TRIALOG CENTRAL TRAINING, 9-10/03/2006
Latvian NGDO Platform
Founded: August, 2004
Membership: 24 member organisations
Institutional structure:
General Assembly (24 member organisations), the Board (7 members), Director (full time), staff (coordinator, assistant, accountant – all part-time)
Financing in year 2005:
Membership fees, operational grant from the Soros foundation – Latvia, funding for activities from the Soros foundation – Latvia, UNDP Latvia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Open Society Institute East-East Program, Open Society Foundation Georgia, Riga City Council, Tbilisi city council.
Main aim of the Platform:
- To ensure a favourable environment for the Latvian non-governmental organisations and the possibilities for development cooperation on the national and international level.
Objectives:
- To ensure a sustainable representation of the interests of the Latvian non-governmental organisations on the field of national and international development cooperation;
- To organise and get actively involved in the measures of providing information to the inhabitants of Latvia and promoting understanding among them on the necessity and importance of the development cooperation;
- To encourage the exchange of experience between the Latvian non-governmental organisations and the transitional economy and developing countries;
- To promote the involvement of the development non-governmental organisations in the national and international initiatives;
- To provide information to the non-governmental organisations in the possibilities to attract resources for the implementation of the development cooperation activities;
- To encourage the development and strengthening of a civic society in other countries.
Success and problems in advocacy and policy dialogue of the Platform/country during 2005
Success:
- Participation in Development Cooperation Policy Advisory Board at the MFA as a fully fledged member;
- Awareness raising activities were initiated and implemented in close cooperation with the MFA (media seminar, booklet on MDGs, interviews, etc.);
- Most of the Platform’s comments on the national Development Cooperation Policy documents and position papers are taken into account;
- MFA showed a greater interest to cooperate: request of information, involvement of Platform in designing position papers, invitation to participate in conferences (national and international) partly covering the travel expenses, participation of MFA in Georgia NGO Forum (organized by Platform) partly covering Forum expenses;
- Establishing contacts with MPs (especially in the Foreign affairs committee) and MEPs;
- Platform became a member of CONCORD;
- Participation in CONCORD’s Working groups;
- Fact finding mission to Georgia for the co-operation forum;
- Involvement of President of Latvia, MFA, government, municipalities, media in NGO co-operation Forum, carried out in Georgia.
Problems:
- Process of ODA budget designing for the year 2006 showed that the government has a very low political will. The ODA level in Latvia for Development Aid in 2004 was 0,06 % of GNI and 0,061 % of GNI in the year 2005. Although total sums have risen, official Latvian ODA commitment for the year 2006 is expected to be even less than year before – 0,057 % of GNI. There were no reactions on Platform’s advocacy letters for ODA budget;
- ODA Call for proposals/grant programme still has not been enounced. It is expected that first Call for Proposals on Development Cooperation projects will be announced in 2006 by the MFA. Amount available for DC and public awareness projects is only 150000 LVL (213000 Euro);
- Information exchange system with all relevant stakeholders on DC including MFA should be formalised and more regular;
- Capacity of the Platform and its members shall be bigger to secure better advocacy results.
The main issues for advocacy and policy dialogue of the Platform on national and international level in 2006
- Public awareness on Development Cooperation and Development Education;
- Highlighting national ODA policy, lobbying ODA budget for 2007, grant scheme on DC projects;
- Highlighting ODA policy at regional level (Baltic states); all three states have foreseen 0,1 % from GNI till 2010 (instead of 0,17 %);
- Communication among all relevant stakeholders;
- Professional and lobbying capacity of Platform and its members;
- More and better suitable grant opportunities available for New EU member states;
- Stronger focus on ex USSR countries on EU Development funding;
- Ensure a stronger representation of Latvian experts in international ODA projects (especially in the former USSR region);
- Advocacy activities at EU level on Development Cooperation (through CONCORD).
The main challenges facing the Platform during 2006
To develop sustainable cooperation with MFA and other relevant stakeholders, to ensure representation of the interests of the Latvian NGDOs shaping national and international Development Cooperation policy:
1) Participation in Development Cooperation Policy Advisory Board at the MFA;
2) Consultations on DC policy documents;
3) Lobbying activities on ODA budget for 2007 and political awareness;
4) Round table discussions among the civil society representatives, parliamentarians, civil servants from MFA and media (academics optionally) on following topics: current situation on Development Cooperation, collaboration mechanisms between stakeholders at national and international levels implementing Development Cooperation policy, future financial perspectives, identifying priority topics for the Baltic conference on the Development Cooperation;
5) Public discussions through the public policy website www.politika.lv highlighting national DC policy issues;
6) Preparation for the Baltic conference on Development Cooperation (expected in autumn 2006 or in the beginning of 2007);
7) Lobbying budget line for Platform’s administrative expences.
To organize and be actively involved in public awareness raising activities on Development Cooperation:
8) Conducting a research on the level of awareness and participation of NGOs in Development Cooperation activities and their expertise and issuing and presenting of informative materials based on the research, updating database;
9) Public awareness raising projects:
- Implementation of the project called “Market of Possibilities” (EC supported project in cooperation with Finnish partner KEPA);
- Development of the project (MFA Call for Proposals on Public Awareness raising activities);
10) Development of Latvian NGDO Platform homepage www.lapas.lv, booklet about the Platform activities, booklet on Development Education;
11) Expanding cooperation with mass media.
To encourage the exchange of experience with transitional economy and developing countries in order to promote development and strengthening of civil society in these countries:
12) Expanding of cooperation possibilities with Georgia and implementing first projects from member organisations and/or the Platform;
13) Needs assessment mission and experience exchange with Moldova;
14) NGO Forum in Moldova (in autumn 2006);
15) Development of cooperation possibilities with other transitional economy and developing countries (e.g. Belarus).
To promote the involvement of the Latvian NGDOs in the national and international initiatives on Development Cooperation policy issues:
16) Participation in lobbying activities for DC policy at EU level (through CONCORD) - participation in CONCORD Working groups, events and trainings;
17) Participation in the relevant international events concerning DC policy.
To develop the professional and lobbying capacity of Platform and its members:
18) Experience exchange with other national Platforms, meetings with the respective counterparts and the key stakeholders;
19) Seminar on Development Education (in April);
20) Providing information for members about fundraising opportunities, consultations on DC projects;
21) Strengthening information exchange channels and mechanisms;
22) Fostering the information exchange about actual DC policy issues at national and international level.
Prepared by:
Ingrida Skuja,
director of Latvian NGDO Platform