International Advisory Committee Releases Recommendations on Invitation Process of the Community of Democracies
March 30, 2007
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The recommendations of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) for the invitation process of the Community of Democracies (CD) have been released this week.  The CD Convening Group, the body responsible for issuing invitations to the upcoming November CD Ministerial in Bamako, Mali, expressed appreciation for the IAC report at a recent meeting there earlier this week according to ISC member Morton Halperin.  Members of the International Steering Committee for the Community of Democracies Non-governmental Process also issued a letter of endorsement. 

The IAC’s recommendations have been formulated after a year long effort aimed at strengthening the legitimacy of the CD by providing it with impartial expert advice on which countries should receive invitations to the ministerial.  The study focuses on 46 borderline countries in terms in democratic governance, covering 35 countries with in-depth reports and 11 which are presented in shorter “watch list” reports.  The individual country reports are available at the Democracy Coalition Project’s web site.  The Convening Group promised to give careful considerations to the IAC report, and will make their decision on invitations by June.

The report concludes that 100 governments be invited for participation, with another 17 being recommended for observer status.  Russia, Iraq, Thailand, Fiji, Venezuela, Bahrain, Timor-Leste and Armenia were among the 54 countries that the IAC suggests not be invited.  The IAC press release says that they “took no position regarding the 16 governments which make up the CD Convening Group…”  These countries are: Cape Verde, Chile, Czech Republic, El Salvador, India, Italy, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, South Africa and the United States.

Below you will find the documents that accompany this report.

Relevant Documents:

The Full Report: IAC Statements and Recommendations on Government Invitations
IAC Press Release: Experts Issue Invitation List for Global Club of Democracies
ISC: Letter of Endorsement of IAC Report