Global Policy Forum

EU to Fund Civil Society

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Mark Owor Ochwo

AllAfrica
March 16, 2003

The European Union (EU) will give a grant of Shs 8m Euro (about 16bn) to Uganda civil society groups to enhance trade and development co-operation, the National Co-ordinator, Uganda National NGO Forum, Mr Warren Nyamugasira has said. Mr Nyamugasira disclosed this in an interview with The Monitor last week after a one-day consultative workshop for civil society groups held at Hotel Africana Kampala. "The EU hopes that this grant will be utilised effectively to improve the well being of the Ugandan people for good development purpose," he said.

Mr Nyamugasira said that the grant will also focus on strategies and programmes for the eradication of poverty. He said the agreement lasts for 20 years and contains a clause allowing it to be revised every five years.

Mr Patrick Ocailap, the NGO Forum commissioner who also is the deputy national authorising officer, said that the signing of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement in June 2000 marked an important stage in the development of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) - EU relationship. He said another important change in the Cotonou Agreement is the specific inclusion of non-state actors in particular, the private sector and civil society organisations as active partners.

"We are also concerned that some NGOs have weak governance, financial management and administrative systems and structures," Mr Ocailap said. Mr Ocailap said that there is a tendency for NGOs to focus on the content of their work and forget the importance of proper and accountable financial and administrative systems, which form the backbone of an organisation. "Without these systems it is very difficult for the government to provide finding to NGOs/civil society organisations", he said.

Mr Ocailap further said that the main requirement is for an effective system of registration to provide government with the minimum information necessary for security safeguards and legal enforcement purposes.

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FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.