[LOME] Monthly Summary 1(10 May - 2 July)

[Anne SIMON <moderation@ue-acp.org>]

FOLLOWING IS A MACHINE TRANSLATION OF THE ORIGINAL IN FRENCH. IT HAS BEEN
EDITED FOR MISTRANSLATION ONLY. THE ORIGINAL IN FRENCH IS FOUND FOLLOWING,
FOR REFERENCE.

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KEY WORDS: PROGRESS OF THE DISCUSSION  
  
* * Title: Monthly Summary 1 (10 May – 2 July) * *  
  
By: Anne SIMON <anne.simon@skynet.be>
<http://www.ue-acp.org/en/forum/presentations/simon.html>  
  
°°° Summary: The first monthly summary focuses on the launching of the
discussion, and on the three first topics discussed. Participants (71
people on July 2) insisted on specifying some definitions of which some are
at the heart of discussions such as the notions of project and process,
governance and regional integration. The discussion led to some varied and
pragmatic points of view. Some concrete proposals were formulated.  
  
Topic 3.1 - Moving from Project Support to Supporting Processes:
Participants agree to recognize that to come out of the assistance-type
aid, it is necessary " to liberate the initiatives ", to come out of
exogenous and pre-established models, to move to a logic of supporting
processes. It would be necessary to pay attention however to the risk of
peoples' losing their sense of responsibility linked to the length of time
that could take such a form of aid.  
  
Topic 3.2 - Backing a Twofold Dynamics of Decentralization and of Regional
Integration: Most participants agree on the need of a bigger mobilization
of the echelons of local decision, without penalizing the state, which
would generate unbalances. The strong idea is that processes of
decentralization should anchor with the processes of regional integration
to which they are closely linked. But it must especially not become one
more conditionality for aid.  
  
Topic 3.3 - Transforming Procedures and Practices: Some plead for the
maintenance of privileged institutional relations between ACP countries and
European Commission so that the management of the aid is adapted. For
participants that have a close experience "on the field ", it is necessary
to arrive to practices that are "simpler, more direct and more transparent
". Mediation is questioned. Some pose as a prerequisite the political
recognition of the lack of transparency of the system in the past. A number
of concrete proposals were formulated (see the detail of the summary). °°°  
  
  
  
A list of discussion + a Web site   
--------------------------------------------  
  
The phase of subscription and introductions was a bit prolonged (10 May – 4
June ) in order to reach a meaningful number of subscribed person. On July
2, 71 people were subscribed of which 33 had introduced themselves (we are
waiting  for the 39 others). Since, the number increases every day. Two
types of expectations are determined in these introductions: the sharing of
experiences to understand and to understand one another, the formulation in
common of pragmatic proposals (proposals of process improvement to transmit
to the political authorities and competent administrators)  
  
It is always possible to subscribe all along the discussion. Participants
receive in this case, progressively, the new introductions. " To catch up "
on the discussion in progress, the Web site makes possible to be informed
of all that happened week after week.  
  
The Web site <http://www.ue-acp.org> is added to progressively with
documents and supplementary resources. To the documents of the seminar
(diagnosis, proposals, reports), are added the personal contributions of
participants. Summaries are published every week. It is possible for
everyone to send documents at all times in relation with the discussion so
that these are made available on the site on 
<http://www.ue-acp.org/en/documents/contributions.html>.  
  
  
Topics of discussion that have been discussed in the month of June   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
During the month of June, 27 contributions focused on the following topics:   
3.1 Moving from Project Support to Supporting Processes 
3.2 Backing a Twofold Dynamics of Decentralization and of Regional
Integration 
3.3 Transforming Procedures and Practices 
  
Precision of definitions   
-----------------------------  
  
Participants were eager to specify definitions of terms employed.  
  
The notion of good governance can refer merely to a transparent and honest
management of public affairs or yet to a local actors' taking
responsibility in the management of affairs that involve them. It can more
extensively include the whole of powers that the human societies develop at
the different levels of exercise of power. Would not a real governance mean
a capacity of assumption of responsibility, of decision making, a "certain
cultural  decolonization?" . The discussion remains open, but these
discussions highlight that "good governance", even more so when it becomes
a criteria of conditionality of aid or an objective of cooperation policies
must be previously carefully clarified among partners. 

The project and the "process" are of a different nature. The first is "
designed according to an outside model and pre-constrained" during a
limited period. The second is associated on the other hand with a "forward
march", carried by individuals or structures " that have confidence in them
". Therefore, the support to a process would depend on the " liberation of
initiatives ". It should be long (an example of construction of a
fisherman's  movement over forty years is mentioned) and progressive, and
include adapted training actions. Its logic relies on the rebalancing of
currently observable dissymmetry.  
  
