Publish What You Fund participated in a workshop in December 2010 on ‘The Evolving Global Aid Architecture’ which concluded that “aid transparency is a pre-requisite to unlocking the potential and impact of both aid and domestic revenues and systems in developing countries.” P.11  “The Evolving Global Aid Architecture: Chair‘s Summary of the Seoul Workshop”

The Chair’s Summary of the workshop recommends “Rapid implementation of good practice standards of transparency on aid at the country level—one cannot ?own what one does not know” p.3. (ibid) and states that “establishing aid management systems that have transparency and monitoring and evaluation systems for donor programs is essential for managing for development results and mutual accountability.” p. 7 (ibid)

The Summary concludes that “Central to achieving the gains from greater aid transparency is ensuring that recipient governments can receive timely, comparable and comprehensive information about aid in a format that allows for integration into the planning and budget systems. The roundtable recommended that all donors make every effort to meet their transparency commitments made at Accra, by the time of the Busan HLF4, especially by making public information they already have, or have reported to the DAC.” p.11 (ibid)

This year Publish What You Fund will be urging donor countries to use key forums such as the G8, G20, and World Bank and IMF meetings to progress their implementation plans so that 2011 is the year that aid transparency becomes a reality.