Five quick questions to the EDD Ambassador
Ambassador Krister Kumlin is head of the EDD secretariat at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA). We caught up with him between a meeting with the Americas Department and a videoconference with the European Commission.
First of all, what does EDD stand for?
EDD stands for European Development Days. This event will take place on 2224 October and is an open forum on international issues and development policy organised by the European Commission and Sweden. Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson and Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Karel de Gucht will be hosting the event, which this year is being held under the theme of "Citizenship and Development". We are expecting about 4 000 participants from all over the world to gather for this event and to make sure there is room for everyone, it will be held at Stockholm International Fairs in Älvsjö.
2) Which international VIPs will participate?
It´s a strong line-up already. The people that immediately come to my mind are the freshly re-elected José Manuel Barroso, Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus, financial mogul George Soros, Morgan Tsvangirai, Ellen-Johnson Sirleaf and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss Kahn. On the Sweden side, there is Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson and Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt.
3) How can the general public take part in the EDD?
The EDD will be the largest meeting during the Swedish Presidency. And most important, it is entirely open to the public. Anyone who wants to come can come. And that is precisely what were hoping for. Young and old, development experts and generally curious people. The only thing they need to think about is to register before October 16 at www.eudevdays.eu. Then all they have to do is turn up. And hopefully they will tell their friends and family about it.
4) Who are the people you are working with on the EDD?
There are only a few of us but at the same time there are quite a lot of us. There are actually only six people working at the EDD secretariat, but I think we have put all the departments at the MFA to work on this, not to mention our close contacts with the Prime Minister´s Office and other ministries. We are also working with Sida, which is responsible for a lot of the contacts with the civil society and the events taking place outside the fair venue. And of course we are working very closely with the European Commission in Brussels and its experienced EDD team.
5) How are you able to pull off such a huge event?
Advanced planning, straight-forward communication and competent and committed staff. That is crucial. The EDD must be the toughest meeting I have ever organised because it will be taking place at so many levels where the variables are endless. The UN, the EU, embassies, government agencies, ministries, departments, organisations, VIPs, security staff, interpreters, the media and thousands of other interests that have to fit together. You have to be stoic and flexible, but also firm and ready to insist. And whatever you do, don´t forget to laugh!
