Che Thuy Nhu

Date : August 4, 2010 06:29

Dear participants in the forum.
This new helps consultants working in remote area Vietnam Please pay attention to this new
Information – food for thought is going to remote area by:
1- Information from markets
2- Radio
3- Television
4- Newspapers
5- Internet
Newspaper plays role in prevention illiteracy again Children can read it and do not forget A ,B,C .
What new is appropriated for them? - This is the question ?
How much this fund is not clear in this new? – This is the question ?

When you came to help ethnic minority people in Vietnam, do not forget this resource .

Thank you
-------------------------------------------------------

To give news free to remote area

( Gov – Portal 3/8/2010 ) – Pri-minister agree add news of TTXVN to list of news ,government order for ethnic minority in remote area ( decision 975/QD-TTg ) date 20/7/2006
The supply starts since 8 /2010
Giavi Decision 1340/TTg-KGVX
S& T by CThN

Bernardo Aguiar

Date : April 9, 2010 01:11

Since Uganda’s humanitarian catastrophe in the 70s, that political conditionality in development assistance has steadily gained supporters among the developed countries and international organizations. An impressive change if we consider that, just a few years before, the European Commission, for example, considered political conditionality a vestige of colonialism.

The whole idea of offering development assistance and, in exchange, asking a country to comply with benign rules is positive for the receiving countries but also for the givers, which want to make sure that their tax payers’ money is well spent. The obligation to give is now complemented by the obligation to well receive. The idealistic view can be summed up: If the countries comply with democracy, human rights, and good governance their populations’ living standards will naturally increase (while the aid will continue to flow).

However, and like Jean-Michel Severino stresses, “no progress can be achieved whatsoever where governments or political situations do not allow this engagement”. All in all, there must be a strong commitment and authority of the receiving government and an active involvement of the civil society. Does political conditionality seriously contribute to improve the referred practices? When looking at the EU’s relations with ACP states we can easily find examples to contest this argument.

Fortunately, and like Jean-Michel Severino argues, the cases where such an engagement is impossible are a minority. However, once in a while we should pick up the bad examples to extract some conclusions. Thus, when we look at Zimbabwe's case we see that the package ‘ODA + political conditionality’ should include other items or risks being anachronistic. The first item could be the strategic engagement of neighboring countries, or regional organizations, in their development goals. A second and helpful one could be a precise definition of the concepts of good governance and democratic principles - in order to establish a minimum pattern of compliance.

S. PAULO

Date : April 9, 2010 00:41

I agree that the widespread use of ‘Good Governance’ in development cooperation is very problematic. At the same time, I believe that donors are more and more realising the limitations of the concept and adopt a more pragmatic approach to the promotion of governance.

‘Good Governance’ has indeed become inevitable as a cross-cutting issue in development cooperation. This omnipresence of the governance concept contrasts with a number of conceptual weaknesses. First, as there is no agreed definition, its broad and unclear use calls into question the operational value of the concept. Second, there is much ambiguity around the question to what extent ‘good governance’ is an objective and result of development or a precondition for receiving aid and means to achieve development. Generally, it is remarkable how the assumption that good governance is a precondition for development has made such an impact on the development community. The causality direction from ‘good governance’ to development has not yet been satisfactorily corroborated. This depends to a large extent on the concrete definition of governance that is used. But the use of a very demanding and ambitious (political) governance definition might contradict most industrialised countries’ own development experiences as well as more recent development successes in Asia.

On balance, I think that donor awareness of the limitations of ‘good governance’ promotion has been increasing in recent years. Taking aside the strong rhetoric on ‘good governance’ on the general level, donor activities conducted at the country level might be more pragmatic. For example, donor agencies like DFID caution against pursuing ‘perfect’ governance, especially in situations of fragility. Instead, building up efficient institutions that provide security, basic services and a satisfactory climate for doing business must be the first steps. Behind this move towards a more constrained definition of governance is the realisation that the promotion of more ambitious ‘good governance’ is a very lengthy process that is extremely dependent on ownership.

A. Lynch

Date : March 17, 2010 16:12

In light of its traditional stance as a civilian and normative power, the EU has imposed conditions on its provision of Overseas Development Aid (ODA). The practice of conditionality, as the EU notes, takes two forms: first, aid may be withdrawn where receiving countries ‘violate human rights and democratic principles’; and second, the EU provides positive incentives (notably through trade) where countries ‘comply with human rights and (other) norms’. While such a policy has undoubtedly served EU interests well, it must be noted that as a result of the global financial crisis, countries against which conditions are enforced have cited a regression in development standards, thus undermining the EU’s policy.

