farmers information about the support they can access from the EU and the international community:  “This is one of the recommendations we made to G20 agriculture ministers when they discussed global food security last month. And in fact this is what Africa needs at the moment – not just economics and politics, but a true strengthening of civil society by helping non-state actors organise themselves and negotiate for their rights, and by bringing both state and non-state organisations into genuine dialogue.”