NURSING MATTERS
Nursing Matters fact sheets provide quick reference information and international perspectives from the nursing profession on current health and social issues.
The Paris Declaration
The Paris Declaration, endorsed on 2 March 2005, is an international agreement whose objectives are to improve the impact of development aid in reducing poverty and equality, increasing growth of participation, building country capacity in management and leadership, and accelerating the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).[1] Over 100 representatives of governments and international organisations have signed a set of 56 actions, grouped under five key principles: national ownership, alignment, harmonisation, managing for results, and mutual accountability. These key principles are major reference points for guiding policy dialogue and shaping development co-operation programmes in all sectors. The way in which these principles are applied has implications for the whole spectrum of development co-operation policy areas, including human rights, gender equality, and environmental sustainability.[2], [3]
The Paris Declaration promotes a model of partnership that improves transparency and accountability on the use of development resources. It recognises that for aid to become truly effective, stronger and more balanced, accountability mechanisms are required at different levels. At the international level, the Paris Declaration constitutes a mechanism by which donors and recipients of aid are held mutually accountable and compliance to commitments publicly monitored. At the country level, the Paris Declaration encourages donors and partners to jointly assess mutual progress in implementing agreed commitments on aid effectiveness by making best use of country mechanisms, such as public financial management protocols, public procurement policies and the harmonisation of related donor procedures.
The aim of the Paris Declaration is to achieve the agreed goals by the year 2010. Twelve indicatorsof aid effectiveness were developed as a way of tracking and encouraging progress at the global level among the countries and organisations adhering to the Paris Declaration[4]:
1. Partner countries have operational development strategies.
2. Partner countries work together with donors to establish mutually agreed frameworks that provide reliable public financial management and country procurement systems.
3. Aid flows of donors are aligned on national priorities.
4. Donors strengthen development partners’ capacity by co-ordinated support.
5. Donors use country public financial management and procurement systems.
6. Donors strengthen capacity by avoiding parallel implementation structures.
7. Donors’ aid is more predictable and made available according to agreed schedules.
8. Donors’ aid is untied to increase aid effectiveness by reducing transaction cost for partner countries and improving country ownership and alignment.
9. Donors harmonize and apply common arrangements simplifying procedures.
10. Donors work together to reduce the number of separate, duplicative missions to the field and countries’ analytic work.
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11. Partner countries endeavour to establish results-oriented frameworks that monitor progress against key dimensions of the national and sector development strategies.
12. Partner countries and donors enhance mutual accountability for development results.
The Paris Declaration: Challenges and opportunities for nurses
In practical terms, the Paris Declaration can guide nurses in their activities to combat global poverty and inequality. Enhancing the effectiveness of aid development is necessary in any challenging and complex situation. A key challenge for nurses and their representative organisations is to articulate and demonstrate the link between the aid effectiveness agenda, nursing contributions and better health outcomes.
As an advocate for healthy communities and sustainable development, ICN collaborates with nursing, health care and other organisations to identify health needs of populations at risk. ICN works strategically to enable nurses and others to develop and achieve goals for nursing and health care that take into account local needs, local socio-political, demographic and economic conditions and constraints, as well as the local cultural context.[5]
ICN values the ‘cascade’ approach in creating conditions for local development within a framework that emphasises the principles of justice, equity, non-discrimination, transparency and flexibility.[6]
ICN and its members support development strategies and policies that:[7]
· Increase resources and at the same time provide adequate prosperity to improve health and well being and reduce health inequalities, and provide equitable, cost-effective, access to health care.
· Strengthen women and children’s capacity to exercise more control over their lives and living conditions.
· Encourage interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration.
· Protect the natural environment.
· Support infrastructure development in nursing and health.
· Help groups to help themselves and others.
Resources to facilitate this work will require nurses to act in harmony with the principles agreed in the Paris Declaration. Nurses and nursing organisations will need to demonstrate leadership in:
1. Developing activities that will complement a streamlined national or donors’ agenda aimed at achieving lasting results (indicator 1,2,3).
2. Capacity building (indicator 4).
3. Reforming and simplifying nursing policies and procedures to encourage collaborative behaviour and progressive alignment with national’s priorities, systems and procedures (indicator 9).
4. Eliminating duplication of efforts and activities to make nursing activities as cost-effective as possible (indicator 10).
5. Establishing results–oriented reporting and assessment frameworks that monitor progress and cost effectiveness of programme (indicator 11).
Related documents:
1. The Paris Declaration. Available at: www.oecd.org/dataoecd/11/41/34428351.pdf
2. Countries and Organizations Adhering to the Paris Declaration. Available at: www.oecd.org/document/22/0,3343,en_2649_3236398_36074966_1_1_1_1,00.html
For further information, please contact:
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of 132 national nurses associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide. Operated by nurses and leading nursing internationally, ICN works to ensure quality nursing care for all and sound health policies globally.ICN/AC/November/2008
References
[1] Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. Retrieved from
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/11/41/34428351.pdf
[2] OECD. The Paris Declaration. Retrieved 1-May-08 from
http://www.oecd.org/document/18/0,2340,en_2649_3236398_35401554_1_1_1_1,00.html
[3] OECD. Development effectiveness in practice : applying the Paris Declaration to advancing gender equality, environmental sustainability and human rights. Background Document No.5. In 6th meeting 23 – 24 May 2007. OECD Headquarters. Retrieved 7-May-08 from http://www.oecd.org/document/57/0,3343,en_2649_3236398_38283065_1_1_1_1,00.html
[4] OECD. The Paris Declaration, Ibid.
[5] ICN. (2000). Position Statement: Nursing and Development. Retrieved from
http://www.icn.ch/psnursingdevel_00.htm
[6] ICN. (2000). Position Statement: Nursing and Development. Ibid
[7] ICN. (2000). Position Statement: Nursing and Development. Ibid