  
Content of discussions on the 3 topics   
-------------------------------------------  
  
1. Moving towards project support and support to processes  
  
To go from a project logic to a process logic? Participants agree to
recognize that to come out of the assistance-type aid, it is necessary " to
liberate initiatives ", to come out of exogenous and pre-established
models, to move to a logic of support to a process. It would be necessary
to pay attention however to the risk of peoples' losing their sense of
responsibility linked to the length of time that could take such a form of
aid.  
  
Would it not be possible that the European cooperation use new tools such
as those that are presented in case reports? (for example conventions of
partnership that allow the local partners to negotiate the financial
conditions, and give them the responsibility of the execution of actions
that they identify successively) The project tool must not necessarily
disappear, it could be used for specific circumstances within a longer-term
logic. 

Would it not be necessary to recognize the territory as more relevant
development echelon. (considering that a territory is the place of
implementation of a project, of a policy)? An actor of the South recalls
that the projects presented or set up by the intermediate organisms, have
more possibility to be selected. Would it not be possible for groups or
individuals to have a direct contact with Delegations of the Commission, in
order to not have to use these intermediate organisms, or does this mean
that mediators must reconsider methods and the philosophy of their action?
Facing deficiencies of information on cooperation, a clear policy should be
defined in this direction. In particular, so that Internet is not the
exclusive privilege of countries of the North, and that it is not
accessible only to the privileged in the South, a " voluntary process " of
rebalancing of the Internet should be planned in the next Lomé Convention.
(infrastructure / training)  
  
  
2. Decentralization and regional integration, processes that are linked,
must not become conditions of the aid  
  
Most participants agree on the need of a bigger mobilization of the
echelons of local decision, without penalizing the state, which would
generate unbalances. The strong idea is that processes of decentralization
should anchor with the processes of regional integration to which they are
closely linked. This twofold dynamics can constitute an answer to the
crisis of nation- states. Without real decentralization, the regional
integration can with difficulty answer expectations and requirements of
citizens (in terms of democracy, market, and peace). It must not be limited
to integration of market. However, this need to link decentralization and
regionalization must especially not become one more conditionality of aid,
after the fashions of "decentralizations" and of the creation of " regional
structures " void of meaning for the citizens of these countries. It is the
ACP countries that should carry the fatherhood of these processes. This
will be long and institutions in charge of the aid to the development
should accept this. In the resource documents available on the Web site, a
participant proposes a pilot process of cross-regional dialogue.  
  
  
3. Transforming procedures and practices  
  
This topic recurrent to all the topics of discussion would deserve to be
pursued throughout the progression of the discussion as it advances. The
transformation of procedures is indissociable from the institutional
reforms of the services in charge of the development cooperation. Some
plead for the maintenance of privileged institutional relations
(specialized services?) between the ACP countries and the European
Commission so that the management of the aid is adapted. In principle, for
participants who are close to "experience on the field", it is necessary to
arrive to practices that " simpler, more direct and more transparent". The
mediation is questioned. Some pose as a prerequisite the political
recognition of the lack of transparency of the system in the past.  
  
So that cooperation is able to answer challenges of the regional
integration, some institutional adaptations are necessary. In particular,
Delegations of the European Commission are not organized to this scale. A
new practice of the regional cooperation should make possible to encourage
the intra-regional exchanges between individuals or organizations (example
of the Erasmus program for example). It should also encourage the
communication and the accessibility to information on the regional topics.
The current distribution of responsibilities within decision-making
processes of the regional action programs should be simplified. In addition
to the already existing regional organisms, the Commission should enter
into dialogue and should encourage the emergence of different regional
networks resulting from civil society, the private sector, and professional
or academic organisms... A pool of ACP regional experts could be
constituted also. 

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ORIGINAL IN FRENCH:
------------------------------
MOTS-CLES : DEROULEMENT DU DEBAT

** Titre : Synthese mensuelle 1 (10/5 - 02/07) **

par : Anne SIMON <anne.simon@skynet.be>
<http://www.ue-acp.org/fr/forum/presentations/simon.html> 

°°° Resume : La premiere synthese mensuelle porte sur le lancement du
debat, et sur les trois premiers themes debattus. Les participants (71
personnes au 2 juillet) ont tenu a preciser quelques definitions dont
certaines sont au cœur des discussions comme les notions de projet et de
processus, de gouvernance et d'integration regionale. La discussion a donne
lieu a des points de vue varies et pragmatiques. Des propositions concretes
ont ete formulees. 

