When small Steps matter - Pan Baltic Conference on Development Programmes

The international conference on the impact of the Baltic States development programmes in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries provided an exceptional opportunity for the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian development cooperation practitioners to discuss the importance of EaP countries on the EU developmental agenda together with the Commissioner for Development Mr. Andris Piebalgs.

The conference was organised by the Lithuanian National Development Cooperation Organisations Platform in cooperation with the Latvian NGDO Platform (LAPAS) and Estonian Roundtable for Development Cooperation (AKÜ) and took place on the 2nd of October 2012 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Baltic States have the unique transition experience which can and should be shared with other countries in promotion of respect for human rights, emphasized the member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur of the Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2011, Mr. Leonidas Donskis. He pointed out the importance of education and developing public intellectuals on the road for increasing the respect for human rights.
Representatives from the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Ministries of Foreign Affairs shared their thoughts on democracy challenges and added value of the development cooperation programmes implemented by the Baltic States. The conference was closed with a workshop sharing best practise projects, discussing how they could be replicated, added value of the transition experience, lessons learned and drafting an outcome document on importance of Human Rights and Democracy in the development cooperation.

This conference was organised as a part of the project “Baltic States – Channelling Information for Development” supported by the European Commission, EuropeAid Co-operation Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lithuania.


More information about the event and the outcome document could be requested from the Policy Officer of the Lithuanian NGDO Platform Marta Cubajevaite at: marta.cubajevaite@eesc.lt. 

In the pictures: above participants of the conference, below Commissioner for Development Mr. Andris Piebalgs.


Information provided by Marta Cubajevaite, National non-governmental development cooperation organisations Platform, Lithuania