Press Release: ECHO partners’ Annual Conference: Better partnerships to provide better assistance for the victims of humanitarian crises

On 6 and 7 November 2003 ECHO, the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office, held its annual partners' conference in Brussels. The event brought together EU non-governmental organisations involved in implementing ECHO-funded humanitarian operations. During the conference a new framework partnership contract with 130 NGOs was signed. The main purpose of the new agreement is to improve the quality of aid given to victims of humanitarian crises, while promoting more transparent and effective management of European public funding for humanitarian aid. This year, for the first time, NGOs from the countries about to join the EU will be amongst the signatories. The contract will be signed by four NGOs from Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/echo/partners/conference_2003_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/comm/echo/partners/conference_2003_en.htm

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