Focus on NGO reaction to Madrid donor conference

With the donor conference for Iraq under way in the Spanish capital, Madrid, NGOs have released statements calling for increased security, protection of human rights and political transition to be put in place to ensure that there could be effective participation by donor countries in the reconstruction of the country. "Although a number of NGOs have scaled back operations, some are still there. We are inhibited by security, and what we can achieve for the welfare of children has been reduced also due to a lack of engagement from the Coalition Provisional Authority [CPA]," the spokesman for Save the Children (SCF), Brendan Paddy, told IRIN from Madrid on Thursday as he was about to attend the opening session of the conference. SCF issued a statement saying that Iraqi children depended on the availability of money, functioning public services and a secure environment to realise their right to development. Paddy said that a number of NGOs which had been working in Iraq met in Madrid on Wednesday to discuss their main concerns. "It was a great breakthrough to find that we agreed on five key elements, which include giving the UN a leading role in Iraq, because of its experience and independence, giving Iraqis greater control at all levels and improving security," he said. He stressed that these issues were crucial to enable sustainable reconstruction work to be done in the turbulent country. "In Baghdad there is still significant concern about street children and abuse of substances, along with poor attendance at school, due to insecurity," he noted. "We do hope people will pledge money, but they must make it clear that greater control has to be given to the Iraqis and the UN, otherwise the money will not be spent effectively," he went on to warn. The US-based CARE NGO reiterated calls for prioritising and restoring security and was also scheduled to present a report entitled "Key Messages" at the conference. "It will be a joint presentation, and the thing most important to us is the security issue, basic services for Iraqis and employment, as they are all linked to one another," the CARE spokesman, Arnoud Hekkens, told IRIN from Madrid, as donor representatives started to arrive at the conference hall. "Security affects the Iraqi people the most, they are at risk the most, that's why it needs to be a priority," he stressed. According to Hekkens, the NGOs attending the meeting ahead of the conference agreed unanimously on the main issues for them to address at the conference. "We hope to talk to lots of donors during the conference and make sure our points are taken seriously and taken into consideration," Hekkens added. The CARE report also emphasised the need to give Iraqis greater control and for their sovereignty to be restored, saying that Iraqis themselves understood their own needs best. While there are mixed predictions on donor commitment for Iraq, a joint Iraq needs assessment carried out by the World Bank, the IMF and the UN revealed that some US $36 billion was needed in the medium term for reconstruction efforts in Iraq, of which $9 billion was needed for 2004. So far, the US has pledged $20 billion; the World Bank between $3 billion and $5 billion; Japan $1.5 billion; the UK $835 million; Spain $300 million; the EU $231 million; and Sweden $32.6 million. In a related development, Christian Aid, a UK based NGO, has claimed that a staggering $4 billion from oil revenues and other Iraqi funds earmarked for the country's reconstruction had disappeared into opaque bank accounts administered by the CPA, the US-controlled body which rules Iraq. "By the end of the year, if nothing changes in the way this cash is accounted for, that figure will double," a statement issued by the NGO said on Thursday. "Before pledging money from their own countries' coffers to boost the reconstruction efforts, as requested by the US and UK governments, these delegates should first demand: 'What has happened to the missing billions?" the statement added. Christian Aid is calling for a full and immediate disclosure of how this money has been spent, and for urgent moves to establish a proper means of regulation. The pledges to be made at the conference are crucial to enabling organisations such as the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) to continue working effectively, according to the International Federation of the Red Cross. It said the role of the IRCS was absolutely fundamental in the rebuilding of civil society in Iraq, particularly at a time when aid agencies had down-scaled their operations following the 19 August truck bombing at UN headquarters in which 23 people were killed. The Federation, which will also be present at the donor conference, has supported the IRCS through an office in Baghdad since 1991. Referring to the Federation's plan of action for the next 18 months, Federation President Juán Manuel Suárez del Toro said: "We are not talking about war, we are talking about the future. The needs of the Iraqi population remain critical and urgent. The Iraqi Red Crescent is playing an essential role in helping the most vulnerable to have access to basic health care and proper nutrition." The issue of protection and promotion of human rights was also raised and put forward to donors by two of the leading human rights groups worldwide. Amnesty International (AI) called on donors to make place human rights high on the agenda. "The two main issues we are pushing for are human rights to be a priority and for the reconstruction process to be done through transparency," the spokeswoman for AI's Middle East division, Nicole Choueiry, told IRIN from London. She explained that given the evidence AI had on human rights, there must be commitment from the donors to also press this issue. "We are hoping that this conference will be the start of a transparent process and the start of a good life for Iraqis who have suffered so much," she added. For its part, Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement reflecting similar views. "The needs assessment presented to donors this week recognises the importance of human rights, but fails to address many critical issues and does not allocate the resources that will be required to solve them," said Rory Mungoven, HRW's global advocacy director. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in Madrid on Wednesday that he was feeling positive about the conference. "I think the conference is off to a good start. First of all, early last week, the Security Council unanimously agreed on a resolution for Iraq. And I think when you look at the attendance... you're going to have a very wide and senior representation. And that in itself is a good sign," a UN statement issued from New York quoted him as saying. Some 70 countries are expected to participate in the conference.