BTAP 2013 ANNUAL REPORT. Shaping BTAP into a driving force for members agendas!

Transcription

1 BTAP 2013 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 Shaping BTAP into a driving force for members agendas!

2 BTAP 2013 Annual Report L E T T E R F R O M B T A P C O O R D I N A T O R Dear BTAP Members, It has been a very exciting year for our nascent yet vibrant movement. Not only did we kick off our very first global campaign demanding governments Make Budgets Public NOW!, we also organized BTAP s 1st Day of Action for promoting budget transparency and accountability around the world. In 2013, BTAP participated in more than 15 calls of action. Whether it was providing input into existing norms on budget transparency, accountability and participation, such as the International Monetary Fund s recently reformed Code of Fiscal Transparency, or mobilizing organizations to shape and endorse a joint statement advocating for budget transparency, accountability and participation in the Post-2015 development goals, BTAP was present. To strategically position our movement and open up spaces for BTAP members to participate, we decided how and in which processes we wanted to participate. BTAP has grown significantly this year. When BTAP was launched in 2011, our network was already sizable comprising of over 100 national and international organizations. This year has seen our ranks swell to 154 member organizations. Among our members you will find Oxfam and its confederation of 17 organizations, who just recently joined us in the quest to advance budget transparency, accountability and participation around the world. This increase in the number of members not only underscores the value in being part of BTAP, but also highlights the relevancy of the transparency agenda and the need to join forces if we are going to succeed. Through all these actions and many more, we have been able to demonstrate that there is a strong group of civil society organizations working intensely all over the world to demand open budgets from their governments. So for all your time, resources and energy, I would like to thank you. But before I sign off, I would like to go back to when BTAP was just an idea. The main purpose behind launching this movement was to create a platform that could open spaces for members to express their recommendations and concerns in international initiatives and with international stakeholders. This is BTAP, this is the idea behind its creation, and this is what we need to continue to work on so that you, as a member, can find opportunities to engage in international debates. This is our main focus for 2014 and this is what we are going to be working on in the upcoming months. Please be certain when I say that this movement is for you and that we will continue to work to turn BTAP into a driving force for your agendas! Sincerely, Rocio Moreno Lopez BTAP s Global Coordinator Page 1

3 B A C K G R O U N D In November 2011, representatives from 100 civil society organizations from 56 countries and 12 international organizations including the International Budget Partnership, Greenpeace, Global Witness, and the ONE Campaign convened at the First Global Assembly for Budget Transparency, Accountability and Participation (BTAP) in Dar es Salaam. The Dar Assembly was the culmination of a shared 15 year history, across more than 100 countries, towards opening one of the most important and secretive governmental processes: the budget. The Dar Assembly is the first time that representatives from the wider movement came together to commit to joint action across countries and to prioritize work towards advancing budget transparency and participation. Four significant outcomes resulted from the Assembly: 1. Participants endorsed and celebrated The Dar Es Salaam Declaration on Budget Transparency, Accountability and Participation ( 2. A Steering Committee (SC) to guide BTAP was elected for a two year period ( 3. A governance structure for BTAP was discussed ( 4. Six thematic Working Groups (WG) were established to advance the BTAP agenda. After the Dar Assembly BTAP members approved an Action Plan to define and guide BTAP s activities in 2013 and This first Action Plan was drafted by the Steering Committee, shared with the BTAP members, and, ultimately, finalized by the BTAP Global Coordinator. B T A P S A C T I O N P L A N BTAP s first Action Plan focuses on 5 key strategic goals. As a nascent global movement, which builds on more than a decade of budget advocacy work by its members, BTAP s first set of challenges involve raising its profile, defining its identity, building its brand, and joining the ranks of other global campaigns. With this purpose, BTAP will focus on the following five objectives and activities in 2013 and Objective 1 foster a tight network a. Launch the official BTAP website to establish a platform for disseminating and promoting BTAP principles, actions, campaigns and agenda; and information related to the activities and actions of BTAP members. b. Establish well-functioning internal communication mechanisms to connect members within and across regions. c. Activate members through clear responsibilities and roles in the implementation of the Action Plan and BTAP related activities. d. Integrate Working Group agendas and stimulate collaboration across WGs under the broader BTAP umbrella. e. Support members who are under pressure from their governments. Page 2

