Process: FFD Multi-Stakeholder Consultation on Systemic Issues (Washington, DC)
November 16-17, 2004
Co-sponsored by: Foreign Ministry of Sweden, UN Financing for Development Office, UN Foundation, New Rules for Global Finance
Venue: International Monetary Fund, 700 19th Street, NW, Room 2-530, Washington, DC
Ground Rules
The Ground Rules for this Multi-stakeholder Consultation on Systemic Issues are as follows:
The purpose of this event is to engage in an informal dialogue to explore implementation of the various issues contained in Systemic Issues, Section F, of the Monterrey Consensus Document.
This is an informal dialogue. No institution will make commitments during the dialogue, nor will any report interpret any participant’s statement as committing either him/herself or committing his/her institution.
Speakers will speak in their personal capacity, regardless of their place of employment.
Statements by all speakers will be “not for attribution.” Reports, oral and written, can identify participants in the event, but not identify by name what any individual participant said.
Proceedings may be recorded for the sole purpose of assisting those people preparing reports of the discussions. Upon completion of the reports those tapes will be erased.
Summary reports of the discussions will be prepared by the Civil Society conveners, i.e., New Rules for Global Finance Coalition, and, together with any conclusions or recommendations, will be the sole responsibility of the Coalition.
Rapporteurs’ reports and other documents will be shared electronically through the New Rules’ website (www.new-rules.org) which is also linked with the United Nations’ Financing for Development Office website (http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/). There will be opportunity for feedback from participants and from the public on the New Rules’ website. The feedback will be presented in the name of the sender, or feedback may be summarized and collated by the website host.
Overall Format:
This is a round table gathering experts from several stake-holder groups: national governments, staff and management of the World Bank, IMF and economic standard-setting bodies, UN agencies, civil society including think-tanks and academics, and the private sector. Everyone present is encouraged to speak. Everyone has an important role. A few people have been invited to lead off the conversations and to facilitate the conversations. Their roles are described below.
Moderators:
The Moderators will ensure that many or all of the topics identified in the Systemic Agenda are discussed. They will identify speakers, encourage participants to be brief, summarize points of agreement and disagreement. They will also remind participants to focus on proposals and solutions. The emphasis will remain on well-researched policy proposals that could be implemented and thereby accomplish goals as identified in the Session Title, i.e., Crisis Prevention, Credit Provision in Times of Crisis, Mechanisms to Manage Risk, and Governance.
Overview Expert:
This person will provide a brief map of the issues included in the Session Topic. This person will speak for at most 8 minutes. Again this dialogue will focus on positive proposals to move forward toward the overall goals identified in the Session Titles.
Expert:
This person will direct the spotlight toward one specific area within the range of topics identified in the Systemic Issues Agenda. The planners recognize the breadth of issues. Therefore, at each of the series of meetings—in Washington, Lima, Nairobi and New York—different sub-topics will be highlighted. This expert will speak for 15-20 minutes, again with the purpose of identifying positive proposals that are well-researched, and that if implemented, could accomplish the goals identified in the Session Titles.
Participants:
All present are key to this process. All invitees are recognized experts whose views are highly valued. All are asked to emphasize positive proposals leading to desired outcomes. The Moderator will encourage participants to be brief, stay on topic, and focus on policy proposals.
Observers:
In the interest of having the discussion take place among a relatively small group of people, the number of participants is deliberately small. However, the organizers welcome Observers. There may be times when some participants will “step back” from the table to ensure ample space for interim participants, especially Executive Directors from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Rapporteurs:
Notes will be taken during each session by a designated Rapporteur. A summary of those notes will be provided during the closing session. These notes will then form the basis for a single Rapporteur’s Report to be posted on the New Rules for Global Finance Coalition website: www.new-rules.org with a link to the website of the UN Financing for Development Office
Appreciation:
The organizers, New Rules for Global Finance Coalition, wish to express their appreciation to all who have contributed to this process, including the UN FFD Office Director and Staff, the Executive Directors and Staff of the World Bank and IMF, and all who traveled and who contributed their ideas. We especially recognize the contribution of the Deans of the Boards of the World Bank and IMF, Mr. Alyahya and Mr. Mirakhor, and their respective designated interlocutors, Mr. Bhattacharya and Mr. Kiekens, with Mr. Bell.
New Rules for Global Finance Coalition expresses special appreciation to the Co-Sponsors, Foreign Ministry of Sweden and the UN Foundation for their financial support. New Rules thanks the Ford Foundation for its core support.