Dhaka – Leaders of global civil society organisations at a seminar in Dhaka yesterday expressed their concerns as what they said spaces for CSOs are shrinking in the global development processes.They expressed the concerns while speaking the seminar titled, “Bangladeshi CSO Dialogue with GPEDC, Realizing Enhancing Development Cooperation and the SDGs: Bangladesh Perspectives.”
The CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) group in Bangladesh and COAST Trust jointly organized the seminar at a city hotel.
Leaders of Bangladeshi CSOs urged an effective and enabling environment as equal level development partnership.
State Minister for the Ministry of Finance and Planning Muhammad Abdul Mannan MP was present as the chief guest at the seminar chaired by Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, chairman, PKSF.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, executive director, COAST Trust moderated the seminar which was supported by the Development Effectiveness Wing (DEW) of the Economic Relation Division (ERD).
The state minister said government is very keen to ensure engagement of CSOs in the development process as they believe that they can play an important role to implement the SDGs.
Qazi Kholiquzzaman said CSOs engagement in any development process is very much vital in ensuring sustainability and efficiency. The government should create spaces for the CSOs and CSOs should involve and accountable to mass people in all sorts of development efforts as much as possible, he added.
CSO leaders from different countries and steering committee members of the GPEDC (Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation) participated in the meeting.
Mizanur Rahman, Deputy Secretary, Development Effectiveness Wing of ERD, Maria Theresa, Vice Chair of CPDE, Nabine Gbossa, Head of Division, Global Partnerships & Policies, OECD, Marcela Martinez from El Salvador, Ashekur Rahman, UNDP Urban Specialist, Ms Janet from Canadian Govt., Mr Udo from German Govt also spoke at the occasion.
Bangladeshi CSOs representatives including Anisatul Fatema Yousuf, Director, Dialogue & Communication, Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dr Tofail local govt specialist, Mr Jashim from ADAB and CDF, Mr Tapan from CAMPE, Mr Morshed from POPI, Mr Ahmed Swapan from VOICE placed their comments during the dialogue. – Staff Reporter
