EDD08Alert

Where Davos meets Porto Alegre - European Development Days 2008:
a major event on the International Development Agenda

The European Development Days 2008 will focus on the local dimension of development: the role of local authorities both from the North and the South and issues of local governance will be discussed in numerous high-level events.

A unique moment for Europe and its partners, two months after the United Nations General Assembly and a few weeks before the Doha Conference, the European Development Days 2008 are:

A high-level political forum, gathering Heads of States and decision-makers and civil society personalities from the North and the South, among which this year José Manuel Barroso (President of the European Commission), François Fillon (French Prime Ministre, EU council Presidency), Jakaya Kikwete, (President of Tanzania, African Union Presidency), Michelle Bachelet (President of Chile), Wangari Maathai (Peace Nobel Prize Winner), and Noerine Kaleeba (President of Action Aid International)…

A participative event: several civil society organisations such as CONCORD, InWent or Friends of Europe are also organizers of the event and propose numerous debates and round-tables on topic such as "Civil Society and Local Authorities: the reality of partnership in Europe and in the South"(CONCORD and CEMR).

"Off" Events for the general public, including exhibitions, festivals of African movies, concerts, workshops and fairs.

The development village is the leading European professional event for international cooperation actors. It is a unique place of meeting at the European level for the development family, with more than 120 stands including those of main International Organisations such as OECD, the World Bank or the United Nations, major NGOs such as ActionAid, Red Cross or Plan International, and this year, due to the focus given in the event on their role in development, many local authorities. With a growing number of exhibitors each year, the European Development Days is a prominent occasion for exchanges, meetings and partnerships. Visit the village

Each year the European Development Days hosts some 3000 participants from every continent, representing over 1200 organisations in the development community.

Everyone has a say at the European Development Days: administrations, parliaments, local authorities, civil society, international organisations, academics, development agencies, the private sector and the media.