Civil Society a "partner in 2007 report CAIRO: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) held a brainstorming workshop Sunday, ahead of the release of its upcoming 2007 Egypt Human Development Report (EHDR), expected to be published this October. The workshop, which was launched by Minister of Economic Development, Osman Mohamed Osman, and UNDP Country Director, Mounir Thabet, and co-organized by the Institute of National Planning, sought to garner feedback from more than 120 donors, NGOs and think tanks that attended. The theme of the discussion was the role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in development and institutional reform, decentralization, poverty alleviation and the environment. The hope is that such discussions will shed light on different means by which CSOs can positively contribute to the various sectors including education, health, sanitation and housing. Heba Handoussa, lead author of the 2007 EHDR report, told The Daily Star Egypt that the main objective of the workshop is that the authors of the report get alternative views, by sharing their background papers with other experts and organizations. The solicited feedback and comments, she said, will then be gathered and integrated in the drafting of the report to ensure the production process is as all-encompassing and participatory as possible. According to Handoussa, the UNDP spent two months identifying the NGOs they would work with, selecting only the best organizations in the development sector. Over 60 of those attending the workshop travelled from outside of Cairo, many from the country's most far-flung regions. In this sense, this year's report builds on its predecessor, the 2005 EHDR, the focus of which was primarily the 'new social contract.' "We can't just rely on our own [authors], said Handoussa. "We need to have civil society as a partner of our reports to make them succeed. The UNDP has vowed to offer instruction and support to NGOs, to "allow them to act better as agents of change.and become more effective on the ground. "We are working with experts from many disciplines, Handoussa added, "including political scientists, businessmen, health and education specialists. "I think it will be a very exciting report.
