International Parliamentarians’ Petition 2005 annual report

February 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A.  Introduction: Changing the rules of accountability. 2

B.  Narrative activity report 2

Spring Meetings: Launch of the IPP.. 2

Annual Meetings:  Building IPP support with southern governments. 3

Other IPP activities. 4

The Petition. 2

C. IPP Financial Report 2005. 6

D. IPP phase 2 proposal 7

Additional planned activities for 2006. 9

Appendix.  IPP Coordinator job profile. 10

 


A.  Introduction: Changing the rules of accountability

 

With remarkably little in the way of resources, the International Parliamentarians’ Petition has had considerable impact.  Launched in the UK in the autumn of 2004, the IPP has received unprecedented parliamentary support in the UK for an initiative of its kind. It has led to an important change in the language of the UK government, a prioritisation of funds for parliamentary capacity building, and focused thinking about increasing parliamentary involvement in bilateral programmes. 

 

With the international launch of the petition in spring 2005, the IPP struck a chord – it represented the first tangible civil society initiative to address the long-held awareness of the importance of parliamentary scrutiny of the IFIs, and a remarkable opportunity for dialogue between progressive parliamentarians and civil society organisations working on the IFIs.  Taking parliamentarians to Washington raised the international profile of the issue, but perhaps more importantly, it emboldened returning MPs’ efforts to kickstart national initiatives in countries such as Malawi and Indonesia.  This served to support the hard work of CSOs in the south building bridges with elected representatives around broader issues of accountability. 

 

The IPP has highlighted how much there is to do.  Even in the UK, with high levels of official support, continued pressure is needed to ensure that the rhetoric is translated in to a change in practice.  This would be considerably helped along if other donor countries could mount similar campaigns.  Most important will be the work in pioneering countries in the south.  The work will take many shapes depending on country context, with the IPP being just one of many tools available to help civil society achieve its objectives around democratic accountability of the IFIs.  The challenge for us in the year ahead will be to build on the momentum we have generated in 2005, integrating the IPP with related initiatives, and securing the systematic participation of MPs in the initiative. 

 

 

B.  Narrative activity report

 

The Petition

 

By the end of 2005, the petition had been signed by over 1100 MPs in 55 countries.  It has been translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Swedish, German, and Arabic.  It has been endorsed by the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank (PNoWB); UK All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Debt, Aid and Trade, World Government and Overseas Development; the Committee for a Democratic UN; the Committee of the Parliaments of the Americas (COPA); European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA); and numerous civil society organisations and networks.

 

 

Spring Meetings: Launch of the IPP

 

  • Parliamentarians from seven countries (Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Malawi and the UK) travelled to Washington to present the IPP, signed by over 1000 parliamentarians in over 50 countries to Ian Goldin, World Bank vice-president for external affairs and Tom Dawson, his counterpart at the IMF.
  • The launch put direct pressure on the Bank and Fund to acknowledge that more needs to be done on the issue of democratic oversight of the IMF and World Bank.  It has created a concrete process for change at the international level and opportunities for future actions at national, regional and international levels.
  • In the UK in particular, the presence of parliamentarians at the launch has significantly increased the pressure on the UK government to lead on implementing parliamentary oversight of bilateral and multilateral programmes.
  • Facilitator Smithu Kothari, professor at Princeton University, concluded the workshop between IPP MPs and Bank/Fund staff and management by drawing out five points:
    • Pursue convergence of work in multiple forums on scrutiny of the IFIs;
    • Recognise the role of other social actors to ensure a deepening of what we understand by democracy;
    • Ensure that there is an open debate on the multiple paths to development;
    • Change the culture of IFI staff, often ’unapproachable and arrogant’, to respect and internalise the democratisation process; and
    • Mainstream the evolving international human rights framework, ensuring that all institutions comply.
  • US Congresspersons were interested in the petition and building US support for reform at the Bank and Fund on parliamentary scrutiny.
  • Parliamentarians met World Bank Executive Directors from Netherlands, Germany, UK and US to show shareholders that this issue is important.  Reaction was supportive, with little concrete initiative however.
  • The public debate held at Johns Hopkins University raised the issue of parliamentary scrutiny for international civil society organisations present.
  • Over 20 media interviews and newspaper articles raising the profile of the issue across the US and the rest of the world.

