FFD MULTI-STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS ON SYSTEMIC ISSUES

August 29-31, 2005

New Delhi, India

Co-Sponsored by

New Rules for Global Finance Coalition, Institute for Human Development, International Development Economic Associates (IDEAS), United Nations Development Programme, and Friedrich Ebert Foundation

In Cooperation with the UN Financing for Development Office

The purpose of the Multi-Stakeholder Consultations (“Consultations”­) is to assist senior policy makers to assess the implementation of commitments they made in the Monterrey Consensus Document, and to propose ways to achieve their goals in light of changing times and opportunities.  The Consultations on Systemic Issues, as organized by New Rules for Global Finance Coalition and its Asian co-conveners, is to identify concrete policy recommendations that are well-researched, politically viable, and can move us closer to the goals articulated in Monterrey.

The Consultations are discussions among experts from a range of “stake-holders”:  the business sector, civil society—including NGOs, think-tanks and academics, national governments, UN agencies, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and others as appropriate.  Expert participants are invited to participate in his or her personal capacity.  In order to ensure candor, an atmosphere of respect and trust is essential. Therefore, when the ideas discussed in the Consultation are referred to in other settings, the source of the idea—neither the individual nor the institution—is to be identified.  Since staff, management, and directors of national governments, inter-governmental organizations and corporations will participate, the Consultations will not arrive at any formal conclusions or recommendations.  Rather, all recommendations will be exclusively the responsibility of the New Rules for Global Finance Coalition.

The Consultation focuses on issues from Section F, “Systemic Issues” of the Monterrey Consensus document.  This document, as well as other background papers, is posted on the website of the New Rules for Global Finance Coalition:  www.new-rules.org    All participants are encouraged to read these documents before they arrive in New Delhi.  Since this is background material, copies of these papers will not be distributed at the Consultation.

A few participants have been asked to assist at different points in the Consultation.  Some have been asked to serve as Moderators, others as Conversation Starters, and all should come expecting to be active contributors.  The following brief descriptions will help clarify – for everyone involved – the roles of Moderators and Conversations Starters.

Moderators: 

The principal role of the Moderator is to keep the discussion focused on the agenda topic, and secondly to introduce the Conversation Starter.  If the discussion wanders far a field, the Moderator will bring it back to the core agenda; if the discussion lags, the Moderator can stimulate debate with targeted questions.  It is important that all participants feel welcome to join the discussion.  This means some may need to be encouraged to cut their remarks short, while others may need to be encouraged to offer their views.  Since this is a conversation among peers, the Conversation Starter is not to be treated as “the” authority, so questions do not necessarily have to be addressed to, nor answered by, the Conversation Starter.  Time permitting, the Moderator may offer a brief summary, but this not mandatory.

Conversation Starters:

The title for this role was chosen very deliberately.  This individual is not “the” expert, and the setting is not an academic panel.  This person will set out, in 8 to 10 minutes, the key points on the topic as it relates to the Financing for Development debate.  Some of the Conversation Starters will provide recommendations from the background papers.  They are expected to be brief and maintain the goal of launching a stimulating and focused conversation.

Rapporteur’s Report:

There will be a rapporteur’s report that will be posted on the New Rules website about two weeks following the consultations.  Again, names of individuals and of institutions will not be attributed to remarks, views or recommendations in the report.

A Report to the UN 2005 Summit, organized by the 60^th General Assembly, will be submitted in the name of New Rules.  (The Interim Report submitted in June 2005 to the Second Biennial High-level Dialogue of the General Assembly is available on line.)  Obviously New Rules could only have prepared and submitted the report because of the generosity, commitment, and insights of the participants in the several Multi-Stakeholder Consultations.  New Rules’ acknowledges the contributions of all who have participated throughout this year-long process.

Note:  Informal Dinner, Monday, August 29, 2005

The participants and organizers of this Multi-Stakeholder Consultation will meet (exact location to be announced) and go to a restaurant near the hotels.  We have no speeches planned.  This is merely an opportunity to get to know each other in an informal setting before the official work of the consultations begin.  Each person is expected to pay for his or her own dinner.