While partnerships between MS and local organisations in the South will remain the key element in the MS in the South programme, increasing emphasis will be placed on stimulating South-South co-operation and networking.

This serves two different but mutually reinforcing objectives.
First, a greater sharing of experiences and interaction between the MS programmes will assist in finding new approaches and solutions to common challenges and problems.

Secondly, by providing better opportunities for MS partners to network among like-minded organisations within the region, these organisations may enhance their capacity and reduce their reliance on Northern donors.

To facilitate and strengthen South-South co-operation and networking, various strategies will be used:

Regional programmes

Assessment of potential for co-operation and networking within the geographical regions, MS is presently working in. This perspective has from the start been an element of the regional MS programme in Central America.

A policy paper for the Southern African region has also been developed. There is a need to carry out similar assessments of regional potential in East Africa and in the South Asia-region.
MS country programmes will plan for and carry out activities in support of partner organisations in neighbouring countries, as long as these activities form a natural part of the local MS policy paper and other overall policies of MS.

The exchange of experiences and personnel between the MS country offices forms part of a management strategy to facilitate South-South networking.

Such exchanges may include members of the Policy Advisory Boards (PABs) in the various countries of operation.

Role of TCDC

The MS Training Centre for Development Co-operation (TCDC), situated in Arusha, Tanzania, will invest part of its resources in developing training plans for organisational development aimed at NGOs in the region.

The training will be offered not only to MS-partners, but to other like-minded organisations as well.

Meeting Cultures with Openness is the name of MS' Programme of Principles which outlines the overall MS objective: 'To promote international understanding and solidarity, and thus through co-operation across national and cultural borders to contribute to sustainable global development and an equitable distribution of the riches of the earth'.

South-North dialogue

From the outset, the objective of the MS in the South programme has been to provide development assistance in the South and to influence attitudes in Denmark.

With the 1992 Board decision to put greater focus on the concept of partnerships, it is only logical to involve partners much more directly in MS' information and solidarity work, providing them with the opportunity to contribute towards setting the MS agenda.

The Southern perspective

From a South perspective, MS must consider how information about Denmark, about MS in Denmark and about the national MS-programmes can be communicated to relevant parties including partners and beneficiaries, PAB-members, MS-employees, other NGOs and the media.

Information DWs may be posted with a dual role of supporting the efforts of the MS programmes as such, as well as the communication work of a given local organisation.

In setting priorities for the information and solidarity work in Denmark, MS strives to involve and provide a platform for relevant parties in the South.

Ways of doing this includes posting professionals from the South in Denmark, producing articles, books, videos etc.
MS may also support national NGOs in their advocacy efforts by providing information DWs and/or by providing financial support.

The Northern perspective

In a Northern perspective, MS is able to present experiences from a series of partnerships and thereby to inform and influence the public opinion in Denmark on issues related to developing countries. An important aspect of this work is for MS to act as an intermediary between MS-partners and interested groups and organisations in Denmark, facilitating the establishment of mutually beneficial links.

The facilitation of these North-South links is seen to be crucial in promoting increased knowledge and understanding of development issues as they are perceived in both the North and the South. The facilitation of links is therefore a feature of MS' work which will increasingly be prioritised.

MS tries to link practical work in the field with attempts to influence political and economic issues which determine the lives of people in the South. Some of these issues are:

• human rights and democracy,

• trade, debt and investments

• quality of aid

• structural adjustment

• multilateral institutions.

The resources MS has are limited, but it is important that MS can use the experiences in the South in lobbying and advocacy work in the North.

Programme management and development

The decision to embark on the MS in the South Partnership and Development Programme was taken in Denmark by the highest decision making bodies in MS.
But the responsibility to implement the programme rests with the MS-country offices in the South.
In order to understand how the programme is managed, and how the relationship between MS in the North and MS in the South works, it might be useful to present the major elements of the structure.

Structure in the North

The management structure of MS in the North is as follows:

• The General Assembly

• The Board

• The MSiS Committee

• The Secretary General

• The International Department

The General Assembly consists of representatives elected among the 5.500 personal and 120 organisational members of MS.

The General Assembly meets once a year to elect an MS Board and to decide on issues such as the Programme of Principles, the Action Plan, the policy on Indigenous Peoples, etc.
Between meetings of the Assembly, the Board is responsible for the implementation of programmes and policies adopted by the General Assembly.

The day to day running of the secretariat (in the North as well as in the South) is the responsibility of the Secretary General, who is appointed by the Board.

The responsibility for all MS in the South activities rests with the Head of the MS' International Department.

This means that all Country Offices and Coordinators report to the International Department.

It is the responsibility of the Board to discuss and approve all Policy Papers from the MS in the South programmes. This is done after the MS in the South Committee, an advisory committee to the Board, has dealt with them in greater detail.

Structure in the South

As mentioned above, the programmes in the South are ultimately responsible to the Board of MS through the Secretariat in Denmark. At the country level, the structure is as follows:

• The Coordinator

• The Policy Advisory Board

• The Annual Meeting

Annual Meetings are held in each country/regional programme. These meetings are a discussion forum for MS, partners and DWs.

Each country programme devises a policy paper, outlining how the MS in the South principles are to be implemented.
The Coordinator is responsible for implementing this policy. (S)he does so in close co-operation with the staff of the Country Office, the majority of whom are citizens of the country of operation.

In acknowledgement of MS being a Danish organisation building on Danish history, values and norms, and to ensure incorporation of the intercultural aspect at the country office, the Coordinator is normally a Danish citizen.

To advise the Coordinator on how to implement the MS principles, Policy Advisory Boards (PABs) have been established in each country or regional MS programme.

The PAB is composed of a minimum of 9 members, elected or chosen from three different constituencies:

• 3 are elected among partners at the Annual Meeting;

• 3 are elected among the DWs at the Annual Meeting;

• 3 are chosen by the Coordinator among independent resource persons.

From a strictly formal point of view, the PAB has no decision making power. This rests with the Coordinator.

The terms of reference for the PAB make it very clear, however, that with regard to development of the Policy Paper, guidelines for the choice of partners, the Annual Report and similar general issues, the role of the PAB is in effect similar to the role of the Board of MS.

The chairperson of the PAB is invited to participate in the annual Policy Meeting in Denmark. This meeting is a forum for Coordinators, PAB Chairpersons, Heads of Departments and the Secretary General to discuss achievements of the programme and to decide on future directions. Members of the MS Board and the MS in the South Committee also take part in the Annual Policy Meeting.