This is the weekly e-alert on ACP-EU News.

Information provided in weekly e-alerts is available via daily updated RSS feeds which can be found on the ECDPM website’s News and Events page www.ecdpm.org/news.
You can view all information or select feeds according to specific topics of interest. You may find these easier to read. And they are also available to any organisation to post on its own internal or external websites. This e-alert and previous issues are also available in PDF format at: http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Content.nsf/7732def81dddfa7ac1256c240034fe65/2f9cc239d94a300bc1257344004ddd21?OpenDocument

I need to improve the quality of the weekly e-alert with information and analysis from beyond what’s available on the internet. If you have a moment to pass on anything that could usefully be included I’d be most grateful. It will be non-attributable of course (unless you prefer otherwise). If you provide information, then others will too with information useful to you.

All the best,

Melissa

New at ECDPM

*ECDPM just completed a detailed update of the negotiations so far "EPA Negotiations: Where do we stand?" (updated weekly) also available at www.acp-eu-trade.org/epa and www.ecdpm.org/epa
http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Navigation.nsf/index2?readform&http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Content.nsf/7732def81dddfa7ac1256c240034fe65/7fa6b71614b2f41cc125737c004f2720?OpenDocument

*The Cotonou Partnership Agreement. What role in a changing world? Reflections on the future of ACP-EU relations. ECDPM
Policy Management Report 13
http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Navigation.nsf/index2?readform&http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Content.nsf/0/9F1BC9A2FA72D39EC12573920040A3C3?Opendocument

*Europafrica bulletin. 15 November issue
ECDPM aims to share information on the EU-Africa Strategy negotiations, on related events and positions of civil society representatives as well as provide some analysis on the progress of the negotiations. Click here for a brief introduction of the process. Apart from this bulletin, see also: www.europafrica.org
Contents:
Publication of the Strategy and Action Plan endorsed at the Ministerial Troika
Preparation of the Lisbon Summit
The public consultation
Europe-Africa Tra! de Union Summit
Meeting by the All Africa Conference of Churches and the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa on the joint Strategy
EP-PAP Open Forum on the joint EU-Africa Strategy
AWEPA EU Presidency Seminar on the joint EU-Africa Strategy
Central African youth consultation on EU-Africa relations
Alternatives for Africa-Europe’, side-event to Summit November 13, 2007
‘Peace and Security in Western Africa - What is the role of the EU-Africa Common Strategy?’
http://europafrica.org/2007/01/19/europafrica-bulletin-issue-10-15-november-2007/

*EU-Africa Forum. European Policy Centre (EPC)
14 November
Geert made a presentation on “The Joint EU-Africa Strategy: a change in partnership culture?”

*ECDPM’s Gwen Corre introduces initial results of the ActionAid-ECDPM study Whither EC Aid
Brussels, November 5. How good is the aid provided by European countries and the EC? How do we know how good it is, and what are some of the issues and questions that need to be addressed.
This session brought together two current pieces of research that shed some light on these questions.
First, Chief architect of the Commitment to Development Index, David Roodman introduced the CDI's construction and results for 2007 [Read a short report on the launch in The Hague o! n 2 November].
Second, ECDPM’s Gwen Corre introduced initial results of the ActionAid/ECDPM study ‘Whither EC Aid?’ that examines the added value and comparative advantage of EC aid, revisiting the debate how EC aid effectiveness is assessed.
Video on weca (whither ec aid) at
http://euforic.blogspot.com/2007/10/assessing-europes-development-aid.html

*Coordination and Complementarity of European Assistance to Local Development. Evaluation
Three-Cs Information Brief No. 6: Evaluation of Coordination and Complementarity of European Assistance to Local Development
This Information Brief presents the main findings of a joint-evaluation study focusing on the performance of European Member States and the European Commission with respect to their coordination of assistance to local development.
The evaluation on which this information brief is based was commissioned and managed by the Department for Evaluation and ! Internal Audit of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and supported by the Evaluation Services of Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
The evaluators conclude that the European Union Member States and the Commission have a remarkably low level of performance when it comes to achieving value added effects and impacts of coordination efforts with each other in general, and specifically in the area of support for local development. Given their behaviour, systems, procedures, insufficient devolution of decision-making and absence of management incentives for good coordination performance, the evaluators conclude that donors have created serious impediments to local ownership and have put in place important obstacles to aid effectiveness and balanced relationships based on mutual accountability.
http://www.three-cs.net/news_and_events/news/three_cs_information_brief_no_6_evaluation_of_coordination_and_complementarity_of_european_assistance_to_local_development

*ECDPM’s Trade/Economic and Development Policy/International Relations colleagues have defined a joint work programme and refined the draft impact route for their work on Aid for Trade with a view to strengthening ACP capacity to use AfT in line with their own priorities and improving the quality of delivery/management of EPA support/AfT

*ECDPM’s Gwen Corre (team leader), Davina Makhan and Tilly de Coninck will be in Niger for a seminar in the Parliament. The 2 days training will focus on the role of the National Assembly in international cooperation, especially within the framework of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement. (Niamey, 26-27 November 2007). For more information (programme etc.), you can contact Gwen <gc@ecdpm.org> or Tilly <tc@ecdpm.org>.

