capacity4dev

In 2007 commercially viable quantities of oil and gas were discovered in Ghana. The estimated revenue of the oil reserves is about $1 billion per year (approximately EUR 768 million), which is similar to the amount of development assistance received by Ghana annually. As is often said, natural resources can be both a curse and a blessing. When managed well, they can boost development and foster economic growth. Oversight bodies such as parliaments, media and civil society organisations (CSOs) have a pivotal role to play in ensuring proper management of natural resources.

Renee Zandvliet, working with EuropeAid’s 'Civil Society and Local Authorities' unit, recently visited the European Union (EU) Delegation to India, which currently provides financial support to approximately 80 civil society organisations (CSOs).

As the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) voluntary partnership agreements (VPA) enter the critical phase of implementation, Members of European Parliament (MEP) have stressed the need to involve and strengthen civil societies in partner countries, to ensure that VPA deliver long-lasting results.

In the second part of a series on how Sector Budget Support can extend to Civil Society and what can be achieved,  Dominique Wauters, Head of Cooperation in the regionalised EU Delegation of Quito, Ecuador, shares his experience of engaging with civil society to build partnerships for service delivery and encourage more inclusive policy dialogue.