 

 

Annual Meetings:  Building IPP support with southern governments

 

  • World Bank and IMF Executive Directors’ offices representing Indonesia, Ghana, Malawi, Mexico and European countries received the parliamentarians to discuss IPP issues in their specific countries. Executives Directors listened to the cases presented by parliamentarians and were open to learn more about the development of the IPP in these countries.
  • Meeting the Progressive Caucus in the US Congress was crucial to get the US more involved in the IPP. Bill Goold, Senior Policy Adviser to the Progressive Caucus, encouraged parliamentarians to be bold and push for getting more support for the IPP issues in the US. Mr. Goold offered to help obtain support from members of the Progressive Caucus and other congress persons. 
  • The G24 secretariat offered parliamentarians the opportunity to present the IPP at their annual ministerial meeting in Washington.
  • Hon Abbie Shawa  MP from Malawi told an assembled group of European Executive Directors about the downfalls of the inappropriate use of conditionality where parliamentary scrutiny is insufficient. 
  • Lastly, the parliamentarians had the opportunity to attend and participate in several other meetings of their interest which took place in Washington during those days. In addition, the Annual Meetings was a good time for parliamentarians to debate key IPP issues between themselves and with IPP representatives.

 

 

Other IPP activities

 

Research: 

 

Kept in the Dark: A briefing on parliamentary scrutiny of the World Bank and IMF, by Olivia McDonald, was distributed to numerous conferences, IPP focal points and IPP signatories worldwide.

 

Outreach: 

 

-          Creation of the IPP website www.ippinfo.org, which catalogues signatories to the petition, provides details on IPP-related events and provides the IPP resource pack.

-          IPP resource pack contains an introduction to the IPP, the Kept in the Dark briefing, and sample letters.

-          Outreach to parliamentary networks

-          Meetings with UK MPs, DFID and HMT officials.  MP Ann McKechin has agreed to act as an advisor to the IPP.

-          Meetings with PNoWB secretariat.

-          Meetings with other CSO parliamentary initiatives in Washington in September, to share experience and coordinate efforts.

 

IPP secretariat meetings:  monthly throughout 2005

 

Support for national initiatives: 

 

a.  Malawi parliamentary coalition on the IFIs (MAPCOI)

 

With the support of ActionAid Malawi and the Malawi Economic Justice Network, two of the Malawian MPs who travelled to Washington with the IPP contingent, MP Austin Mtukula and MP Ted Kalebe, returned to Malawi to form MAPCOI.  A workshop was held in June which attracted 25 members of the Malawian parliament from all political parties.  The objectives of the workshop were to:

-          Enhance the capacity of the legislature to analyse IFI policies;

-          Equip MPs with alternative models and skills for budget analysis that facilitates the broadening and deepening of debates.

-          Map out the way forward for MAPCOI

 

b.  Indonesian bill for parliamentary scrutiny

 

Indonesian MP Dradjad Wibowo, returned to Indonesia, after attending IPP events in Washington in the spring and autumn, to introduce pioneering legislation requiring parliamentary scrutiny of all IFI loans and grants.  The bill is currently awaiting further debate.

 

c.  Mexican Senators work on IFI accountability mechanisms

 

Mexican NGO Equipo Pueblo, under its Citizen Diplomacy Program, fosters the follow-up of IFI policies and projects from a human rights perspective, and citizen participation in IFI decision-making.  Equipo Pueblo has built a closer relationship with Mexican Senate on MDB issues, the outcome of which was a proposal to strengthen Senate scrutiny of Mexico’s relationship with IFIs. It was also proposed to establish an accountability mechanism to oblige the Minister of Finance to inform senators about all activities and decisions adopted with the IFIs.  Equipo Pueblo is working with senators to finalise the proposed legislation; its formal proposal awaits the outcome of Mexican elections in July 2006. 

