Dear MEMBERS and FRIENDS,

Welcome to the NGO Resource Centre Newsletter for May 1 - 15.

In response to the broad rage of changes in Vietnam's socio-economic context since 1999, when the People's Participation Working Group (PPWG) was first established, the PPWG Steering Committee has been revising the PPWG strategy for 2008 to 2010, including a revision of the overall goals and objectives, and strategic directions.  

First off this week, the Climate Change Working Group thematic groups continue to meet regularly to formulate action plans and strategies for collaborative activities in 2008. Following this trend, an open CCWG event facilitated by SNV will be held on April 24 to coincide with the Asia Pacific Forestry Week (APFW), which occurs over April 21-26. The event will feature a special guest speaker - David Huberman - who is visiting Hanoi for the APFW, and will focus on Reductions of Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD), the forestry mechanism proposed for the post-2012 UNFCCC protocol. A 30-40 minute presentation introducing REDD and David's work on the social implications of the mechanism will be followed by an open Q+A session.

Dear MEMBERS and FRIENDS,

First off this week, we would like to inform you about a workshop held last week by the Aid Monitoring Group and the Center for Cooperation Human Resource Development (C&D), with support from Action Aid and the NGO Resource Centre. More than 50 representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) attended the event, which aimed to introduce concepts and ideas for CSOs to engage in monitoring aid in Vietnam.
Other topics discussed included:

• perspectives on aid monitoring and effectiveness in relation to Vietnamese NGOs;
• an introduction to real aid;
• components on CSO involvement in aid effectiveness in Vietnam;
• and government, donor accountability.

Dear MEMBERS and FRIENDS,

Welcome to the NGO Resource Centre Newsletter for March 15 - 31 March, 2008.

First off this week, we would like to welcome the two newly elected members to the NGO RC Steering Committee, Peter Newsum from CARE International in Vietnam and Daniel Valenghi from Helvetas in Vietnam. They will both take part in the quarterly NGO RC Steering Committee meeting held tomorrow. At the same time the NGO RC team would like thank you the two departing SC members, Jez Stoner from Save the Children UK, and Patrick Burke from AED, for their great contributions to the NGO RC and the Steering Committee over the past two and a half years.   

First off this week, we would like to report that the INGO Forum meeting on February 29 addressed the issue on 'The Changing Development Context, Donors Presence, Aid Effectiveness and INGOs'. Participants discussed the implications of Vietnam becoming a middle income country (MIC), the beyond 2010 agenda, and the issue of Aid Effectiveness based on twoexternal presentations. At the meeting several operational issues were also addressed, including the EU-UN Guidelines For Financing of Local Costs in Development Co-operation with Vietnam (the so-called UN - EU cost norms), and Personal Income Tax (PIT).

Dear MEMBERS and FRIENDS,

Welcome to the NGO Resource Centre Newsletter for February 15 - 29, 2008.

In the member news this week, we would like to make a call for election for three INGO representatives for the Steering Committee of the NGO RC and one INGO representative for the International Support Group–MARD. Interested candidates for the NGO RC Steering committee and the ISG-MARD Partnership group should submit a brief “text for consideration” to the Managing Co-director by February 22 at [email protected]. Members will be informed about the nominations and/or candidatures on the same day. The election(s) will take place at the next INGO Forum meeting scheduled for February 29, 2008.