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the actual implementa� on of development aid at local and grassroots level.
Fortunately, the cons� tu� on of the Mul� Stakeholders Team on Civil
Society Development Eff ec� veness, formed in April 2009 within Cluster A
(Ownership and Accountability) under the Working Party on Aid Eff ec� veness
of the OECD-DAC, is defi nitely a giant step ahead.
Here is the real catch: CSOs can keep on demanding increased aid
eff ec� veness but at the same � me they have the unique posi� on to lead the
way for bo� om up accountability that is complementary to the top down
approach emerged from the Paris Declara� on.
Following up on the Economist’s provoca� on on “who guards the
guardians”, Kumi Naidoo, CEO of Civic Alliance well expressed the dilemma
of representa� on and legi� macy of civil society organiza� ons in a lunch � me
address at UN Headquarters in 2003 4
Naidoo points out to the fact that the demand of accountability for CSOs
are a sign of maturity of the sector and the � me might be ripe for an array
of ac� ons that will help CSOs to become more and more accountable like
self regula� ons mechanisms (social audit being one of them) and others
standards for ac� vely disclosing informa� on on aid.
The key is that more and be� er accountability is a precious ingredient
to increase and enhance the level of credibility of CSOs. Importantly Naidoo
makes a great contribu� on when he dis� nguishes between diff erent forms
of accountability depending on the size, nature and scope of the CSO”
The way in which a local NGO, working to improve health service delivery
within a community, would work towards its accountability would diff er
greatly from the demands on a transna� onal human rights associa� on, for
example”.
In the same framework, Naidoo affi rms that there can be no universal
approach to the issue of CSO
Accountability and no magic framework”. Great fl exibility is therefore
required for civil society organiza� ons from the North and South to live up
to the principles and ideas of an accountable aid framework.
Self Accountability, aid eff ec� veness among non state actors Standards:
the interna� onal scenario
Around the world, there have been several encouraging a� empts that
prove the seriousness of the civil society going on the right path when we
talk about accountability and aid eff ec� veness.
The work done by One World Trust in partnership with Commonwealth
Founda� on 5 can off er an interes� ng star� ng point: Non state actors in several
countries and regions (Brazil, India, Uganda and South Pacifi c reason) were
engaged in discussing prac� cal ways to enhance their level of accountability,
se� ng a common agenda through the prepara� on of country wise toolkit
aimed at assis� ng local organiza� ons in pu� ng accountability into prac� ce.
This interna� onal project iden� fi es common principles of accountability
thanks to the iden� fi ca� on of exis� ng good governance prac� ces already
4. Civil Society Accountability: “Who Guards the Guardians?”, 3 April, 2003
5. h� p://www.commonwealthfounda� on.com/Areasofwork/Governanceandaccountability
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Changing paradigms of aid eff ec� veness in Nepal