Political Statement of the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (11/30/2011)

1.     We, the representatives of nations and organizations, committed to development have gathered in Busan, Republic of Korea, a symbol of Korea’s economic transformation. We stand united in our aspiration that the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness meets the ambitions and expectations of the global community, in our hope that poverty will be defeated in our lifetime.

2.     We have come to this historic city to embrace the goals and commitments of the outcome document -'Busan Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation' - and rededicate ourselves to the shared goal of poverty reduction and sustainable development. We declare a new partnership that we believe will lay the foundation for strong, shared and sustainable growth. As the target year of the Millennium Development Goals approaches, this work could not be more urgent.

3.     We realize that the world has changed profoundly since development co-operation began over 60 years ago. More state and non-state actors are involved. New modalities for co-operation and sources of development finance have emerged. Technology is connecting and empowering individuals and communities more than ever before. The world is facing economic upheavals that have increased number of the unemployed, and left financial and social instabilities in their wake.

4.     To harness the opportunities and challenges presented by this new development landscape, we seek to forge more inclusive partnerships that embrace diversity, recognize the roles of all actors and broaden our perspective through mutual learning. Under this new partnership, development co-operation should play a catalytic role in directing diverse resources, tools and technology in ways that support the priorities of developing countries and make development happen.

In support of this new approach, we commit ourselves to the following principles and actions:

    Shared Principles :

a)       Ownership of development priorities by developing countries. Partnerships for development can only succeed if they are led by developing countries, implementing approaches that are tailored to country-specific situations and needs.

b)      Focus on results. Our investments and efforts must have a lasting impact on eradicating poverty and reducing inequality, on sustainable development, and on enhancing developing countries’ capacities, aligned with the priorities and policies set out by developing countries themselves.

c)       Inclusive development partnerships. Openness, trust, and mutual respect and learning lie at the core of effective partnerships in support of development goals, recognising the different and complementary roles of all actors.

d)      Transparency and accountability to each other. Mutual accountability and accountability to the intended beneficiaries of our co-operation, as well as to our respective citizens, organisations, constituents and shareholders, is critical to delivering results. Transparent practices form the basis for enhanced accountability.

Our Actions to :

a)       Deepen, extend and operationalise the democratic ownership of development policies and processes;

b)      Strengthen our efforts to achieve concrete and sustainable results. This involves better managing for results, monitoring, evaluating and communicating progress; as well as scaling up our support, strengthening national capacities, and leveraging diverse resources and initiatives in support of development results;

c)       Broaden support for South-South and triangular co-operation, helping to tailor these horizontal partnerships to a greater diversity of country contexts and needs;

d)      Support developing countries in their efforts to facilitate, leverage and strengthen the impact of diverse forms of development finance and activities, ensuring that these diverse forms of co-operation have a catalytic effect on development.

5.     We emphasize that political leadership is an essential ingredient in delivering development results. Because we recognize that development is critical to global prosperity and security, we commit to set it as a policy priority. We seek to add value to and complement development commitments made through other fora.

6.     Finally, we pledge our leadership for the implementation of Busan Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation – the outcome document of this Forum that establishes a new and inclusive Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation. We will focus on implementing our respective actions at the country level and we will hold each other accountable and agree to meet regularly to review progress, share what we are learning, and maintain momentum towards our goals. End.

Busan, Republic of Korea /2011.11.30