Press Release

Arab Development Institutions, Islamic Development Bank and OFID strongly represented at Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness

27/2008 September 1, Accra, Ghana
Press inquiries:

Over 1,000 participants from across the world have assembled in Accra, Ghana, for the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (3rd HLF) which began today. Among those present are the Arab Fund, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID). These institutions work together under an umbrella designated the Coordination Group.

The 3rd HLF will review progress accomplished since the Paris Declaration of 2006; in particular with regard to alignment, country ownership and harmonisation.

Ahead of this milestone HLF, the Coordination Group institutions, representatives of projects sponsored by the institutions in Ghana and other ranking Ghanaian government officials met for official discussions. Members of the Ghanaian press were also present. The Coordination Group is currently contributing, with the Government of Ghana, to the development of the health, education, transportation and water supply sectors, through project financing. The meeting provided a unique opportunity for both the representatives of the Coordination Group and officials of the project implementation units to debate issues of mutual concern and the objectives of the 3rd HLF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coordination Group representatives with Ghanaian partners and officials.

Institutions of the Coordination Group are longstanding partners of Ghana and through the experience gained over the past 30 years, the principles of mutual accountability, ownership and transparency appear fully embedded in the work of the Group with Ghana.

The meeting also allowed for a presentation of the Project Management Information System (PROMIS), a powerful tool for enhancing project monitoring and control. Developed by the Coordination Group, as a common denominator for an efficient and reliable knowledge platform, PROMIS is web-based and, therefore, accessible to all stakeholders within their specific areas of responsibility in the project. PROMIS is to be administered by the project implementation units. Availability of information to all project stakeholders will ensure transparency, participation and dialogue. Considerable gains in efficiency can be anticipated from the implementation of PROMIS.

Participants at the Ghana/Coordination Group meeting reiterated their commitment to aid effectiveness and to providing requisite assistance to support the efforts of the Government of Ghana toward sustainable economic development. Speaking on behalf of the Coordination Group, OFID recalled that although the contribution of each institution is individually directed, the Group is often considered as a model of coordination of procedures and of harmonisation of policies for the greater benefit of partner countries. The 3rd HLF concludes Thursday, September 4.