Theme 3.1 - Passer d'un appui aux projets et aux processus : Les
participants s'accordent a reconnaitre que pour sortir de l'aide de
l'assistanat, il faut " liberer les initiatives ", sortir de schemas
exogenes et preetablis, passer a une logique d'appui a un processus. Il
faudrait cependant faire attention au risque de deresponsabilisation lie a
la duree que pourrait prendre un telle forme d'aide.

Theme 3.2 - Soutenir une double dynamique de decentralisation et
d'integration regionale : La plupart des participants reconnaissent la
necessite d'une plus grande mobilisation des echelons de decision locaux,
sans pour autant penaliser l'Etat, ce qui est generateur de desequilibres.
L'idee force est que les processus de decentralisation devraient ancrer les
processus d'integration regionale auxquels il sont etroitement lies. Mais
cela ne doit surtout pas devenir une conditionnalite de plus de l'aide.

Theme 3.3. - Transformer les procedures et les pratiques : Certains
plaident pour le maintien de relations institutionnelles privilegiees entre
pays ACP et Commission Europeenne pour que la gestion de l'aide soit
adaptee. Pour les participants qui ont une experience proche " du terrain
", il faut arriver a des pratiques " plus simples, plus directes et plus
transparentes ". L'intermediation est remise en question. Certains posent
comme prealable la reconnaissance politique du manque de transparence du
systeme dans le passe. Un certain nombre de propositions concretes sont
formulees (voir le detail de la synthese). °°°


Une liste de discussion + un site web
-------------------------------------

La phase d'inscription et de presentation a ete un peu allongee (10/5 -
4/6) afin d'atteindre un nombre d'inscrits significatif. Au 2 juillet, 71
personnes etaient inscrites dont 33 qui se sont presentees (nous attendons
les 39 autres). Depuis le nombre augmente chaque jour. Deux types
d'attentes se degagent de ces presentations : 
- le partage d'experiences pour comprendre et se comprendre
- la formulation en commun de propositions pragmatiques (propositions
d'amelioration des processus a transmettre aux autorites politiques et
gestionnaires competentes)

Il est toujours possible de s'inscrire tout au long du debat. Les
participants recoivent dans ce cas, au fur et a mesure, les nouvelles
fiches de presentation. Pour " rattraper " le debat en cours de route, le
site web permet d'etre au courant de tout ce qui s'est passe semaine apres
semaine.

Le site web : http://www.ue-acp.org s'est enrichi progressivement de
documents ressources supplementaires. Aux documents du seminaire
(diagnostic, propositions, fiches), s'ajoutent les contributions
personnelles des participants. Des syntheses sont publiees chaque semaine.
Il est possible a tous d'envoyer des documents en relation avec le debat a
tout moment afin que ceux-ci soient mis a disposition sur le site sur
<http://www.ue-acp.org/fr/documents/contributions.html>. 


Les themes de discussion qui ont ete debattus au mois de juin
-------------------------------------------------------------

Durant le mois de juin, 27 interventions ont porte sur les themes suivants :
3.1. - Passer d'un appui aux projets et aux processus
3.2. - Soutenir une double dynamique de decentralisation et d'integration
regionale
3.3. - Transformer les procedures et les pratiques


Precisions de definitions
-------------------------

Les participants ont tenu a preciser les definitions des termes employes.

- La notion de bonne gouvernance peut simplement se referer a une gestion
transparente et honnete des affaires publiques ou encore a une
responsabilisation des acteurs locaux dans la gestion des affaires qui les
concernent. Elle peut plus largement englober l'ensemble des pouvoirs que
les societes humaines elaborent aux differents niveaux d'exercice du
pouvoir. Une veritable gouvernance ne signifierait-elle pas une capacite de
prise de responsabilite, de prise de decision, une " certaine
decolonisation culturelle " ? Le debat reste ouvert, mais ces discussions
mettent en lumiere que la " bonne gouvernance ", a fortiori lorsqu'elle
devient un critere de la conditionnalite de l'aide, ou un objectif des
politiques de cooperation doit etre auparavant soigneusement clarifiee
entre les partenaires.
- Le projet et le " processus " sont de nature differente. Le premier est :
" concu selon un moule exterieur et precontraint " pendant un periode
limitee. Le second evoque par contre " une marche en avant ", portee par
individus ou des structures " qui ont confiance en eux ". 
- Par consequent, l'appui a un processus reposerait sur la " liberation des
initiatives ". Il devrait etre long (un exemple de construction d'un
mouvement de pecheurs en quarante ans est cite) et progressif, inclure des
actions adaptees de formation. Sa logique repose sur un reequilibrage des
dissymetries observables actuellement.