*ECDPM’s Zakaria Amar (team leader) and Gwen Corre will be in Lebanon (5-15 December 2007) to undergo one of the case studies on the role of CSO to channel EC funding (EC thematic evaluation). For more information on the case study you can contact Gwen Corre <gc@ecdpm.org> and about the evaluation Frederic Ceuppens <fc@ecdpm.org>.


General Reports/News of Contextual Interest

*September 2008 High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. OECD DAC website
Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness
This page provides information on the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, which will be held in Accra, Ghana on 2-4 September 2008.
OECD DAC Page
http://www.oecd.org/document/47/0,3343,en_2649_3236398_39448751_1_1_1_1,00.html

*World Bank Africa Development Indicators 2007
Many African economies appear to be growing at the fast and steady rates needed to put a dent on the region’s high poverty rate and attract global investment. Something d! ecidedly new is on the horizon in Africa, something that began in the mid-1990s. Many African economies appear to have turned the corner and moved to a path of faster and steadier economic growth. Their performance in 1995–2005 reverses the collapses in 1975–85 and the stagnations in 1985–95. And for the fi rst time in three decades, they are growing in tandem with the rest of the world. Average growth in the Sub-Saharan economies was 5.4 percent in 2005 and 2006, and the consensus projections are that growth will remain strong. Leading the way are the oil and mineral exporters, thanks to high prices. But 18 non-mineral economies, with 36 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s people, have also been doing well. Better economic policy and performance will also be at the core of improving African’s well-being. This year’s Africa Development Indicators essay explores the patterns of growth in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past three decades. It finds that the volatility of growth—an outcome of conflict, governance, and world commodity prices—has been greater than in any other region. Volatility has dampened expectations and investments—and has obscured some periods of good performance for some countries. The essay shows that pickups in growth were seldom sustained—indeed, that they were often followed by ferocious declines, and hence, Africa’s fl at economic performance over 1975–2005.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:21548806~menuPK:258649~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html

*Summary for Policymakers of the Synthesis Report of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
Latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he said real and affordable ways to deal with the problem existe! d.
The IPCC states that climate change is "unequivocal" and may bring "abrupt and irreversible" impacts.
Mr Ban urged politicians to respond at a UN climate change conference in Bali.
"Today the world's scientists have spoken clearly and with one voice," he said. "In Bali I expect the world's policymakers to do the same."
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf

*KIT, the Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, has launched a new information portal on Value Chains for Development. This VC4D portal provides access to free, full-text electronic documents on the VC4D approach, both as an ana! lytical concept and a development tool. The target audience is formed by professionals, researchers, policy-makers and students, who are active in the field of pro-poor value chain development.
The portal provides access to newsletters, discussion groups, websites, bibliographic databases, and directories of organizations and projects. Subtopics include business development services, finance, governance, learning & innovation, public-private partnerships, standards & regulations, and sustainable procurement.
http://portals.kit.nl/smartsite.shtml?id=12505

*German Development Institute seeking researcher
German Development Institute seeking researcher for research project on Future Trends of Development Cooperation
Starting on 15 January 2008 and with employment until end ! of 2009 (prolongation possible) – subject to funding by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development,
http://www.dgroups.org/groups/CoOL/index.cfm?op=dsp_resource_details&resource_id=44316&cat_id=6365


Major ACP-EU Events/debates

*The Cotonou Partnership Agreement. What role in a changing world? Reflections on the future of ACP-EU relations. ECDPM
Policy Management Report 13
http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Navigation.nsf/index2?readform&http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Content.nsf/0/9F1BC9A2FA72D39EC12573920040A3C3?Opendocument

*20 November. EU Council President to report GAERC results to EP
20 November 200! 7, 15.00 – 16.30
Exchange of views with Mr Luís Amado, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of
Portugal and acting President-in-Office of Council, on the results of the General
Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting of 19-20 November 2007
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/oj/694/694698/694698en.pdf

*There will be a rights of the child joint meeting of the European Parliament Devel! opment and Committee and Human Rights SubCommittee this year or next.
A public version of the information provided herein, updated daily, is posted on ECDPM's website at www.ecdpm.org/news

Specific news items and ECDPM activities on Development Policy and EU External Action

Specific news items and ECDPM activities on ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreement Negotiations