The National Platform of Maltese NGDOs

Total Budget:                       21 132 euros

Total request from Fund:    20 857 euros

Maltese society, politically, economically and socially is far removed from the ideals outlined in the EU Development Policy especially given that the National policy on development cooperation is not yet aligned to that of the EU.

Activities will be carried out to create awareness among the general public on current issues relevant to the debate within the EU on development cooperation to create a wide base of support for the activities of the NGDOs as well as to influence relevant development policies at national level.

The project will address the prevalent lack of transparency in the political arena, especially with regards the ODA spending. Among the initiatives to be undertaken to achieve this will be the capacity building of Maltese NGDOs to develop strategies and carry out campaigns to lobby on these issues.

The Platform will also make concerted efforts through regional networks to realise the Millennium Development Goals, in particular the poverty eradication campaign, through advocating the implementation of National Programmes towards this end. Besides facilitating international networking opportunities for its members, this project will also enable better representation of Maltese NGDOs in CONCORD working groups.

In the course of the implementation of this project it is expected that the Platform will be restructured with a Board that will manage the Platform to represent more effectively the positions of its members. Initiatives to build up the human and financial resources of the Platform will ensure the sustainability of the Platform in the long term.

Through their participation in the activities of the project, the Platform members will be better equipped to organise and engage in activities such as public-awareness raising, campaigning and lobbying. This will result in an increased pool of individual members who would be able to take on leading roles in the Platform's core initiatives as well as in national, regional and European working groups.  The Platform Secretariat will also develop competencies to function as a key coordinating post and an important resource of information for its membership.