4 Objective 2 raise awareness about BTAP a. Outreach by BTAP members to explain the movement and broaden the endorsement of the Dar es Salaam Declaration among civil society, the media and government officials, and others. b. Define a week of action across movement countries, highlighting the importance of the BTAP agenda. c. Develop promotional and background materials for BTAP outreach. d. Carve out a space for BTAP in regional and international debates and initiatives related to the BTAP agenda, such as OGP, GIFT, the Post-2015 debate, and others. e. Build BTAP s profile through social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Objective 3 launch a global campaign a. Define an initial draft for BTAP s first global campaign and discuss, adjust and plan with a subset of BTAP members. b. Identify at least five pilot countries and 20 supporting countries in which to carry out the campaign. c. Define country-specific, region-specific, and global strategies and actions within the campaign. d. Launch the campaign to advance budget transparency, accountability and participation in countries that have the least transparent budget processes. Objective 4 establish working groups a. Finalize and share the work plans of at least three WGs with all BTAP members. b. Facilitate the engagement of BTAP members in WGs. c. Disseminate WG activities on the BTAP website. Objective 5 develop a strategic and fundraising plan a. Carry out regional consultations for the BTAP strategic plan and prepare a draft plan. b. Map out potential BTAP donors. c. Develop a BTAP funding proposal. d. Ensure funding for core BTAP activities, from 2014 on. This action plan has guided all the activities undertaken by BTAP s Global Coordinator and members in These activities are described in the following sections. Page 3

5 B T A P S A C T I V I T I E S I N N U M B E R S B T A P S N E W S L E T T E R In 2013, BTAP dedicated two newsletters to report on its activities. Make Budgets Public NOW! campaign launch at the World Social Forum This edition of the newsletter primarily focused on providing details of our launch and information on the country-specific campaigns that would be developed. BTAP s Day of Action on September 28 th 2013 This piece documented all the activities that BTAP members organized around the world to raise awareness of the importance of advancing budget transparency. The Open Government Annual Summit, held in London, United Kingdom. This piece of coverage gave insider information and highlights to help the audience feel like they were participating in the summit. In addition, we included information on upcoming opportunities to advance the BTAP agenda through this international initiative. 1 G L O B A L C A M P A I G N + 5 MAKE BUDGETS PUBLIC N O W! N A T I O N A L C A M P A I G N S W E R E L A U N C H E D In March 2013, BTAP launched its first global campaign: Make Budgets Public Now! ( The campaign was presented at the 2013 World Social Forum held in Tunis, Tunisia. In addition, 5 country-specific campaigns were launched in Egypt, Fiji, Vietnam, Kyrgyz Republic and Senegal. Each one of these campaigns was developed and led by these local BTAP member organizations. Page 4