More precisely, the EU’s conditional definition of ‘good governance’ has traditionally included ‘economic liberalization’. But if the EU agrees that an overambitious interpretation of ‘economic liberalization’ has created the current state of affairs, how can it justify such a condition on developing countries? Furthermore, should ‘good governance’ – an ambiguous term rejected by ACP countries as an ‘essential element’ to the Cotonou Agreements – be enforced at all? If one were to consider conditionality clauses to be tailored to individual contexts rather than universally applied, the question posed by the author as to whether ODA precedes good governance, particularly in the cases of states considered either as ‘failed’ or ‘failing’, becomes a particularly pertinent one.

Recently, Zimbabwe has joined Somalia in calling for an end in ‘string(s)-attached aid’. The likelihood of this occurring is negligible, as it is generally agreed that aid cannot be accepted without some form of conditionality. However, the effectiveness of aid given to these states can and should be improved. An avenue through which this may occur is by emphasising local ownership of ODA. The African Union (AU) is now mandated to make critical assessments of the conditions in its Member States and has sent teams of monitors to report on governance structures across the continent. As such, it is ideally placed to effectively channel ODA so that all parties, both donor and receiving, benefit from the process.

STEPHEN

Date : February 28, 2010 21:28

EFAI - Project for developing countries

We believe that EFAI's project is the one of the main way for developing countries to solve their problems about development.

There so many examples we can demonstrate you that giving developing countries money without educating all the Responsible of developing countries that corruption is dangerous, money laundering and financing terrorism are dangerous too. Please, have a look about what happened in so many developing countries. In those countries, all the International Community mobilised their energy and money to help developing countries to rise from its natural disaster or its military or civil war. The fact is that, most maybe all the international money would disappear because of corruption or fraud.

Nowadays, we coudn't say that we didn't know that fact of corruption. Doing nothing is more disaster than doing anything. Poor People at the first time will be happy about the international mobilisation. But this happiness will be quickly transform in anger, rage, big disappointment when all the promises given by the international community disappear because of corruption made by few peoples. This anger will also be towards the international community which gives promises which never happened.

EFAI's aims are to train, advice, and control National Institutions to fight against those principals damages of corruption, money laundering and financing terrorism. It's like building a house without foundations, the international community could do whatever they want, could give all the money they would: if there no basis about ethic, compliance involve in the management of National Institutions, please believe us, no progress is possible.

If you want to support EFAI, please contact us at : blaisestephen@hotmail.fr

Kind Regards
Blaise STEPHEN
EFAI (Ethic of Financial Activities and Organisations)
blaisestephen@hotmail.fr

Irène Mestre, Lauren Lecuyer, Nora Binet

Date : November 18, 2009 15:13

Au moment où la Chine propose aux pays africains une aide au développement sans imposer de principe de conditionnalité sur leur mode de gestion interne (politique et économique), nous sommes amenés à relativiser l’évidence de la conditionnalité de la « bonne gouvernance » comme préalable à l’aide au développement. Il s’agit en effet de remettre en question l’évidence du lien causal entre la notion de « bonne gouvernance » telle qu’elle a été forgée au cours des années 1990 et celle de développement.

Aujourd’hui, cette relation est remise en cause par la crise qui a ébranlé le modèle économique libéral et sa prétention à l’universalité. En frappant de plein fouet les pays qui ont façonné et diffusé « la recette du développement », la crise actuelle interroge la légitimité de la notion de « bonne gouvernance » comme préalable nécessaire au développement. En remettant en cause le modèle économique néolibéral, ce sont les liens que suppose la « bonne gouvernance » entre les notions de démocratie et de libéralisation économique que cette déstructuration du système global discrédite. Autrement dit, le libéralisme économique n’induit pas nécessairement une démocratisation ni une hausse des indicateurs de développement.

