NGOs debate global accountability issues

Glasgow, Scotland, May 25: Hundreds of NGOs and civil society organisations from nearly 135 countries have gathered at Glasgow, Scotland to call for more accountable governance from governments, the media and civil society. The global civil society meeting – called the CIVICUS World Assembly – with nearly 1,000 delegates, including youth, has been arranged by South Africa based NGO CIVICUS and will run from May 23-27. Speaking at the opening session, CIVICUS Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said: "During this conference we will try to frame new ways of thinking on making institutions accountable." Speaking on the importance of making the civil society accountable, Deputy Director Global Civil Society, the Ford Foundation Lisa Jordan said: "The civil society is setting the global agenda by influencing governments, impacting social relationships and weaving a democratic web globally. The civil society, which is impacting the lives of millions of people, therefore, has to act in a responsible manner." Agreeing with the need for international institutions to be accountable, Executive Coordinator, United Nations Volunteers Ad de Raad said: "Even the UN feels the need to be more accountable and is therefore driving an agenda of simplification, rationalisation and coherence. The UN is working on reforms and these are all about accountability and transparency." Mentioning the changes taking place in the governance of institutions, Chief Executive of UK-based organisation AccountAbility, Simon Zadek said: "It is time to remodel the way people and institutions behave. Accountability is all about persuading people and organisations to behave responsibly. Also, it is about how to do things and not about how to prevent people from doing things." Participants expressed concern over the slipping credibility of the media as well as the lack of concern in the media about civil society issues. Many wanted to know how to influence the media in carrying more information that would relate to people and address CSO concerns. Giving an insight into the falling credibility of the media, Director of the Inter Press Service (IPS), Uruguay, Mario Lubetkin said: "A survey by the BBC conducted just last year found that civil society organisations were much ahead of the media in accountability. People placed the media in the middle which shows that people are losing faith in the media." On the opening day of the conference, the BBC filmed The World Debate on the topic - Aid - Is it Working? The debate focused on whether aid is really effective in alleviating poverty and accelerating development. Most panelists - director UN Millennium Campaign Salil Shetty, Head of Oxfam Scotland Judith Robertson, Head of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Mohamed Ibrahim and Myles Wickstead from the Blair Commission - felt that though aid has helped dispossessed communities it can do much better if it administered properly. NGO representatives also shared concern over the attitude of corporates who disregard environmental and long-term sustainability for short term profits. Many also felt concerned over the increasing involvement and role of hedge funds in corporate takeovers. Agreeing with their concerns, Zadek elaborated that even corporates are beginning to feel uncomfortable because of the hedge funds. He added: "Currently we need accountability from financial markets because of the involvement of hedge funds whose main aim is to make quick gains. There is a dysfunction in the financial markets because of such deals and this may even result in a major change in the corporate and business systems."

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