6 1 7 CALLS FOR ACTION, INPUTS AND HELPING ORGANIZATIONS IN N E E D In 2013, BTAP endorsed several proposals to advance the transparency and accountability agenda in numerous international initiatives. In addition, BTAP members helped to strengthen international norms on budget transparency and provided on the ground experiences to guides aimed at civil society groups (CSOs). Several organizations also reached out to us to help them raise awareness of antidemocratic policies, help prevent budget reductions in certain sectors, avoid setbacks, and stop the repression of civil society. These requests were disseminated through social media networks and BTAP s website. Requests include: 1. IMF Public Consultation on Fiscal Transparency 2. Urgent Action Appeal - Protect Rights of Dalit Human Rights Defenders 3. WB Financial Open data Survey 4. Participated in ONE s Open for Development Campaign 5. Participated in ONE s Monrovia side-event (for local organizations only) 6. Make Budgets Public Now! campaign 7. TAI s Opening Government Guide Chapter on Fiscal Transparency 8. South Africa s Secrecy Bill 9. G20: BTAP demands G20 to champion budget transparency and accountability 10. Appeal: Disaster in Odisa, India, Help is needed 11. Online Participation in the UN HRC survey of Fiscal and Tax Policy 12. Indian Coalition condemns PM's Office for blocking the Dalit Adivasi Budget Bill 13. Joint proposal with over 50 organizations on governance and the Post-2015 development framework 14. Joint proposal with over 150 organizations demanding Access to information and independent media in the Post-2015 development framework 15. Activists arrested in India for reclaiming the rightful share of the Dalits and the Adivasis 16. Transparency Venezuela demands respect for the rule of law, access to information and freedom to protest 17. Letter to the co-chairs of the United Nation s Open Working Group Post-2015 MDGs to stress the need to include Transparency and Accountability as a stand-alone goal and as a cross-cutting issue NATIONAL AND INTERNA T I O N A L M E M B E R S A R O U N D T H E W O R L D Presently, 141 national civil society organizations and 13 INGOs have signed BTAP s Dar es Salaam Declaration of Principles. Region Number of Members by Region Africa 51 Asia 42 Europe 14 Page 5

7 Latin American 24 MENA 10 INGOs 13 TOTAL 154 Out of these 154 member organizations, 70% approximately of national civil society organizations have been active regarding BTAP to some extent. 276 F A C E B O O K F O L L O W E R S 300+ O R G A N I Z A T I O N S P A R T I C I P A T E D I N B T A P S D A Y O F A C T I O N On September 28, the International Right to Know Day, activities were undertaken in 25 countries around the world. Over 300 civil society organizations came together to raise awareness on the need to advance budget transparency. Activities carried out by BTAP members include: - Press conferences and press releases - Forums - Workshops - Articles and blogs - Research presentations - Talk shows - Roundtables Page 6

8 - Launch of national campaigns - Online discussions - Public discussions - Social media dissemination - Outreach to other organizations - Dissemination of the MBPN campaign materials - Launching websites to advance budget transparency In Indonesia alone, 5 members of BTAP Pattiro, Seknas FITRA, Inisiatif, PP Lakpesdam NU, and IDEA undertook 19 activities and 34 newspapers covered their activities. 499 T W I T T E R F O L L O W E R S B T A P S A C T I V I T I E S I N D E T A I L RE- L A U N C H I N G B T A P S W E B S I T E In October 2012, BTAP launched an official website to disseminate and promote the BTAP principles, actions, campaigns and agenda. While this was a good effort to begin positioning the movement, it did not manage to capture the enthusiasm nor the energy that a movement like ours has. For this reason, in July 2013 we began redesigning the BTAP website, which was re-launched in September The new website ( has proven to be more dynamic and compelling. It includes photos, information provided by members, our calls for action and information on all the activities undertaken by our movement. Page 7

9 The website has started to become a platform through which BTAP members share information. In addition, this new website allows people to download relevant BTAP promotional materials such as the Dar es Salaam Declaration of Principles and the MBPN Campaign materials. R E A C H I N G O U T T O B T A P M E M B E R S In May, June and July 2013, BTAP s Coordinator began to engage members by sending them personalized s. This served to: Confirm BTAP s contact database; identify each organization s communication officer and budget specialist; and solicit feedback on our communication mechanisms. To follow up on the contact, we scheduled one-on-one calls and meetings with over 70% of BTAP members. The conversations helped us to get acquainted with members, understand their contexts, identify opportunities to advance the BTAP agenda, and begin organizing the BTAP Day of Action. Through these conversations we were able to ask members to share information on their activities, to engage in our calls of action, and to participate in BTAP s Day of Action. In addition, conversations were useful to provide members with information on BTAP, what we had been doing and our future plans. C O M M U N I C A T I O N M E C H A N I S M S In an effort to establish effective communication mechanisms across regions and between members, a weekly Press Review was developed. This review includes articles from leading newspapers, contributions from our members, sections on future activities and events, and recommended reading. The Press Review is not only an effective means of reaching members, but is also proving useful for reaching member s counterparts and other networks. This has already resulted in new BTAP members. This mechanism has proved to be effective as some members would like to see BTAP not only as a campaigning machine but also as a platform for sharing information. Furthermore, some organizations use this information to make a stronger case for advancing BTAP in their countries. Page 8