D’autre part, la déstabilisation du système économique mondial a eu pour effet de mettre à jour le caractère normatif de la notion de « bonne gouvernance » et du modèle de développement induit par celle-ci. S’il a fallu attendre la crise pour dévoiler la nature idéologique de l’idéal de la « bonne gouvernance », c’est avant tout parce qu’elle est objectivée par des arguments technicistes. Démunie de son apparence d’objectivité, la définition de la « bonne gouvernance » par le triptyque libéralisation économique, libéralisation politique et démocratisation apparait dès lors comme une option choisie parmi d’autres qui implique une promotion sous-jacente du système néolibéral par les pays donateurs.
Pour dépasser l’apparente évidence de la « bonne gouvernance », il faut revenir sur le processus au cours duquel elle s’est progressivement objectivée et institutionnalisée. La fin de la guerre froide, qui signe la victoire du modèle américain et l’hégémonie du paradigme néolibéral, consacre alors l’idée d’une nécessaire adéquation entre libéralisation économique et démocratie comme clé du développement. L’instauration des critères de Copenhague en 1993 marque une étape forte dans le processus d’institutionnalisation de l’aide conditionnée par le modèle de la « bonne gouvernance ». Les organisations non-gouvernementales et l’Organisation des Nations Unies vont alors devenir les promoteurs de ce modèle de développement libéral. La « bonne gouvernance » est devenue la norme au sein de la communauté du développement. Aujourd’hui, le mainstream du champ du développement converge vers la nécessité d’accorder l’aide au développement aux pays qui s’appliquent à tendre vers l’idéal type de la « bonne gouvernance ».

Pour construire une définition actualisée de la « bonne gouvernance », il convient de préciser certains éléments. En premier lieu, si le libéralisme économique a mené au développement dans les démocraties occidentales, ce n’est pas pour autant qu’il s’agit là d’une formule magique du développement valable de tous temps et en tous lieux. C’est dans le cadre de configurations socio-historiques singulières que le triptyque de la « bonne gouvernance » a opéré dans le sens d’un développement de ces sociétés. De plus, comme tout fait historique, ce processus a été sujet a posteriori à une relecture occultant la complexité du phénomène et le temps long sur lequel il s’est déployé. Une définition actualisée de la « bonne gouvernance » commence donc par sa conception non pas en terme de basculement d’une étape à une autre mais comme un processus opérant sur le long terme et sujet à des périodes de stagnation mais aussi de retours en arrière.

De même, il est important de se questionner sur l’origine du développement et plus précisément sur la question de savoir s’il relève d’une logique endogène ou exogène. La « bonne gouvernance » suppose une dynamique de développement exogène qui va de pair avec une conception des sociétés récipiendaires comme étant passives et agies par des mécanismes les dépassants. De même, ce modèle postule une homogénéité des sociétés puisqu’il entend appliquer de manière indifférenciée un seul et unique modèle de développement à des configurations très variées. Cette prétention de la « bonne gouvernance » à l’universalité (attestée par la terminologie même du mot « bonne ») a pour implication une conception évolutionniste du développement avec des pays qui seraient en retard par rapport à une évolution nécessaire vers un modèle unique de développement. Ainsi, une définition réévaluée de la « bonne gouvernance » ne pourra calquer un modèle unique sur les pays récipiendaires et devra prendre en compte les particularités de chaque société, leurs dépendances au sentier historique et leurs dynamiques propres. L’ambigüité et la difficulté de cette entreprise réside dans le fait que la «bonne gouvernance» est relative à la société dans laquelle elle se déploie. En d’autres termes, il n’existe pas de «bonne gouvernance» absolue mais plutôt une multitude de « bonnes gouvernances ». Cependant, la prévalence des réalités locales doit être maniée avec prudence. En effet, sous prétexte de relativisme culturel, celle-ci pourrait être utilisée pour justifier des idéologies allant à l’encontre du respect des droits humains fondamentaux.
Au final, il semble que les « bonnes gouvernances » ne pourront opérer qu’à partir d’une conception des pays récipiendaires comme d’acteurs actifs de leurs propres développements et sur la base d’une large concertation. L’adoption en 2005 de la déclaration de Paris sur l’efficacité de l’aide et du Consensus Européen sur le Développement semble constituer une avancée dans ce sens. En adaptant au mieux l’aide au développement aux réalités socio-économiques locales, ils donnent aux pays bénéficiaires les moyens d’un réel développement au delà du modèle dominant de la « bonne gouvernance ».

Irène Mestre, Lauren Lecuyer, Nora Binet
Etudiantes en Master 2 Pro Coopération Internationale, Aide Humanitaire et Politiques de Développement, à Paris 1 - La Sorbonne.

