West Africa Civil Society Institute wacsi.org

Aid Effectiveness Media Summit

The Media Summit was part of the Civil Society Parallel Forum during the OECD DACs third High Level Forum (HLF3). The HLF3 was an important mid-point evaluation that set the tone and expectations for how the Paris Declaration would be implemented and the eventual consideration of modifications. This event was a roundtable discussion between leading civil society organisations representatives, media, and policy makers on the role of media in setting and implementing development priorities and objectives. The aim of the summit was to provide a platform for the media, CSOs and development agencies to contribute to on-going discussions on the following themes: Effective aid can only be achieved in the context of effective developmentpriorities, objectives, and practices. A broader ownership of development priorities and objectives is the preamble to more accountability and effectiveness.

The complexity of advancing economic growth and fighting poverty calls for diversity of actions and actors. Panelists included James Deane, Head of Policy Development, BBC World Service Trust, Jeff Grieco, Assistant Administrator for USAID, and Edith Grace Ssempala, Acting Senior Vice President, External Affairs, International Affairs for The World Bank Group, Egbert Faibille Jnr., Managing Editor, The Ghanaian Observer, Jeannette Quarcoopome, Media Foundation for West Africa, Ms. Paula Fray, International Press Service, Regional Director – Africa and Mr. Paul O’Brien, Director, Aid Effectiveness, Oxfam America.