10 M A K E B U D G E T S P U B L I C N O W! C A M P A I G N In March 2013, BTAP launched its first global campaign: Make Budgets Public Now! It was presented at the 2013 World Social Forum (WSF), which was held in Tunis, Tunisia. Preparations for the launch included: - In November 2012, BTAP organized a one-day meeting with over 50 organizations in Bangkok, Thailand to discuss the campaign s concept note and to identify pilot countries. - A designer helped us develop the image of the campaign, the website and promotional materials. - A video ( was developed to explain the campaign and the importance of advancing the BTAP agenda in an accessible way. The video is available in Spanish, French and English. The Steering Committee felt that by participating at the WSF we could position the movement and our agenda in a global event that was organized by and for civil society. In addition, it would allow us to expand the BTAP movement in the MENA region which is lagging behind in budget transparency and participation. Members from Indonesia, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mexico, Brazil and the United States joined us to promote our movement, our principles and our campaign. These organizations paid for their own travel and expenses and BTAP supported their hotel expenses. As part of the launch, we undertook several activities: we participated in the opening march; we put up a stand to exchange information on our movement and to explain the campaign; and we held three workshops, two of which were coorganized. In addition, country-specific campaigns were launched in Egypt, Fiji, Vietnam, Kyrgyz Republic and Senegal. Kyrgyz Republic: The campaign in Kyrgyz Republic was led by the local CSO Partner Precedent. They prepared 4 recommendations, which include specific action plans to achieve and improve budget transparency and which were sent to the Ministry of Finance and the Audit Chamber. In addition, meetings with key stakeholders were organized and a citizen s guide to budget was developed. Furthermore, they interposed three demands for the lack of compliance with the access to information law. Vietnam: The Center for Development and Integration (CDI) led the campaign. CDI has organized workshops on fiscal transparency with the National Assembly and the Ministry of Finance. They have provided training to media and are building an NGO coalition. In addition, CDI and other organizations provided recommendations to advocate for budget transparency during the constitution and a budget law amendment discussions. Page 9

11 Senegal: the Groupe d Etude de Recherche et d Appui au Développement (GERAD) led the campaign in Senegal. They organized a formal event to launch the campaign, held several meetings with key decision-makers to discuss the need to advance budget transparency, participated in radio programs, organized press conferences and gave a workshop to CSOs. In addition, they have liaised with key international stakeholders, such as the World Bank, European Union, French and Canadian Embassies, and the Rosa Luxembourg Foundation. The most outstanding results are the publication of the executive s budget proposal, the audit report and the talks and meetings to begin developing a citizens guide to the budget. Egypt: The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights filed a lawsuit with the Administrative Judiciary Court at the State Council, alongside several political parties and NGOs, to demand the publication of the budget proposal. The action was undertaken because they had been submitting requests to the presidency, government and Shura Council, without a response. The budget proposal was ultimately published on the finance ministry s website. Due to the current situation in Egypt this campaign is on hold. Fiji: The Foundation of the People s of the South Pacific International (FSPI) led the campaign in Fiji. As part of the campaign, FSPI organized meetings with the regional arm of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), and began creating a national coalition to advance budget transparency. During the tabling of the budget, FSPI organized a lunch at which the members of the organizations wore t-shirts bearing the Make Budgets Public Now! logo. Due to this, they were seen as protesters and were taken to the police station. Despite this unfortunate situation, FSPI continued to pursue meetings with the government and broaden support through conversations with other organizations. E N G A G I N G B T A P I N R E G I O N A L A N D I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E B A T E S A N D I N I T I A T I V E S Open Budget Survey The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is currently BTAP s most effective benchmarking mechanism. We have used the survey to measure the performance of governments and identify Make Budgets Public Now! target countries. Also, almost all of the organizations that participate in the OBS are BTAP members. For this reason, it has been essential to monitor development of the OBS, which BTAP s Coordinator has done by attending several of OBS events. To begin, she attended the OBS Latin American regional meeting in the Dominican Republic. The Coordinator engaged with OBS organizations and discussed possible actions and activities for the Day of Action. Furthermore, since governments were invited, the event was a good opportunity to present the movement and continue to Page 10

