Civil Advisory Board of the Hungarian International Development Cooperation

The Civil Advisory Board (CAB), which was established to help improve awareness of international development cooperation in Hungarian society, held its first session on 24 September 2003 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The CAB, a voluntary advisory body representing different political, public and professional organisations, the Foreign Ministry and the NGDOs, serves as a link between the Government’s international development co-operation activity on one hand, the private sector, the voluntary organisations and the public opinion on the other. The MFA initiated the establishment of the CAB in order to increase public support and transparency of international development, without which this activity cannot be successful.

Opening the first session Foreign Minister László Kovács emphasized, that international development cooperation is not only a duty for Hungary, but it is also a foreign policy interest which forms an integral part of our moral values. He asked members of the CAB to actively promote international development cooperation in their own field.

Members of the CAB also exchanged their views on the strategic concept of Hungarian international development cooperation and its communication strategy. The MFA and the partner ministries based the strategy on the recommendations of the UN, the OECD and the EU. At present the MFA is processing and evaluating the project proposals that have been submitted by Hungarian foreign missions, the NGDOs and the private sector. Those present agreed that only those development projects should be started which are welcome by the recipient countries. They also emphasized that international development is not the same as promoting trade, but the international development activity can combine both economic and humanitarian interests.

Members of the CAB promised to do everything they could to disseminate information about international development cooperation and increase social awareness.

Árpád Göncz was unanimously elected chairman, Béla Kádár and Éva Morzsányi vice-chairpersons of CAB and the members agreed on the Code of Conduct of CAB.