The Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF-4) will be held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 29 November to 1 December 2011. HLF-4 will bring together ministers, government representatives, parliamentarians, civil society organisations and private sector representatives from across the globe. The overall aim of HLF-4 is to review global progress in improving the impact and value for money of development aid and make new commitments to further ensure that aid helps reduce poverty and supports progress in meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

Parliaments have a crucial role to play in development and aid effectiveness, particularly in improving a country’s ability to assume full ownership of national development policies and programmes and to exercise oversight of development expenditure. The Parliamentary Forum, organized by the IPU in cooperation with the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA), will focus on how parliaments and the IPU can help translate future commitments on development aid into a reality. The conclusions of the Parliamentary Forum will be presented to the plenary of HLF-4 as part of the IPU statement.