It is important that developed countries ensure aid predictability and aid effectiveness through the implementation of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

A key issue in development finance is aid effectiveness.

44. Welcomes efforts and initiatives to enhance the quality of aid and to increase its impact, including the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, and calls for concrete, effective and timely action in implementing all agreed commitments on aid effectiveness, with clear monitoring and deadlines

What is just as important, if not more so, is the effectiveness of aid.

We must also think in terms of aid effectiveness, accountability, good practices and ownership.

In that regard, the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness is an important step forward.

The expert from the OECD made a presentation on the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

Aid harmonization and improved donor coordination overall would increase the effectiveness and impact of interventions.

Many participants expressed concern about the current distribution, volume, trends, effectiveness and conditionality of aid.

The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness provides an excellent framework for developing and deepening cooperation.

The five best practice principles for aid effectiveness (ownership, alignment, harmonization, managing for results, mutual accountability) adopted in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness provide a useful framework for exploiting the opportunities provided by these partnerships to their full potential.

On the policy side, we have learned a good deal about increasing the effectiveness of aid.

The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, adopted in March 2005, is a positive development in this respect.

In line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, we believe that aid must be predictable and time bound and that donors should align themselves with country procedures.

For that, we need to improve the quantity, quality and effectiveness of aid, as well as policy coherence.

But, in addition to the issue of volume, improving the quality and effectiveness of aid is another challenge.

The principles set forth in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness of March 2005 needed to be implemented.

In addition to increasing nominal ODA levels, efforts have been made to enhance aid effectiveness through better harmonization of aid procedures and improved coordination of donor policies and procedures.

Japan is not only increasing the volume of its ODA but also improving its quality and effectiveness based on the action plan for implementing the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

In the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, the European Union had committed itself to making its aid more effective including by supporting developing countries' own priorities and systems whenever possible.

The discussion taking place about the effectiveness of aid is another correct step towards determining what must be done.

Closer linkages with nationally owned poverty reduction strategies would increase aid effectiveness and help host Governments to mobilize funds.

A core issue is the need to improve the effectiveness of aid and to focus it on poverty reduction.

The fulfilment of the aid commitments and the principles and targets in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness would be a major breakthrough in international cooperation, particularly for sub Saharan Africa.

In that regard, it was urgent that the commitments made in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness should be fulfilled.

This evolving new thrust of aid reflects a much greater understanding and recognition of the conditions of aid effectiveness and of what works and what does not work in domestic policy reform.

CEB members note that UNDG has approved an action plan as a follow up to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

Recent efforts, by donors to develop some guidelines to improve aid effectiveness (e.g., the 2001 Recommendation on Untying Official Development Assistance to the Least Developed Countries, the 2003 Rome Declaration on Harmonization and the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness) are an important step in addressing current shortcomings in the delivery of assistance.

4 In the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness Ownership, Harmonization, Alignment, Results and Mutual Accountability , of 2 March 2005, 91 countries and 25 international organizations made specific pledges to enhance the effectiveness of foreign aid, agreeing to introduce indicators to monitor progress in terms of ownership, alignment, harmonization, results and mutual accountability.

National plans for gender equality and national strategies to end violence against women must be made part of the aid effectiveness agenda.

UNICEF support for scaling up effective approaches in water supply, sanitation and hygiene education will be guided by internationally agreed modalities for aid management, as laid down in the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

The aid effectiveness agenda was becoming a blueprint for donors and partners to implement on the basis of strong national ownership and responsibility.

However, many speakers expressed concern about recent trends in the future trajectory of and the current distribution, volume, effectiveness and conditionality of aid.

With the support of donor countries, donor agencies and partner countries, the Declaration aimed to dramatically improve the quality and effectiveness of aid.

10 See the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness Ownership, Harmonization, Alignment, Results and Mutual Accountability , on the more recent trends in this domain.

Continuing efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of aid are also needed, with the full involvement of both donor and recipient countries.

Participants at the meeting agreed that South South and triangular cooperation can improve aid efficiency and effectiveness by emphasizing ownership and inclusive partnerships.

For aid effectiveness, harmonization is a must among development partners on the one hand and between recipient countries and development partners on the other.

It is imperative this time that we ensure the full implementation of our pledges, as we must implement the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

Speakers welcomed the progress made earlier this year at Paris on the effectiveness of aid and increased flows of donor funding as budget support.

The report highlighted several key issues, including benchmarks for measuring progress towards mutually agreed commitments the challenges of improving aid effectiveness and promoting policy coherence.

However, a mechanical increase in external assistance should not be considered a panacea it was equally important to enhance the quality and effectiveness of aid.

In follow up to the March 2005 Paris High level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, donor countries should set, by September 2005, timetables and monitorable targets for aligning their aid delivery mechanisms with partner countries' Millennium Development Goals based national strategies.

Although some progress had been made in aid effectiveness, some United Nations agencies could be more active in ensuring adherence to the principles of harmonization and simplification.

Ninth, establish economic reconstruction zones to jump start sustainable economic activity, create jobs and export earnings, improve aid effectiveness and accountability, and avoid aid dependency. The zones could combine integrated rural development for domestic consumption and labor intensive manufacturing and agro businesses for export.