Contenu des debats sur les 3 themes
-----------------------------------

1. Passer d'un appui aux projets et l'appui aux processus

Passer d'un logique projet a une logique processus ? Les participants
s'accordent a reconnaitre que pour sortir de l'aide de l'assistanat, il
faut " liberer les initiatives ", sortir de schemas exogenes et preetablis,
passer a une logique d'appui a un processus. Il faudrait cependant faire
attention au risque de deresponsabilisation lie a la duree que pourrait
prendre un telle forme d'aide. 

- Ne serait-il pas possible que la cooperation europeenne emploie de
nouveaux outils comme ceux qui sont presentes dans les fiches de cas ? (par
exemple les conventions de partenariat qui permettent aux partenaires
locaux de negocier les conditions financieres, et leur donnent la
responsabilite de l'execution des actions qu'ils identifient successivement)
- L'outil projet ne doit pas forcement disparaitre, il pourrait etre
employe de facon ponctuelle dans une logique a plus long terme.
- Ne faudrait-il pas reconnaitre le territoire comme echelon de
developpement  plus pertinent. (en considerant qu'un territoire est
l'espace de mise en œuvre d'un projet, d'une politique) ?
- Un acteur du Sud rappelle que les projets presentes ou montes par des
organismes intermediaires, ont plus de chances d'etre retenus. Ne serait-il
pas possible que des groupes ou individus aient un contact direct avec les
Delegations de la Commission, afin de ne pas passer par ces organismes
intermediaires, ou bien cela signifie-t-il que les intermediaires doivent
repenser les modalites et la philosophie de leur intervention ?
- Face aux deficiences d'information sur la cooperation, une politique
claire devrait etre definie dans ce sens. En particulier, afin qu'Internet
ne soit pas l'apanage des pays du Nord, et qu'il ne soit pas accessible
qu'a des privilegies dans le Sud, une " demarche volontariste " de
reequilibrage de l'Internet devrait etre prevue dans la prochaine
Convention de Lome. (infrastructure / formation)


2. Decentralisation et integration regionale, processus lies, mais qui ne
doivent pas devenir des conditions de l'aide

La plupart des participants s'accordent sur la necessite d'une plus grande
mobilisation des echelons de decision locaux, sans pour autant penaliser
l'Etat, ce qui est generateur de desequilibres. L'idee force est que les
processus de decentralisation devraient ancrer les processus d'integration
regionale auxquels il sont etroitement lies. Cette double dynamique peut
constituer une reponse a la crise des Etats nations. Sans reelle
decentralisation, l'integration regionale peut difficilement repondre aux
attentes et aux exigences des citoyens (en termes de democratie, de marche,
de paix). Elle ne doit pas se limiter a un integration de marche.
Cependant, cette necessite de lier decentralisation et regionalisation ne
doit surtout pas devenir une conditionnalite de plus de l'aide, apres la
modes des " decentralisations " et de  creation de " structures regionales
" vides de sens pour les citoyens de ces pays. C'est dans les pays ACP qui
devront porter la paternite de ces processus. Ce sera long et les
institutions chargees de l'aide au developpement devront l'accepter. Dans
les documents ressources disponibles sur le site, un participant propose un
processus de dialogue inter-regional pilote.


3. Transformer les procedures et les pratiques

Ce theme recurrent a tous les themes de discussion meriterait d'etre
poursuivi au fur et a mesure de l'avancee du debat.
La transformation des procedures est indissociable des reformes
institutionnelles des services charges de la cooperation au developpement.
Certains plaident pour le maintien de relations institutionnelles
privilegiees (services specialises ?) entre les pays ACP et la Commission
europeenne afin que la gestion de l'aide soit adaptee. 
Dans le principe, pour les participants qui ont une experience proche " du
terrain ", il faut arriver a des pratiques " plus simples, plus directes et
plus transparentes ". L'intermediation est remise en question. Certains
posent comme prealable la reconnaissance politique du manque de
transparence du systeme dans le passe.

Pour que la cooperation soit en mesure de repondre aux enjeux de
l'integration regionale, certaines adaptations institutionnelles sont
necessaires. En particulier, les Delegations de la Commission Europeenne ne
sont pas organisees a cette echelle. Une nouvelle pratique de la
cooperation regionale devrait permettre de favoriser les echanges
intra-regionaux entre individus ou organisations (a l'exemple du programme
Erasmus par exemple). Elle devrait aussi favoriser la communication et
l'accessibilite a l'information sur des thematiques regionales. La
repartition actuelle des responsabilites au sein des instances
decisionnelles des programmes d'action regionaux devrait etre simplifiee. A
cote des organismes regionaux deja existants, la Commission devrait entrer
en dialogue et favoriser l'emergence des differents reseaux regionaux issus
de la societe civile, du secteur prive, des organismes professionnels,
academiques... Un pool d'experts regionaux ACP pourrait etre egalement
constitue.