 


C. IPP Financial Report 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income

 

 

 

 

ChristianAid

 

28,080.00

 

 

Oxfam

 

6,000.00

 

 

ActionAid

 

6,000.00

 

 

  Total Income

 

40,080.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

Transfer to DGAP (see below)

 

10,000.00

 

 

Spring Meetings travel

 

5,796.19

 

 

Annual Meetings travel

 

2,479.38

 

 

Misc DC SM expenses (BWP)

 

41.28

 

 

Printing of petition

 

70.00

 

 

Media officer - spring mtgs

 

1,710.58

 

 

Office equipment / Stationery

 

212.50

 

 

Consultancy

 

9,000.00

 

 

Consultancy - extension

 

4,500.00

 

 

Consultancy - 2nd ext

 

1,500.00

 

 

  Total expenses

 

35,309.93

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funds remaining

 

4,770.07

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GBP

USD

 

DGAP transfer

 

10,000.00

 

 

  USD

 

 

18,716.56

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses - spring mtgs

 

 

 

 

Per diems

 

 

3,400.00

 

Hotel

 

 

7,680.00

 

Room fee JHU

 

 

200.00

 

Misc

 

 

185.94

 

Phone charges

 

 

 

 

  Total spring mtgs expenses

 

 

11,465.94

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funds remaining after spring mtgs

 

7,250.62

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses - annual meetings

 

 

 

 

Per diems

 

 

850.00

 

Hotel

 

 

4,528.51

 

Travel - Sen. Burgos

 

 

760.00

tbd

Misc

 

 

13.78

 

  Total annual mtgs expenses

 

 

6,152.29

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funds remaining after annual mtgs

625.61

1,098.33

0.5696

 

 


D. IPP phase 2 proposal

 

a. Vision:

 

The IPP is working towards effective parliamentary involvement in:

-          the formulation and oversight of national development plans;

-          the negotiation/implementation/evaluation of IFI activities; and

-          the selection and scrutiny of the actions of country representatives at the IFIs.

 

b. Ways of working:

 

The great strength of the IPP is the work that is being spearheaded by committed parliamentarians and CSOs to improve democratic oversight at the national level.

 

The international civil society IPP steering group will act as an umbrella which:
- supports these national-level initiatives;
- connects initiatives across countries to encourage mutual learning; and
- presses for attention to the issue of parliamentary scrutiny at the national level in the north and at the international policy level. 

 

As a practical approach considering limited resources, the IPP seeks to support ‘model countries’ which can then act as catalysts for change in their region / sphere of influence. 

 

c. Key activities: (timeframe: 1 year starting asap from Jan 2006)

 

In most cases activities at the national level will be led by IPP participating organisations with the support of the IPP steering committee.  Activities at the international level will be led by the IPP steering committee.

 

  1. National
    South
    - National launches of the petition in each of the key regions, gather and collate signatures
    - Support the formation of working groups with provision of existing research and resource packs – provide funding where possible?
    - Scrutinise IFI relations with parliaments and conduct research into such
    - Coordinate FOIA requests from recipient countries on conditions
    - Scrutinise parliamentary capacity building activities?

    North
    - National launches of the petition, gather and collate signatures
    - Lobby for support of parliamentary capacity building of IFI oversight
    - Lobby for best practice implementation of ED accountability to parliaments, and guidelines for parliamentary scrutiny in bilateral aid programmes

  2. Regional
    - Promote the IPP with relevant regional networks
    - Support, where feasible and desirable, regional workshops which promote best practice exchange
    - Scrutinise IFI parliamentary capacity building activities?

 

  1. International
    - Maintain the IPP website with info on signatures, related research, national/regional/international activities
    - Provide regular updates to engaged parliamentarians on IPP activities
    - Maintain a contact database of parliamentarians who have supported the IPP, especially those who have taken more active roles
    - Promote the IPP with relevant international networks of both CSOs and parliamentarians (IPU, AWEPA, GOPAC etc.)
    - Scrutinise the activities of the PNoWB with a view to creating a PNoWB working group on IFI accountability?
    - Support, where feasible and desirable, an international workshop to promote best practice exchange
    - From such a workshop might emerge the decision to form a working group or network of parliamentarians to take this work forward themselves?
    - Administration and fundraising necessary for the successful operation of the initiative

 

d.  Structure:

 

For the first year of the IPP there was a UK IPP steering group and a part-time IPP Project Coordinator. 

