Concord Danmark works to promote a more just and effective aid policy in the EU to the benefit of the world’s poorest. The umbrella organization promotes a more active civil society participation in development work – not only in Europe but also in developing countries.

Concord Danmark insists that the EU countries live up to the commitments they have made, and is working to increase the coherence between different EU policies to benefit the poorest.

In 2009, Concord Danmark drafted a strategy focusing on three areas of work:

• Advocacy: Promoting Danish NGO views on the European development and humanitarian aid policies in the European Union.

• Information: Information in Denmark on EU development policies, particularly promoting knowledge hereof among Danish NGO’s.

• Service/Counseling: Promoting Danish NGOs’ access to EU funding for development projects.

Concord Danmark speaks on behalf of Danish NGOs and insists that the EU live up to the promises they have given to developing countries. The platform will be a natural resource center and collaborator when it comes to EU aid.

Concord Denmark’s role as an advocacy organization

Through Concord Denmark, it is possible to exert direct influence on key policy agendas and create common positions in close cooperation with other European platforms in Concord Europe. This applies, for example, to the preparation of the annual AidWatch report. This way the Danish NGO’s, through their involvement in international networks, perform their task as watchdogs.

The Danish Civil Society Strategy

The Danish Civil Society Strategy supports the role Concord Danmark wants to play. Especially, it supports the advocacy work Concord Danmark engages in Denmark as well as on Concord Europe and EU level. The advocacy work promotes poor people’s rights, monitors that authorities and donors meet their commitments and agreed policies, and builds strong coalitions and networks to enhance civil society’s influence.

Concord Europe’s working groups

Concord Europe is Concord Denmark’s main international network, since it is primarily here Concord Danmark works with EU development policies and cross cutting policy agendas.
Concord Denmark’s strategy focuses on the following topics, which fall directly under Concord Europe’s permanent working groups:

• Policy Coherence in Development – (coherence between development and the many other EU policies)

• Funding for Development Relief (financing mechanisms and criteria)

• AidWatch (monitoring of EU aid)

• Development Education (information about developing countries)

Concord Denmark’s members are engaged directly in Concord Europe’s working groups and participate actively in development work at the EU level.

Concord Europe’s strategic plan 2009-2015

Concord Danmark works within the framework of Concord Europe’s strategic plan. As the Danish member of Concord Europe, Concord Danmark seeks to use the international networks, to influence the working groups members participate in, and to influence the ongoing dialogue with EU institutions. In Denmark, Concord Danmark cooperates with NGO Forum and the 92-group.

Realization of the Strategy
The strategy is to be achieved through a determined effort within the three work areas of the Danish platform.

Advocacy work
Advocacy activities include organizing meetings with relevant politicians and secretariats, ministries, the European Commission, European Parliament and civil society organizations on the Danish and European level. The Secretariat shall prepare analyses of the many policy documents and press statements from the EU. To the extent that there is a need for special efforts, and Concord Danmark wants to assert itself in relation to aid policy issues, statements and letters to politicians, institutions and the public will be prepared.

Information work
Newsletters, campaigns, thematic meetings and workshops for members and potential members (e.g. toolboxes), awards, bus trips to colleges and training materials, annual thematic publications with launch conferences, the deliberate use of the press with continuous press releases in local and national media, production of newspaper articles and letters, and TV and radio spots will be prepared on a regular basis. First and foremost the aim is to use current events to bring development into focus.

Service/counseling on EU funding
An important task of the Secretariat is to provide advice and information about EU funding for development projects to members and other organizations that might apply (potential members). The Secretariat must therefore be able to handle such calls or written inquiries doing here-and-now guidance.

The Secretariat develops and provides courses, formulates guidelines, provides feedback on applications and provides basic assistance to NGO’s seeking EU funds. In addition tutorials will be made available via the website, and newsletters with call for proposals from the EU will regularly be prepared and distributed.