Remarks by UNDP Country Director Ms. Elena Tischenko at the 17th meeting of Government-Development Partner Coordination Committee

Development Partner Remarks
Adoption of the revised TWG Guidelines and the PBA Concept Note
delivered by Ms. Elena Tischenko, Country Director, UNDP
at the
17th Meeting of
The Government-Development Partner Coordination Committee
Phnom Penh, 18 October, 2010

Excellency Keat Chhon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The 2010 Aid Effectiveness Report presented at the 3rd Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum, 2 – 3 June 2010, advises the Royal Government of Cambodia and its development partners to maintain the current aid management policy direction including strengthening ownership and capacity, and broadening partnerships with national and international partners through Programme-Based Approaches (PBAs).

To ensure a common understanding of how a PBA can be applied in the Cambodian context, the 3rd CDCF recognised the need to develop PBA guidance. We, the development partners, greatly welcome the Royal Government of Cambodia’s Programme-Based Approach Concept Note and see it is as a strong platform for ensuring strengthened leadership; developing capacities, including country systems; and promoting a new and improved partnership dynamic.

We acknowledge that CDC has gone to great efforts to ensure that the Concept Note incorporates development partners’ responses and thank H.E Chhieng Yanara for incorporating comments raised by development partners at the TWG Network Retreat in Siem Reap, 6 - 8 September 2010, and prior to and during the Partnership and Harmonisation Technical Working Group, on 21 September 2010.

As the progress report of the Technical Working Groups shows, 2010 has marked the introduction and continued implementation of a number of PBAs in sectors such as: Land; Sub National Democratic Development; Fisheries; Gender; and Mine Action.  We look forward to the upcoming PBA clinics that will ensure effective rollout of PBAs. We also encourage sectors to document and share PBA implementation best practices to ensure further refinement of the approach. Development partners stand ready to play a strong partnership role with the Royal Government of Cambodia in expediting PBA implementation across the sectors, cross-sectors (such as climate change and gender), and RGC priority reforms.

Development partners also very much welcome the updated Technical Working Group Guidelines. The 2010 TWG Guidelines are a noticeable improvement to the 2007 Guidelines, as they support the prioritization of development results through inclusive partnerships. The new Guidelines clearly state that to achieve “purposeful and informed dialogue”, a number of key elements are necessary including CSO participation in the TWGs. We strongly encourage that TWG Chairs proactively seek, where relevant, broader participation, including CSO representation. This should be further reflected in the Terms of References of each TWG.

The TWG Guidelines have set a platform towards a strengthened results-oriented partnership. We now have a collective responsibility to work together to ensure its effective implementation in support of the RGC’s National Strategic Development Plan priorities.  

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

We would like to commend CDC’s fine leadership in supporting line ministries and agencies, and reaching out to development partners. The PBA Concept Note and TWG Guidelines are important steps in translating a number of recent analytical pieces of work (Paris Declaration Evaluation, Country Systems Mapping, and Making Partnerships Initiative) into coherent and focused sector guidance that will lead to achieving development results. We, development partners, endorse both the PBA Concept Note and the TWG Guidelines and are committed to working with the Royal Government of Cambodia in translating this guidance into more effective development practice. We will achieve this by strengthening partnerships around PBAs and paying particular attention to capacity development, within the framework of our TWG coordination framework.

Finally, as follow up to the agreed actions from the 3rd CDCF, development partners stand ready to support and participate in a review of the GDCC mechanism that may inform the post-Paris Declaration policy framework.

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