Promoting Gender Equality in the Aid Effectiveness Agenda in Asia Pacific: Engaging the Principles of the Paris Declaration

As efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 intensify, developed and developing countries have agreed to new partnerships and aid modalities, designed to align aid to nationally determined development priorities, channel diverse aid sources into direct support to national budgets, and ensure greater stability and predictability in aid flows.

The 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness outlines five guiding principles for greater aid effectiveness: ownership, alignment, harmonization, managing for results, and mutual accountability.

In August 2007, UNIFEM and the Government of Indonesia convened government and civil society representatives from 11 countries in the Asia/Pacific region in Jakarta, Indonesia. The purpose of the regional consultation was to examine each of the five principles, and the extent to which they have provided opportunities to advance a gender equality and development agenda in the region.

This discussion paper examines the main challenges that have emerged from efforts by gender equality advocates in the Asia/Pacific region to advance gender equality goals under each of the Paris Declaration principles. It is informed both by the country experiences presented at the consultation and by a background paper on the aid effectiveness principles and their implementation in the region, especially with regard to the promotion of gender equality.