g7+ seizes US opportunity

New York and Washington DC

18 – 21 April 2012

In April the g7+ mobilized to impact the Spring Meetings of the World Bank lobbying as a g7+ bloc. Coming after the first 100 days of the New Deal endorsement in Busan, this was seen as a vital opportunity to maintain momentum, advocate for g7+ nations and prepare the ground for further g7+ activities planned for the United Nations General Assembly in September 2012.

Prior to the days in Washington the group used two days in New York to meet with various officials from the United Nations including the Senior Peacebuilding Group and the UNDP. g7+ members appreciated the support of Helen Clark, Administrator of the UNDP and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, who “welcomed the emergence of the g7+ as a strong voice in the global community.” The meetings in New York enabled focal points and ministers to advocate for the g7+ whilst seeking strategic input on how to ensure that the priorities of fragile states were recognised in the United Nations post 2015 framework.

Also during the time in New York the g7+ featured in a Policy Forum of the International Peace Institute. This event, titled “Implementing the New Deal in Fragile States”, was considered one of the most successful ever hosted by IPI with a “full house” and high participation rates through web-cast and follow up media. Links to various media related to this event can be found here 

A slideshow of the event can be played in the window below:

In Washington DC a number of key events and meetings took place. Two meetings allowed g7+ ministers and focal points to join together for updates and further discussion; a breakfast meeting on the 20^th of April and an official g7+ dinner hosted jointly by the Government of Liberia and the Government of Timor-Leste on the evening of the 20^th.

On the same day, in two separate meetings the g7+ met with the President of the World Bank, Mr Robert Zoellick and Vice President of the World Bank Ms Sri Mulyani. On both occasions the emergence of the g7+ was welcomed and the bank reaffirmed its priority to work with fragile and conflict affected states. Specific outcomes from the Zoellick meeting included proposals that the g7+ be represented at the Bank’s mid-term review, that the g7+ have a seat at the table for the 16^th IDA and that ways were to be found to assist the g7+ in strengthening capacity.

The meeting with Vice President Sri Mulyani followed up on some of the outcomes of the earlier meeting with President Zoellick and allowed more time for various Ministers of the g7+ to convey their experiences to the Bank.

The final event of the g7+ activities in the US in April was a large-scale event held on Saturday the 21^st of April in conjunction with the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding on the New Deal. This event, to another “full house”, aimed to explain the New Deal to a broader audience and to deliver to the participants a call to action, challenging them to identify ways in which they could assist in making the New Deal a Real Deal in fragile and conflict affected states. Further information about this event can be found here.

A slideshow of the event can be played in the window below:

The efforts in the US in April to further the g7+ agenda though the various meetings and events in were considered a great success.