12 promote BTAP s Declaration of Principles. Finally, the Coordinator was invited to facilitate a session with the organizations whose governments had not been able to attend the meeting. During the month of August, the OBS team presented its results at the annual CABRI meeting. African CSOs that were involved in the initiative were invited to participate. During the meeting, BTAP members gathered to discuss opportunities and gaps in the region. New organizations were also involved some of which expressed an interest in becoming members. Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT) BTAP s Coordinator began participating in GIFT in December It has been extremely important to engage in an initiative like GIFT: it is an international initiative that is seeking to advance fiscal transparency through the promotion of principles that are aligned with BTAP s; and it is a multi-stakeholder platform. This is a space that BTAP can use to influence international transparency norms to help our members national agendas. During 2013, GIFT organized two important events: In July 2013, GIFT convened a meeting to obtain information on recent developments; analyze the current political context and how to advance GIFT in it; and identify opportunities and discuss the work plan. During the Open Government Partnership Annual Summit in London, a workshop was organized to create a platform where best practices on fiscal transparency could be shared. Open Government Partnership (OGP) The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is relevant for BTAP because it is a multi-stakeholder platform and because it is an initiative that can be used by organizations to advance the BTAP agenda. For this reason, it has been essential to meet with the OGP s support unit to present our movement and identify advocacy opportunities. Furthermore, many BTAP members are already involved in this initiative either through the conduction of the independent reporting mechanism or by participating in the action plan development, so it was important to see how we could engage the broader movement. To position our movement and promote budget transparency, BTAPs Coordinator attended the London summit in October. As part of the activities undertaken, the Coordinator Page 11

13 participated in 2 sessions, a lightening session, and attended the Fiscal Openness Working Group session and the workshop. On October 31 st, the Coordinator participated in the Follow the Money: Open Data and Beyond session, organized by the ONE campaign and the Open Knowledge Foundation. The session provided participants with an opportunity to learn from each other s experiences of trying to follow the money and help to shape an emerging Follow the Money network. We gave a presentation on the work that BTAP members have undertaken during the past decade to improve budget allocation and budget transparency. In addition, we talked about lessons learnt and the challenges identified during these years of budget work. Hearing about the work undertaken by other panelists, and how they thought that a Follow the Money network could be useful, was of particular interest. A video of the session is available online ( Fitra an Indonesian organization and a BTAP member organized a session on International Perspectives on Fiscal Transparency and the Coordinator was invited to facilitate. The session was organized as a dialogue, where CSOs and governments from Brazil, Indonesia and Netherlands were invited to share their experience on advancing budget transparency and the challenges they face. Conversation was held in an open and honest space, where CSOs were able to talk about and evaluate the advances the governments has made and the government discussed the difficulties and constraints faced when trying to improve fiscal transparency. One of the highlights of the session was when the representative from the Netherlands mentioned that he understood CSOs because, when he takes off his suit, he is just an ordinary citizen. And as a citizen he also wants to know how the government is using his taxes. This is clear example of the honesty of the dialogue, which would be almost impossible to have in another context. Post-2015 Development Goals Since November 2012, several opportunities emerged to collaborate with other organizations to push for the need to include budget transparency and accountability in the Post-2015 framework and which have marked our agenda in BTAP collaborated in the following: In January 2013, ONE launched their Open for Development campaign to persuade the Post-2015 High Level Panel (HLP) to include transparency, accountability and participation in the Post-2015 development goals. BTAP has been collaborating with them and helping them distribute their materials. ONE published a report for the HLP which included specific recommendations to advance budget transparency. BTAP was invited to endorse the report and the Steering Committee found that it was strategic to do so. This report was distributed at the Post-2015 meeting in Monrovia. BTAP was also a signatory to a letter drafted by ONE lobbying the HLP. ONE drafted a letter which was distributed in Bali and BTAP endorsed it. Page 12