Olivier LE SANG

Date : November 16, 2009 17:09

Bonjour,

Veuillez trouver en piece jointe un exemplaire du Vientiane Times, incluant un de mes articles recents : "Between international cooperation and national coordination: from illusion to disillusion, peace is at stake".

En vous souhaitant une agreable lecture.

Olivier LE SANG

Che Thuy Nhu

Date : November 13, 2009 03:22

Hanoi 13 November 2009
Dear Mr Jean Michel Seve ri no
This morning I hear in Central Television the information AFD signed for Vietnam ODA 900 millions EURO. This morning I send to my friends your’s acticle about disscusion ODA ( Translated in to Vietnamese by me ) I inform to all my friends about this FORUM .
In future may be, they will sell to you information about implementation of this ODA .
I think Internet is very good in this chance
Internet is the Ears of the King , the birds for King
Thank you for AFD attention to Vietnam development

JAVIER ARTURO MARTINEZ FARFAN

Date : October 21, 2009 17:31

II Ojalá haya mi comentario,que en resumen debe generar y buscar un nuevo orden,donde al hombre se coloque en el centro de las desiciones,por encima de las Ideologías.
Hoy se necesita un Estado mas eficaz,mas efectivo y sobre todo tienda a una mayor equidad,regulándo con Discrecionalidad las Asimetrías en el Mercado y procurando un mayor bienestar.
Atte.
Javier Martínez

Cara Mathews

Date : October 17, 2009 17:54

I really appreciate this dialogue because it brings attention to the concept of accountability. Are governments held accountable for sustaining the development of their nations? Or are they inevitably unable to do so because the current infrastructure of the economic system and appropriation of resources is one that sustains the continual growth a small selection of nations. There is continual projection of the idea that all lives are equal with the simultaneous implementation of international policies that promote the sustained development of the United States, the EU and parts of Asia. It is even reflected in the reporting... many times, I have noticed that we are reporting to ourselves. Who is ourselves? It is those who benefit from these policies. Take a look at the OECD website. They highlight the significance of the US, EU and Japan; then those who are interested can click on other nations. When you click on it nothing is there.

Anyhow, in response to the question of whether or not ODA comes before "good governance" or vice versa, I believe that in theory good governance will result in less need for ODA. But the current global situation has many layers, including socio economic conditions, access to natural resources and national and community security. And in order to address many of these issues it always boils down to the financial portfolio of a nations treasury.

I am a student of global studies and am particularly interested in global health concerns; so I tend to look through a public health lens. And I am most concerned that 90 percent of the worlds health resources are allocated to diseases that affect 10 percent of the world's population. In my opinion, the distribution of the worlds wealth and resources is reflected in the members who already have money.

There is no way to efficiently call attention to the injustices and no imposed policies that really create conditions with undoubted accountability; and these injustices are continually perpetuated by an ever expanding desire to have more. In the US, I notice many people spend money on things that are produced in nations that are often referenced when discussing high poverty, high disease prevelence and many times they can can create outcomes like decreased life expectancy and conflict; which inevitably affects the productivity of the human capital. The point of mentioning all of that is all of these issues create a perfect atmosphere for corruption to occur; and we all know that this is often a consideration of the ODA for eligibilty of funds. To be honest, I don't know what my answer is to the question because theory and reality are sometimes very different. And what I would want to happen and what will actually happen are different. I would like to see governents operate of a self suffiecient level with "good governance" but I don't even know what that means. I will definitely continue to read other respondents comments.

Thank you for raising the question.

Malagas

Date : October 16, 2009 16:23

I share the arguments of Mr Che .T.N ,i even would say more about ODA creating more trouble to the system ,because it is the case of Madagascar where a group of people has made a coup and theire conditions to restaure rule of law is to manage the ODA ,and stay during the transitional period .
Such things are inaceptable to take the people in hostage while the people is starving .
It is important to punish the author of a coup in a country .

