Dear friend,

Welcome to our new Eurodad members’ newsletter! Firstly, I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well. Amidst the ongoing uncertainty of Covid-19, I want to take this opportunity to focus on the positives here at Eurodad.

This is a critical moment for the development sector and it has required us to respond swiftly and strategically. Firstly, the debt movement has mobilised quickly to advocate for a just and permanent response to sovereign debt crises. We have also worked together with you - our partners and allies - to highlight how years of austerity, structural adjustment and donor conditionality have impacted on the ability of countries to respond to the multiple crises triggered by the pandemic.

We re-emphasised the importance of tax justice, of development effectiveness and of abandoning the Wall Street Consensus on the central place of private finance in development in the recovery effort. We continued to work hard over the summer period by releasing our shadow report on the Limitations of the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative: Draining out the Titanic with a bucket? Our debt team organised an excellent series of webinars with very positive feedback. Our work on climate finance has also picked up with the appointment of our new Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer - Climate Finance, Leia Achampong, who outlined what the EIB’s Climate Bank Roadmap should do to fulfil the commitment to international climate finance.

Following the summer, we return in September with the Covid-19 measures still very much in place. Thankfully, we have been able to bring some of our staff members back to the office with a limit of seven people at a time, while the rest continue to work from home. Do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about how we are dealing with the current situation, and the measures we have in place to respect the health and safety of the team.

Like many, we will continue to collaborate with you and the rest of our partners and allies largely virtually. September has been a busy month thanks to the Finance Ministers’ and Heads of States’ meetings. The IMF and World Bank Annual meetings are set to take place between 12 - 17 October and Eurodad will co-organise and participate in a number of events at the Civil Society Policy Forum, and those organised by the Bank and Fund. Eurodad is also participating in the virtual C20 that will take place at the same time. You can find all details on our new website!

We will send you this newsletter every trimester to keep you updated on internal developments such as the outcomes of our General Assembly, our strategy development and implementation process, news from the Eurodad team and important events coming up. We welcome any feedback.

Warm regards,

Jean Saldanha,

Eurodad Director

The Eurodad General Assembly 2020 may have taken place over Zoom this year, but our attendance was better than ever, with all 24 of our members logging in to discuss our latest strategy and helping us plan ahead for the future. You can read the full minutes via this link.

You can also read the proposed amendments of the Eurodad statutes here.

Save the date! Eurodad extraordinary general assembly 2-3 December 2020

As discussed at the general assembly, Eurodad has adjusted the timeline to review its strategy. You will find below the dates for this strategic review, which we encourage you to save:

- We will send you the first draft by 30th September.

- You will be invited to give us feedback by 30th October.

- The final draft will be sent out to you for red-line comments on 23rd November.

We're excited to introduce our latest member Globalt Fokus to our network. They are a network of development and aid organisations who work together for global sustainable development.

Eurodad will take part in a number of events during the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF and Civil Society Policy Forum, and during the C20. Head over to the events section on our website for a full list of panel discussions and don't forget to register!

Cecilia Gondard, Network Outreach Coordinator

After two exciting years in the Publicly-backed Private Finance team working on the global campaign on public private partnerships, I have moved to the position of senior network outreach coordinator, to focus on project management and take up the challenge to boost our network outreach. These are exciting times for Eurodad - the network is growing and expanding its scope, policy teams and membership. I am happy to be part of this new adventure.

Leia Achampong, Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer - Climate Finance

Hello, I'm Leia! I joined Eurodad just over 6 months ago. Since then, I've thoroughly enjoyed working with the Eurodad network on the European Investment Bank's Climate Bank Roadmap to create the foundation for an EU Climate Bank that truly supports vulnerable countries' objectives to tackle climate change. Looking forward to 2021, I'm excited to mobilise the network ahead of the Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA) and the UN Climate conference (COP26).

Ilaria Crotti, Network & Policy Assistant

I joined Eurodad under unusual circumstances, as I started remotely the week lockdown was implemented. However, Eurodad's team has been so welcoming that now it seems like we have been working together for so long. I like this friendly environment, as it allows me to explore different topics. To be a part of a global network that works to achieve the same goal is extremely enriching, and I value meeting partners from all around the world and exploring their countries' situation through their first hand experience. I am particularly interested in the Latin America area, where I lived in the past, and in the topics of gender equality, international cooperation and development.

Joe Inwood, Admin & Communications Intern

I have had a great first couple of weeks here at Eurodad, finding my feet and getting to know everyone. I've been grateful for the warm welcome! This is an exciting time to be joining the organisation, there is so much activity going on this autumn. I am looking forward to supporting the team in all their work.