14 IBP drafted a short paper with specific recommendations to include transparency and accountability as a stand-alone development goal, and as a cross-cutting issue, which was distributed in Bali and in the national consultation undertaken in Mexico. BTAP was a signatory. In November 2013, a group of national and international organizations met to issue a joint statement on governance and the Post-2015 development goals process. BTAP s Coordinator participated in this, contacting over 30 member organizations to obtain their input. B T A P S D A Y O F A C T I O N BTAP organized its very first Day of Action with the purpose of: Raising awareness on the importance of advancing budget transparency, accountability and participation around the world; positioning BTAP as a strong civil society movement; and engaging members in a joint activity with a common purpose. On September 28, which is the International Right to Know Day, BTAP members were coordinated to undertake numerous activities tweeting pre-established messages, reaching out to organizations, writing Op Eds and articles, and conducting workshops, meetings and roundtables to promote the BTAP movement and agenda. Thanks to the commitment of our members, over 300 civil society organizations around the world (not only BTAP members engaged in this Day of Action) organized numerous actions to demand from governments and legislators a stronger commitment to the fulfillment of their right to access budget information, participate in the budget decision-making process and, ultimately, hold their governments to account. All BTAP member actions were disseminated through BTAP s website and social media channels. This included the launch of campaigns, workshops, seminars, meetings with government, articles and press releases. It was thanks to BTAP member actions, retweets and dissemination of our Day of Action that BTAP s website received 4,634 unique visitors in September and 2,842 unique visitors in October. This inaugural Day of Action proved very effective and powerful. Through our actions we were able to prove the existence of a strong civil society movement demanding governments advance budget transparency and space for civil society engagement. As Sergey Gulyayeb, member of BTAP s Steering Committee, said This common action allowed us to feel part of something really big and powerful. Promotional efforts went beyond just engaging member organizations, we also reached out to other networks. Calls were set up with Paul Massen from OPG to discuss BTAP s Day of Action and how we could link to the OpenGov Community. The Coordinator also talked to Vanessa Herringshaw, Director of the Transparency and Accountability Initiative, to discuss how to link their technical assistance community to BTAP and engage them in the Day of Action. So far, we have been able to document the activities undertaken in 25 countries. Page 13

15 S T R E N G T H E N I N G B T A P M E M B E R S C A M P A I G N I N G S T R A T E G I E S T H R O U G H P A R T I C I P A T I O N T R A I N I N G Thanks to the in-kind support received from the Hewlett Foundation, three member organizations and BTAP s Coordinator received training from Purpose, an organization with expertise in movement building and campaign design. The objective of the assistance was to help us strategize and develop our national and international campaigning skills. The training was mostly focused on campaigning; however, some sessions were oriented towards troubleshooting and identifying solutions to our current challenges. This workshop was held in November in Mexico City. To open up opportunities for BTAP members, we invited national member organizations to submit a proposal explaining one of their ongoing or planned campaigns. We assessed these proposals and awarded spots at the workshop accordingly. We received 25 proposals and awarded three places at the workshop to CBGA (India), Gerad (Senegal) and Haki Elimu (Tanzania). The workshop was a very fruitful experience, both in terms of analyzing how BTAP has been operating in the past year, and also by providing key tools to improve our campaigning and citizen mobilization efforts. The workshop allowed us to identify the need to undertake strategic planning to define a specific international ask and to develop BTAP s theory of change. P R E S E N T I N G B T A P T O K E Y S T A K E H O L D E R S A N D D O N O R S During 2013, BTAP s Coordinator held meetings with the OGP Support Unit, the World Bank Institute, and, through GIFT, has engaged with the IMF. One-on-one conversations were held with several INGOs, including ONE, Publish What You Pay, Transparency and Accountability Initiative, Revenue Watch, Oxfam, Save the Children, Global Witness, New Rules, Global Local, Heinrich Boll, GIZ, Global Policy Forum. Although some of these were already BTAP members, it was important to present the movement s broader plans and to explore possibilities for further collaboration. The Coordinator, who is based in Mexico, met with representatives from the Ministry of Finance in Mexico several times to present the movement and develop a common agenda to advance BTAP in the country. To present the movement to key donors, the Coordinator met with the Hewlett Foundation, Open Society Foundations (OSF), Kellogg Foundation and the Ford Foundation. During these meetings the Coordinator was able to present information on BTAP s current activities and future plans. Page 14