Pr & Dr BOUTTI

Date : October 8, 2009 09:40

La gouvernance est instrument technique galvaudé soit pour maintenir un système actuel pour un développement durable soit le déstabiliser pour l'inscrire ipso facto dans un développent non durable.
Les maux des pays sous développés sont connus, à l'instar d'un cancer qui les gangrene. C'est le remède pertinent qui fait défaut et non pas néo illogisme.
Arrêtons d'usiner des concepts à l'infini ... fabriquons ensemble des solutions et des remèdes.
Pr & Dr Rachid BOUTTI
Titulaire de la Chaire Euro Arabe Sustainable Development UPM (Union Pour la Méditerranée )

Christine Zarzicki

Date : September 29, 2009 03:10

The concept of conditionality is complex at best. While it seems absolutely necessary to ask recipient governments to make structural adjustments, there are some requests that I believe are inappropriate in some situations. For example, the IMF's conditionality is very succesful in some instances and useless in others. The Argentinian financial crisis represents this point fully. While good governance and opening of trade barriers may have benefitted the economy and stimulated growth, the request of tightening of fiscal policy was almost completely ignored. Therefore my point is this: receiving aid should not be contingent on conditions being met. While conditions are universal for all recipient countries, governments and economies vary so much that what works for one nation may not work for another. Thus, it is a process of trial and error and it may be years before the appropriate policy changes are realized.

Christine Zarzicki

Date : September 29, 2009 03:10

The concept of conditionality is complex at best. While it seems absolutely necessary to ask recipient governments to make structural adjustments, there are some requests that I believe are inappropriate in some situations. For example, the IMF's conditionality is very succesful in some instances and useless in others. The Argentinian financial crisis represents this point fully. While good governance and opening of trade barriers may have benefitted the economy and stimulated growth, the request of tightening of fiscal policy was almost completely ignored. Therefore my point is this: receiving aid should not be contingent on conditions being met. While conditions are universal for all recipient countries, governments and economies vary so much that what works for one nation may not work for another. Thus, it is a process of trial and error and it may be years before the appropriate policy changes are realized.

James Sama

Date : September 6, 2009 23:44

We'd like to draw your attention to the IMF's new policy Blog, iMFdirect, which this week is running a series about how the crisis is affecting low-income countries and discussion of financing for development. It's worth taking a look.

http://blog-imfdirect.imf.org/

Ana Laura Gonzalez

Date : September 4, 2009 02:25

Some times the governance is presented same the start of the dissolution of the states, but specifically is the stars of a new state, more actively, more participative and more developed. is necessary after that the develop of a better structure of govern on the state is the center of the concentric structure of participation national and international in the develop of the country. Is necessary assign the central and focal point in the state same regulator and moderator of interaction between the market, the social groups and the international groups, for develop the better structures for the social development. if necessary reduce the capital flux for the markets for reduce the risk of a new crisis.

Ana Laura Gonzalez

Date : September 4, 2009 02:18

Lamento informarles que en la sección en español, la traducción es pobre y presenta serias deficiencias por que omite fragmentos clave para la comprension del documento: sin embargo mi comentario, extraído del inglés es el siguiente:

La democracia, el libre mercado y la sociedad civil como subestructuras de la gobernanza deben tomar parte equitativa en los procesos de gobernabilidad pero debe imperar y respetarse la primordialidad del Estado en tanto es este el moderador central de las actividades de la estructura, el exceso de libertad del mercado ya vimos a donde nos condujo ,. a una de las peores crisis estructurales de la historia. Es necesario por tanto dar su respectivo lugar al estado en los procesos estructurales y permitirle modular la ganancia y la extracción de capitales así como permitirle también modular el impacto de las OSC (organizaciones de la sociedad civil) en los procesos de gobernabilidad democrática, consenso y coparticipación ciudadana a fin de impedir la creación de segundos ordenes sociales que desencadenen crisis políticas como las que experimentan Honduras o Venezuela.

Che Thuy Nhu

Date : September 3, 2009 09:48

Dear Mr. Severino
Very interesting to put the question ODA or good governance, what is first?
I think if we have good governance, we will don't need ODA. We need FDI , LOAN ..
ODA put only in case bad governance .Other government help to chance the situation .How is situation on Vietnam?
1- Reconstruction government much time .So ODA can't create effective staff for future.
2- ODA have impact to Individual development - is problem we have to design .In any reconstruction, staff can be work best.
3- Even in high level many persons said: ODA is given free, don't need pay back .So they select the staff not for development, it like share the benefits.
4- ODA came from TAX of people in other country .It should be carefully use and develop friendship in future. But very few persons said about this requirement. Project finish, all finish -It happen every where.
5- I think we need good governance for sustainable development .Only ODA with good design -we want to receive .Other way ODA can be create more trouble to system
Thank you.