 

Jeff Powell, Bretton Woods Project

Martin Powell, World Development Movement

Patrick Watt / Fern Leathers, ActionAid UK

Olivia McDonald, ChristianAid

Claire Wren, One World Trust

 

Cristina Leal, APPG Debt, aid and trade – IPP Project Coordinator

 

Since the WB/IMF spring meetings 2005, we have evolved an ad hoc IPP International steering group:

 

Europe: UK representatives; Antonio Tricarico, CRBM Italy; Sebastien Fourmy, Agir Ici France; Penny Davies, Diakonia Sweden

Africa: Victoria Adongo, ISODEC Ghana; Moreblessings Chidaushe, AFRODAD, Zimbabwe

Asia: Ivan Hadar, Indonesia

Latin America: Marcus Faro de Castro, Redes Brasil; Domitille Delaplace, Equipo Pueblo Mexico

North America: Steve Hellinger, Development GAP, USA; Pam Foster, Halifax Initiative, Canada

 

Proposal to reform structure

 

  1. Re-shape the steering group so that there is one representative for each region (for a total of ten, see below).  This means reducing the participation of northern actors in the steering group’s activities and encouraging greater participation from southern organisations.  Add 2 or 3 more members to the international steering group to fill in the geographical gaps, ie. French-Africa, South Asia and the Caribbean.

    Proposed steering group:
    South Asia, East Asia, French Africa, West Africa, South and Eastern Africa, Latin America, Caribbean, UK, Europe, North America (10)

  2. Hire a full-time project coordinator to be hosted by one of the southern organisations on the international steering group (to replace and augment the role played by Cristina Leal since early 2005).  (ref. IPP project coordinator job description)

  3. Examine the possibility of establishing a working group of parliamentarians, which could advise the IPP CSO steering group? Some join the steering group?

 

 

 

Additional planned activities for 2006

 

PNoWB IFI accountability work group:  At the PNoWB AGM in Finland in October, Hetty Kovach of Eurodad attended on behalf of the IPP.  The idea was raised of establishing a PNoWB working group on IFI accountability.  This was warmly welcomed by the assembled MPs.  Moving the idea into reality will require finding two co-chairs and a number of committed MPs.  Ann McKechin MP, UK, was to put the suggestion to the executive of APPG DAT for interest in participation.

 

UK:  DFID accountability to parliamentarians in its bilateral programmes

 

WDM will work with NGOs and MPs in individual countries in the south to make joint applications under the UK Freedom of Information Act for details of draft proposals by DFID for new bilateral aid programmes and joint assistance strategies being prepared by DFID with other donors.  By doing so they hope to a) Get the information these documents contain into the hands of some interested parliamentarians and civil society organisations kick-starting parliamentary debate on contentious issues; and b) Start building the expectation and processes for such documents to automatically be made available to parliaments in good time for them to be debated.

Countries which may be included:  DRC,
Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone (all DFID only); Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Bangladesh and Indonesia (joint assistance strategies with other donors).

 

 


 

Appendix.  IPP Coordinator job profile

 

The IPP Coordinator is a full-time one-year post (with the possibility of extension) to be based at one of the southern-based organisations on the IPP international steering group.  Line management of the coordinator will be provided by their host organisation.  Sufficient funding for the position and related expenses is anticipated from UK NGOs on the IPP steering group.   (approx 20 – 30,000 USD)

 

Activities are to include:

 

  • Supporting national-level IPP-related activities with all resources available.  Coordinating information exchange between national level initiatives.
  • Outreach to NGOs/MPs/Parliamentary Groups in target countries not yet involved.
  • Promoting the IPP with relevant regional and international networks of parliamentarians and CSOs. 
  • Co-organise with relevant national IPP groups either regional workshops or an international workshop for IPP parliamentarians and CSOs (dependent on further funding)
  • Update IPPinfo.org website including lists of MPs names, translated petitions, organisational endorsements, new research, IPP activities, etc.
  • Establish and keep up-to-date a database of countries/NGOs/MPs involved with appropriate local contact details if possible
  • Update participating organisations and parliamentarians on IPP progress (regular e-updates)
  • Write articles for publication in websites (IFIwatchnet), newsletters (BW Update), newspapers, etc.
  • Respond to (or forward) requests for more information from MPs, CSOs and media
  • Fundraising and reporting

 

 

Role-related knowledge, skills and experience:

 

The ideal candidate will have:

 

  • Excellent interpersonal skills;
  • Fluency in written and spoken English;
  • Familiarity with working with CSO networks;
  • Some experience of working with parliamentarians;
  • A basic knowledge of international financial institutions;
  • Basic familiarity with website-creation tools (Macromedia Contribute), and working with spreadsheets/databases.