European Development Days (EDD)
European Development Days (EDD) is an annual event jointly organised by the European Commission and the country holding the Presidency of the EU. Sweden will be hosting this year's EDD on 22-24 October at the Stockholm International Fairs in Älvsjö. With several thousand delegates, it will be the largest meeting under the Swedish Presidency.
The purpose of the EDD is to create a dialogue on aid and development and to address urgent issues as well as more long-term challenges. The meeting itself is an open forum gathering all levels and groups of development actors in addition to the general public.
The EDD is also about presenting the EU as a development actor. Together, EU Member States provide more than half of total world aid, which gives the EU a key role in the development area.
Meeting place for many different actors
Heads of State and Government and ministers from donor and partner countries are invited. Nobel laureates and other prominent figures from the world of academia, business and arts are an important group of delegates. The EDD also serve as a meeting place for civil servants in the development sector, NGOs, social movements, the private sector and, not least, the public at large. The ambition is to create a forum under the slogan: Where Davos meets Porto Alegre".
The fourth edition
The year's event is the fourth in a row for the EDD. The previous editions were held in Brussels in 2006, Lisbon in 2007 and Strasbourg in 2008. This years theme is Citizenship and Development. Two of Swedens profile development issues will receive particular focus: democracy and climate change. The financial situation will be another theme.
The programme days include a number of high-level plenary sessions, round-table discussions with politicians, researchers, civil society representatives and the media. There will also be a 'Development Village' - an exhibition hosting countries, institutions, organisations and others who want to use this opportunity to present their ideas and projects to all EDD visitors. Seminars, performances and other activities within the fairgrounds will be organised by the European Commission, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sida and other exhibitors. Offsite, development-related events and activities will be held all over Stockholm.
