Dear colleagues,

Following constructive engagement with the DAC at the annual DAC CSO consultation on an OECD DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society, a follow up discussion in the Reference Group agreed that we should make one last push to ensure full DAC member support for this Recommendation.  While there is guarded optimism that it will be approved at the DAC regular July meeting, it is important to send a strong signal of support from CSOs for the importance of a meaningful Recommendation, as approval  of a strong Recommendation is still not certain.

The Reference Group's Task Force focusing on the Recommendation has drafted a short one page letter directed to all DAC delegates urging their full support for this Recommendation, while reiterating a few basic areas that have been important in CSOs' comments on a draft version of the Recommendation.  This letter follows proposals last month from the Reference Group to strengthen the text of the draft Recommendation as submitted for consultation with CSOs.  We understand the Recommendation is still being tweaked and negotiated in advance of the July meeting.  We therefore do not have access to the final text, but we are confident that our messages have been heard, and these messages were reiterated during the June DAC/CSO consultation.

We are seeking the widest possible CSO sign-on for this letter.   Please consider adding your organization to the list of those endorsing the letter.  If you are a network or platform, please consider circulating it among your members to get individual sign on, if appropriate.  Our goal is to have a minimum of 50+ endorsements from all levels of civil society.

The deadline for endorsement is EOB, Monday, June 21st.  Please send your organization name as it should appear at the bottom of the letter.  We are not collecting logos as with this many endorsements, the electronic size of the letter becomes a bit hard to circulate. 

Endorsements should be forwarded to Brian Tomlinson ([email protected]), copied to Matt Simonds ([email protected]) and Mark Pascal ([email protected]).

For those in DAC member capitals, where possible, communication of your support with your DAC delegate will also be helpful.

Thanks for your support, and best regards,

Brian