Highlights From the Current Lithuanian EU Presidency

As part of its Lithuanian EU Presidency agenda, on October 8, 2013, Lithuanian National Non-Governmental Development Cooperation Organisations’ Platform (NGDO Platform) presented to the public the Lithuanian NGDO Position on Development Cooperation Policy Issues for the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The representatives of the NGDO Platform claim that Lithuania should make a significant progress in shaping a new approach to development through actual implementation of the Policy Coherence for Development (PCD). In mobilising enough resources to finance the development, however, developing countries often face a number of barriers, largely because of tax dodging by transnational companies that take advantage of inadequate international regulation. PCD is seen as a main instrument to change this practice and to achieve the desired results in a global development agenda.

As Presidency of the EU, NGDO Platform urges Lithuania to seize the historical opportunity to help developing countries during the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The full text of the Lithuanian NGDO Platform position can be found here. 

The importance of PCD and critical debate about issues related to post-2015 agenda will be raised in a specially developed film programme “The World of 2015”, screened during the 7th documentary film festival “Ad Hoc: Inconvenient Films” starting already on the 23rd of October in Vilnius.

Thanks to the fruitful cooperation between the NGDO Platform and the organisers of the Festival, i.e. Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights, the Programme consists of 10 documentaries, some of which will travel to five cities in Lithuania followed by the educational events. Lithuanian public will be able to see the award winning “Blood Brother”, “Give Us the Money”, “Fire in the Blood”, “Solar Mamas”, “Stealing Africa” and many more films which aim to raise the important questions on why the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have not been fully achieved. Why the rich countries have failed to help those in need? Could it be that the failure was determined from the very outset of setting the MDGs agenda? Could it be that the development cooperation efforts taken were just another opportunity for certain countries to exploit the needy? What could be changed?

More information about the programme and film screenings can be found here. 

Public debates will continue on 21-22 November 2013 in Vilnius with the debate on aid effectiveness and PCD followed by the training for NGDO practitioners from the Baltic States and Poland.

More information and furtherupdates on NGDO Platform Presidency activities could be found at www.pagalba.org

Photo above: Cover of the Position Paper and panel during the launch of the Position Paper.
In the picture below: Lithuanian NGDO Platform presents its Presidency Manifesto. From the right: Vice Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament Petras Austrevicius, NGDO Platform Board Member Ruta Svarinskaite, CONCORD PCD Coordinator Sarah Kristine Johansen, NGDO Policy Officer Giedre Birzyte.


For more information, please contact Agne Baleisyte at info@litdea.eu 

Information provided by Agne Baleisyte, LITDEA Partnership and Communication officer