We, Non-Governmental Organizations from member countries of the European Union, appeal to the Heads of State and Government gathering at Laeken, to send a strong signal to the peoples of the world that the European Union is firmly committed to the eradication of poverty and to equitable, sustainable and socially just development.

To signal this commitment member states must make a strong statement on their desire to ensure a successful outcome of the UN International High-Level Conference on “Financing for Development” (FfD), to be held in Monterrey, Mexico, 18-22 March.

The High Level conference was called in response to the financial crises of developing countries in the 1990s, which threw hundreds of millions of people into abject poverty and led to social, political and economic strife for entire regions. It was called amid mounting evidence that the neo-liberal development model fails to deliver on its promises of wealth and economic justice and has in, fact, increased the gap between rich and poor, with particularly devastating effects on women in poverty.

Solutions can and must be found on core questions of international development and democracy, relating to the creation of nationally and internationally enabling environments for sustainable global development. Questions that must be urgently addressed include:

• A dramatic increase in aid levels to reach the UN target of 0.7%;

• the representation of developing countries in global economic decision making;

• the bolstering of national autonomy in deciding on the path to development;

• the elimination of  the crippling debt burden of developing countries;

• the control and taxation of crises-prone international capital markets;

• the raising of new and stable financial flows for development.

The Financing for Development Conference is an important opportunity for EU leaders to reaffirm their solidarity with the poorest people and to give a positive sign of their strong commitment to poverty reduction as a contributing factor for stability and peace.

We call on EU leaders at Laeken to help create a new global deal against poverty and in support of the achievement of the Millennium Goals which will galvanise the world's governments at the Financing for Development Conference to take full account of developing country demands for an equitable, sustainable and socially just global development.

For further information, please contact:

Rudy de Meyer, 11.11.11., Brussels, Belgium, tel: 02.536 11 61  or mobile phone 0478/ 679237

List of NGOs signing the Appeal:

Robert Zeiner, President, Austrian EU Platform (with 41 member organizations), Austria

Elfriede Schachner, Chief Executive, AGEZ, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (with 29 member organizations), Austria

Stefan Pleisnitzer, National Director, World Vision GEV , Austria

Rudy de Meyer, Head Research/Policy department, 11.11.11 (Coordination of the flemish North South Movement), Belgium

Gerard Karlshausen, Political Secretary General, CNCD (Centre National de Cooperation au Developpement), Belgium

Rafael Beneyto, Chairperson, ActionAid Alliance, Belgium

Yvon Bartelink, Genderdesk, UCOS (University Center for Development Cooperation), Belgium

Albert Gyan, Co-ordinator, Kairos Europa, Belgium

Luc Claessens, Director, Broederlijk Delen, Belgium

Isabelle Franck, Coordinator International Relations, Action Vivre Ensemble/Entraide et Fraternite, Belgium

Francois Gobbe, Associate, Kairos Wallonie, Belgium

Ted van Hees, Co-ordinator, EURODAD, European Network on Debt and Development, Brussels

Bjørn Førde, Secretary General, Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke (MS), Denmark

Christina Dela Widenmann, Coordinator, Danish United Nations Association, Denmark

Folke Sundman, Executive Director, KEPA (Service Centre for Development Cooperation), Finland

Sébastien Godinot, Coordinator IFI campaign, Amies de la Terre, France

Jens Martens, Coordinator International Relations, WEED (World Economy, Ecology and Development Association), Germany

Peter Eisenblaetter, Coordinator, Terre des Hommes, Germany

Mario Gay, President COCIS and Delegate of Italian NGOs to the EU, COCIS, Italy

Mario Pianta, Vice-President, Lunaria, Italy

Sergio Marelli, Director General, Volontari nel mondo – FOCSIV, Italy

Luca De Fraia, National Coordinator, Sdebitarsi, Italian Campaign for Debt Cancellation, Italy

Martin Koehler, Director of Programs, Campaign to Reform the World Bank, Italy

Raffaela Bolini, Coordinator International Relations, ARCI, Italy

Sabina Siniscalchi, Director, Manitese, Italy

Sjoera Dikkers, Director, Evert Vermeer Foundation, Netherlands

Ellen Verheul, Project Officer, WEMOS, Netherlands

Caroline Wildeman, Policy Adviser, NOVIB, Netherlands

J.C. Deggeller, Boardmember, WILPF Dutch section (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom), Netherlands

Hielke Wolters, Director,  OIKOS, Netherlands

Jose Manuel Lopez, Coordinator Social Action, Caritas Spain, Spain

David Llistar, Director, ODG-Observatorio de la Deuda en la Globalizacion, Spain

Marisa Santiago, Secretary General, Iniciativa Solidaria Internazionalista,  Spain

Marco Rizzardini, Secretary General, Acción Informativa BMD, Spain

Jean Pierre v.d.Bossche Lucas, Coordinator International Partnerships, Fundación Intervida, Spain

Richard Bennett, Co-ordinator, BOND, United Kingdom

Salil Shetty, Chief Executive, ActionAid, United Kingdom

Henry Northover, Policy Analyst, CAFOD, United Kingdom

Simon Burall, Executive Director, One World Trust, United Kingdom

Nick Priggis, Programme Funding Team, World Vision, United Kingdom

Bruno Gurtner, Senior Economist, Swiss Coalition of Development Organizations, Switzerland