Unnayan Onneshan - Advising and Monitoring Pro-poor Policy

Unnayan Onneshan, a think-tank based in Bangladesh, has been involved in the Civil Society Partnership Programme since July 2005. This North-South partnership aims to improve the use of research-based evidence to promote pro-poor national and international development policies.

As a think tank, much of the Unnayan Onneshan's work is about promoting pro-poor public policies. Research outputs are designed to reframe policy debates and help citizens as well as policy entrepreneurs make better choices by providing the information they need. Integrated stakeholder-learning and consensus-building workshops are an important part of the organisations 'thinking', research and dialogue process.

Unnayan Onneshan is a young organisation - barely 2 years old, and while some of its researchers have many years of research, teaching, and consultancy to their credit, the think-tank is also dedicated to developing younger team members. Capacity development is a key requirement for the institute. It hopes to benefit from ODI's long experience, especially with government bodies.

Unnayan Onneshan's involvement in the programme so far has included:

• Organising and hosting a consultative workshop for ODI to learn about the role of research-based evidence in Bangladesh from other Think Tanks, Development and Policy Research Institutes. More on this workshop...
  
• As a member of the Forum for the Future of Aid - a discussion network, with expert research, briefing and consulting support, dedicated to the international aid system-the so-called 'aid architecture' and how it evolves over time. More on the Forum...
• Participating, with representatives of 16 other Think Tanks from around the world in a 3-day planning workshop in the UK to develop the next phase of the Civil Society Partnership Programme. More on this event...
  

The partnership has already enabled Unnayan Onneshan to engage better with national and international organisations, and to identify pathways by which civil society and social movements can better influence policy, and by integrating capacity building and research.

Some of Unnayan Onneshan's recent work includes:

• Unnayan Onneshan at the United Nations: Rashed Titumir from Unnayan Onneshan was recently invited to speak at the United Nations General Assembly's Informal Interactive Hearings on the Implementation of the Programme of Action on market access and export opportunities for the Least Developed Countries, held in New York on 22nd June 2006. Rashed spoke on how globalisation is failing to enhance productive capacities of LDC countries and what steps should be urgently undertaken to make globalisation work for the global poor. Download Rashed's speech; other materials produced for the event are available on their website
• Millennium Development Goals: A Reality Check - This year's Bangladesh Public Policy Watch presents an independent review of progress towards the MDGs in Bangladesh to see how well the Bangladesh and Donor Governments have lived up to the promises they made in New York in September 2000. Download report from Unnayan Onneshan website
  
• Undercutting Small Farmers - Rice Trade in Bangladesh and WTO Negotiations: A report on the catastrophic impact of forced liberalisation on Bangladesh agriculture which indicates it will take 43 years to achieve the target of the Millennium Development Goals. Download report from Unnayan Onneshan website
  
• Non-agricultural Market Access at the WTO - A Case Study of Apparel Trade of Bangladesh: An independent review of implementation of the results of the meetings in Marrakesh, Singapore, Geneva, and Doha in the run up to the Hong Kong meeting. Download report from Unnayan Onneshan website
  
• Doha Round and Least Developed Countries: The people of the least developed countries (LDCs) are told that free trade will create opportunity for all, speed up growth and do away with poverty. This report illustrates how practices in the international trading system are far removed from the rhetoric: rich countries continue to tilt the playing field against the poor. Download report from Unnayan Onneshan website
  
• Slippery Slopes: How Hong Kong Empowers Rich Countries to Choke the LDCs - A Rapid Assessment: This rapid assessment provides a brief account of the outcome of the Hong Kong Ministerial and examines whether the Ministerial delivered on the promise of improved market access. Download report from Unnayan Onneshan website