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EBRD-CSO Newsletter Keeping You up to Date with the EBRD

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EBRD-CSO Newsletter Keeping You up to Date with the EBRD EBRD-CSO Newsletter Keeping you up to date with the EBRD EBRD President kicks off September 2012 dialogue with CSOs The newly appointed Bank’s inclusion agenda in the In this edition President of the context of transition. Welcome to the CSO Newsletter 29 EBRD, Sir Suma This first meeting between In this issue we update you on the Chakrabarti, has met the EBRD President and civil dialogue between civil society and society was followed by Sir with international civil the new EBRD President, Sir Suma Suma Chakrabarti’s trip to society organisations Belgrade, Serbia, where on Chakrabarti. Also, you can learn at the EBRD’s London 31 August, together with more about the President in a special Headquarters and representatives of senior interview addressing the challenges local civil society management and the Board, ahead for the EBRD, Sir Suma representatives in Serbia he met with representatives of Chakrabarti’s past experience with civil major Serbian CSOs. On this society and his commitment to further during the first trimester occasion the EBRD delegation of his presidency. met with the European engage in dialogue with CSOs at the EBRD. On 17 July, Sir Suma Movement in Serbia, Fund for Chakrabarti, the new President an Open Society, Transparency We also provide you with a summary of of the EBRD, invited several Serbia, Helsinki Committee our latest meeting with civil society in representatives of prominent for Human Rights, Regional Centre for Minorities, Regional the SEMED region, which was held in international civil society Cairo, Egypt on 4 September. organisations (CSOs) based Environmental Centre Serbia in London, Brussels, Prague and Centre for Ecology and As always, we keep you up to date with Sustainable Development. and Beirut for an informal the Bank’s latest policy and country discussion at the EBRD’s The meeting in Belgrade strategy dialogue with CSOs and recent London Headquarters, namely touched on a broad range projects. In particular, this Newsletter the Arab NGO Network for of issues, such as Serbia’s features the launch of the first EBRD Development, CEE Bankwatch, EU integration, rule of law Human Rights Watch, the and corruption, human investments in the SEMED region. Open Society Institute and and minority rights and Transparency International. environmental issues. The role The discussion followed three of Serbian civil society, energy, main themes: the application resettlement issues, and the of the political mandate of the EBRD’s country strategy for Bank; the Bank’s expansion Serbia were also discussed by to the southern and eastern CSOs. Mediterranean (SEMED) region While high-level dialogue and the development impact of between the EBRD and the Bank’s operations. There CSOs already exists, the are high expectations among first three months of Sir the civil society in the SEMED Suma Chakrabarti’s term region regarding the Bank’s demonstrate the commitment engagement in policy dialogue of the new EBRD President to as well as in pushing forward explore further frameworks the development agenda. Civil for engaging with civil society society representatives were and set up new opportunities also particularly interested for dialogue that would in the EBRD’s methodology prompt deeper discussion and for assessing the political leverage on CSOs’ sectoral environments in its countries expertise. of operations as well as the September 2012 EBRD-CSO Newsletter 1 For more information on the EBRD’s dialogue Interview à with civil society visit Dialogue www.ebrd.com/pages/about/workwith/civil/news EBRD meets with civil society in Egypt as The workshop in Cairo An interview with Sir Suma Chakrabarti, the new EBRD President part of a regional outreach completed the first On 3 July, the EBRD Board of Governors elected Sir Suma Chakrabarti to the EBRD Presidency. The sixth President phase of the EBRD’s of the EBRD was a British civil servant and succeeded his German predecessor Thomas Mirow, who had run the On 4 September, the EBRD held a workshop with civil outreach efforts to Bank since 2008. We interviewed Sir Suma to tell us more. society organisations in Cairo, Egypt, to introduce civil society in the the EBRD, its mandate and business model to CSO SEMED region, which What are your first impressions of the institutions as well as in ensuring a bottom-up participants as well as to solicit CSO inputs on the also included face- EBRD – including its main strengths and approach to the planning and implementation of operational environment – including transition to-face meetings in challenges lying ahead? development agendas. challenges, business environment and political context. Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia (read more First of all, the Bank builds on strong The event attracted 35 representatives from 29 in our June issue). So far, the EBRD has reached out to foundations established by my predecessor As the new President, how would you like to Egyptian civil society organisations, including human over 150 CSOs in the SEMED region. and the Bank’s staff since the establishment take the EBRD’s engagement with civil society rights NGOs, women’s groups, academics, foundations, of the Bank in 1991. I am proud of our strong forward? environmental activists, foundations, think-tanks and The workshops in SEMED aimed at ensuring that civil operational performance, which is also I am personally interested in engaging directly SME development groups. Key themes of the meeting society’s views on the planning, implementation and confirmed by the Bank’s triple-A ratings. in dialogue with civil society. In fact, I have were: the importance of improving the policy framework expected impact of the Bank’s future engagement in in the country through policy dialogue with the the four countries under consideration could be voiced. This is a very challenging time for the Bank, already had several meetings with civil society authorities; democracy and human rights; governance The outcome of the workshops were recommendations, which is operating amid the impact of the organisations both in London and during my Sir Suma and integrity; business environment; gender and which will be reflected in the Country Assessments, financial crisis on our countries of operations recent trip to Serbia and I hope I will have the Chakrabarti, inclusion; and accountability. strategic documents which will guide the EBRD’s while also embarking on the expansion to the opportunity to further exchange views with the EBRD operations until the SEMED countries become full southern and eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) civil society in other countries of operations. At President countries of operations. region. I believe the Bank will need to quickly the same time, I will also encourage the Bank’s develop the capacity to assist in the transition senior management and staff as well as Board towards market economies in the new region Directors to continue to engage with CSOs in order to make sure that the Bank as a whole while remaining a strong partner for our existing Board Consultation Visits countries of operations in terms of quality of remains an open and responsive institution. projects and policy dialogue. Also, I think the Bank should leverage much Delegations of the EBRD Board Directors travelled to Soros-Kyrgyzstan, Forum of Women NGOs, HDC “Tree To deliver value to our shareholders, my two more the NGOs’ on-the-ground knowledge of our Russia (2-6 July), Kyrgyz Republic (24-28 September) of Life” and Bureau of Human Rights and Rule of priorities are to modernise the Bank internally projects and the sectoral expertise of academics and Ukraine (24-28 September) to familiarise Law. The discussion focused on the role of CSOs in and raise the level of policy impact the Bank can and think-tanks. For this reason, I believe the themselves with the latest political, social and the democratisation process; corruption matters and achieve in its countries of operations through its Bank should step up its dialogue with grass- economic developments in the countries. Meetings the effectiveness of the government’s anti-corruption financing of quality projects, enhancing policy roots level civil society organisations and the with key international and local CSOs were part of the policies. The Directors also learnt about the CSO dialogue by building stronger partnerships policy and research community in our countries Board visit in each country. perspective on gender equality issues and the impact with other IFIs and stakeholders, including civil of operations through a greater engagement of of the financial crisis on female entrepreneurship in the Resident Offices. society, and well-targeted technical assistance. Visit to Russia Kyrgyz Republic. Environmental issues in relation to the I am convinced that to have an impact on “We have to continue Bank’s investments in the extractive industry sector the ground, we have to continue investing On 5 July, the Board Directors met with the and the role of the Bank in the implementation of the in changing people’s lives while being fully investing in changing representatives of Russian civil society in EITI in the Kyrgyz Republic were also discussed. consistent with sound banking principles. people’s lives” St Petersburg, namely the European University at St Petersburg; Citizen’s Watch; Center for Social and Visit to Ukraine Economic Research “Leontief Center” and Public How has your experience of engaging with civil One of my top priorities, which I mentioned often Environmental Movement Save Yuntolovo. In the On 27 September, the Board Directors met the society been in your previous roles? during my campaign, is addressing issues of course of the discussion, CSO representatives shared representatives of Ukrainian civil society, namely the inclusion in the Bank’s activities. This is partly I have engaged in dialogue with civil society their views and concerns on the overall socio-economic Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, Transparency about the types of projects we do but also about throughout my career as a civil servant in the and political situation in the country, including civil International Ukraine, National Ecological Centre the way we do them.
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