The Policy Forum on Development (PFD) started in April with a broad series of virtual consultations that engaged over 360 organizations. The focus of the virtual PFD concentrated on its role within the framework of the EU programming and continued with a set of thematic meetings with PFD members. The objective of the webinars was to gather recommendations from the PFD constituencies on how the programming and implementation of the EU priorities can contribute to reducing inequalities and leave no-one behind. In addition to supporting multi-stakeholder partnerships at the global, national, and local level.
PFD closing Event on European Commission Program held online on December,10.2020. The closing event was chaired by the Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, who received first-hand feedback from the membership of the PFD on the key recommendations for EU programming that have emerged along the year. During the meeting, she gave her feedback on these recommendations and the way it can incorporate in EU programming.
The event started with welcoming and introducing speeches. The Commissioner, Jutta Urpilainen, and Frédéric Vallier, Secretary-General, Council of European Municipalities and Regions member of PLATFORMA, Local Authorities Co-chair, made welcome remarks to the participants of the event.
The first intervention was on the feedback and recommendations of PFD members linked to inequalities and the SDGs. Gertrude Rose Gamwera, Secretary-General, Uganda Local Government Association(ULGA), Ag Secretary General, East Africa Local Government Association (EALGA), presented the feedback and recommendations from PFD members linked to inequalities and the SDGs from the perspective of LA. Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director, Arab NGO Network for Development, presented the feedback and recommendations from PFD members linked to inequalities and the SDGs from the perspective of CSO.
The Commissioner will reflect the feedback from PFD in the preparation process of the new budget. The Commissioner highlighted that there will increase in the allocated fund for education from 7% to 10%, The allocated fund for migration will be 10% and there will be a big focus in the budget on the recovery after COVID19. and underlined that “We need to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable people have access to the Vaccine”
In the second intervention, Ms. Jazminda Lumang, Secretary-General, Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN), presented feedback and recommendations from PFD members linked to the role of CSOs and LAS and an enabling environment from the perspective of CSO. Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary-General, United Cities and Local Governments Africa, also presented feedback and recommendations from PFD members linked to the role of CSOs and LAS and an enabling environment from the perspective of LA.
The Commissioner mentioned that she worked for 20 years in city council and has experience in NGOs work. In this context, she assured that she has a full understanding of the LA and CSO needs and demands and she will support them to reflect their point of view in the process of preparing the new budget.
UCLG-MEWA actively involved as a member of the PFD Task Force representing the EU Neighborhood Region.