In an increasingly complex world where political competition can play out ruthlessly and have a significantly negative impact within and beyond borders, there is a broad perception that political parties are often the weakest link in the functioning of democracy. Conversely, there is a growing realization of the importance of political parties and political party assistance since political parties are fundamental not only for the consolidation of peace, security and democracy, but also for delivering on development, strengthening other state institutions and processes, and narrowing the broadening gap between state and society. In this regard, party assistance is increasingly being viewed as a means to support more effective and inclusive political processes and settlements and a way to strengthen the role political parties play as a key institution of accountability.

 

The findings of recent seminars and research point to persisting challenges and the need to deepen debate and discussion on many aspects of party assistance. They also point to the need to develop more effective support programmes to political parties based on sound analysis of political context, including formal and informal institutions and dynamics. Other challenges concern how to better determine when conditions are ripe to engage in party assistance; how to programme party support that can more effectively deliver on development; how to programme party support that not only focuses on the dynamics within parties, but also the dynamics between parties and other state institutions and processes and civil society; and how to more effectively monitor and evaluate party assistance. The challenges do not only lie in determining the form of analytical approach to take in assessing when to provide assistance, but are also related to how practitioners can overcome these challenges while simultaneously building and sustaining a relationship of trust with very divergent political actors, often in difficult contexts.

 

The purpose of this conference is to bring together international actors, party foundations and implementing partners working in the field of political party assistance as a common “community of practice” to discuss some of the aforementioned challenges and opportunities facing this community and agree on steps to be taken to improve the effectiveness of our support to political parties bringing together political and developmental approaches and improving effectiveness of our interventions and the impact upon our beneficiaries- political parties and party systems.

 

This Conference is connected to a number of other processes that will be launched in 2010 in the area of democracy support, including a OECD-DAC Roundtable on Elections Assistance organised in conjunction with a GOVNET meeting on Aid and Accountability, and a seminar on the Media and Electoral Support taking place 18-19 March. There are also a number of important elections taking place in 2010 - Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Cote d’Ivoire, Burundi, the Philippines, to name a few - that bring into sharp focus the urgency of providing more strategic and effective support to political institutions and processes, not least political parties as a means to diffuse potential conflict.