Statement: Make international convenings on locally led development more inclusive

In November 2023, Global South/Majority World actors and community-based organisations published a letter to international partners outlining five principles to make convenings on locally-led development more inclusive.

The letter calls for organisers and sponsors of convenings on locally-led development to:

1. Ensure that diverse local actors are not only equally represented at any policy or decision-making table that impacts Global South/Majority World countries and its inhabitants, but also co-shape these tables.
2. Enable meaningful access, for instance choosing locations that minimise humiliating visa processes or prohibitive travel logistics;
3. Respect participants’ time, experience and expertise – providing adequate notice to make travel plans and, where needed, providing full sponsorship so that everyone, not only the well-resourced groups, can actively participate.
4. Speak languages that can be understood – ensuring real language access beyond simultaneous interpretation or sign language
5. Set the agenda together and work with co-hosts from the Global South/Majority World.

This initiative emerged from a longstanding frustration of many local leaders being effectively excluded from international conferences and meetings about locally-led development – despite being the ones whom the agenda claims to centre. It is being facilitated by the Movement for Community-Led Development (MCLD), CIVICUS and Peace Direct.

As of April 2024, 1,826 Global South/Majority World actors have signed the letter demanding a change and commitments from international partners. Since the letter was published, 36 INGOs, networks and funders have committed to do better through the following statement:

As an international NGO, convenor, network, bilateral government agency, multilateral agency, foundation, pooled fund or similar entity, we recognize the need to ensure that Majority World actors actively shape, access and meaningfully participate in international convenings and policy spaces discussing locally-led development, as stated in the open letter articulated by Majority World networks, organizations and actors published on November 29, 2023. We acknowledge and endorse the five key asks articulated in that letter. 

We hereby commit to following the five principles and to stand in allyship with Majority World actors. We believe this movement is vital to transform the development, humanitarian and peacebuilding systems to be more locally-led.

To support their commitment, MCLD, CIVICUS, and Peace Direct have facilitated a process in collaboration with Majority World actors to create a guidance note with concrete recommendations for implementing these principles. The guidance note will be shared in May 2024 and safe dialogues spaces will be offered to signatories in order to collectively reflect and exchange about progress, learnings and good practice in adhering to these principles.

If you would like to stand in allyship with the Global South/Majority World signatories, and commit to the five principles, please sign using the following forms:

• For INGOs, convenors and/or INGO networks
• For funders, pooled funds or bilateral or multilateral agencies

For further information about this initiative and how to support it, write to:

Gunjan Veda at [email protected]

Clara Bosco at [email protected]

Vahe Mirikian at [email protected]