16 B T A P S W O R K I N G G R O U P S Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) Working Group During this past year, the organizations that make up this Working Group (WG) have continued to advance the ESCR agenda individually in their own countries. Their main collective effort was to produce a handbook for organizations interested in linking budgets and human rights, which will be released in The Article 2 & Governments Budgets handbook is intended to provide tools and lessons from around the world in holding governments to account for the budget decisions that affect their human rights obligations. Once this handbook is finalized, webinars will be held, the handbook will be made available online, and further opportunities to spread the word will be pursued. The ESCR WG also developed arguments and provided example based on the research and findings of its members, to the consultation carried out by the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty. This consultation sought to understand the human rights impact of fiscal and tax policies, and thus offered ample opportunities to build from the work of the members of this WG. For more information on this Working Group, go here. Maternal Health Working Group In 2013, five members of the Maternal Health WG participated in a maternal health conference in Arusha, Tanzania convened by the Government of Tanzania and the Maternal Health Task Force. The participating organizations were PAC (INDIA) CAD-MALI, Kinal Anzetik (Mexico) INISIATIF (Indonesia) and IBP. IBP proposed a panel on examples of impact on maternal health budgets and took charge of convening these organizations. Members individual agendas on Maternal Health have continued to advance. Organizations like INISIATIF, for example, published research on monitoring the implementation of the global strategy for women and children's health. Like the ESCR WG, the Maternal Health WG has undertaken joint activities when concrete opportunities arise. In collaboration with the ESCR WG, a set of budget-related recommendations were provided for the development of the UN s Technical Guidance on and Human Rights Based Approach to Reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity. For more information of this WG, go here. B T A P S L E S S O N S L E A R N T A N D O U T S T A N D I N G C H A L L E N G ES Page 15

17 During the past 2 years, BTAP has focused on numerous objectives and has undertaken numerous activities. However, some of these have been more successful than others. As a nascent movement, it is crucial to extract lessons learnt and identify outstanding challenges, and to work towards solving them and strengthening and consolidating the movement. What has gone well? BTAP constitutes the possibility of having an international arena composed by CSOs from different regions with the capacity to promote content and criticism to push governments and society into a more transparent and accountable system with a strong level of participation. The Dar es Salaam Declaration is important because it binds members to a set of principles and outcomes. BTAP is, potentially, a powerful Southern voice in a very technical space that is linked to a rights perspective. It is considered a powerful voice because there are no other movements of this nature. BTAP is a robust community linked to the international space. BTAP s Day of Action was effective in galvanizing members enthusiasm for joint action. The 5 Make Budgets Public NOW! Campaigns were effective in underscoring the demand for better information in these countries, achieving the publication of key budget documents that were not published before in at least two countries. What are the key challenge? BTAP needs to develop a global advocacy agenda and not merely react to external drivers of activities. BTAP needs to develop a distinct identity, differentiated from other international campaigns, initiatives and organizations. BTAP s members must be able to develop a common agenda that links national concerns with the global sphere. BTAP must continue to work on positioning itself politically in a changing environment. BTAP members need to be more connected to each other and become more engaged in the broader movement. Limited funds to operate. BTAP s Steering Committee must continue to work on consolidating the movement, strengthen their role as committee members, and function as regional nodes. Page 16

18 F I N A N C I A L R E P O R T J A N U A R Y D E C E M B E R Page 17