Council for a Community of Democracies

The November 13-14 visit to Washington of Mali’s President Amadou Toumani Touré served to underscore the connection between democracy, development and poverty eradication, a the theme of the 2007 Bamako Community of Democracies Ministerial Conference. That link took dramatic form with the November 13th signing of a $461 million Millennium Challenge Account compact at a State Department ceremony hosted by Secretary Rice and MCC CEO John Danilovich. The grant, one of the largest of ten awarded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation to date represents an incentive to democratic Mali, one of the world’s poorest countries in recognition of its record of good governance. That link between development assistance and democracy characterizes the MCC approach and was the theme of a Washington Post op-ed last year by CCD Chairman Robert Hunter.

That linkage was addressed by the MCC’s Chairman Danilovich, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and President Toure at the State Department ceremony. In his remarks, Danolivich noted that: “Mali represents the hopes and aspirations of millions of the African continent and around the world who yearn for freedom and prosperity. Mali is a model of how our country can maximize its assets and provide opportunities for its people.”He tied Mali’s commitment to democracy to its leadership of the Community of Democracies telling the Malian President:

"Your country's current chairmanship of the Community of Democracies, a coalition of over 120 nations that seek to strengthen democracy across the globe, is a testament to your commitment to advancing the mutual goals of democracy and economic development. Mali's focus and chosen them for the 2007 Community of Democracies' ministerial in Bamako is democracy and development. And we acknowledge the work of Under Secretary of State and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, who is with us today, is doing in this area. Democracy and development are inseparably linked. Democracy can yield a range of tangible benefits to the people of Africa by encouraging stability and good governance, which are essential for economic prosperity."

Secretary Rice went on to say “The compact that we sign today with Mali embodies our concept of transformational diplomacy and our commitment to democracy and development. And if I may just say a word here about you, President Toure: you are known as someone who is fundamentally committed to good governance and fundamentally committed to democracy. Thank you for that commitment. It is a wonderful example for the entire continent and for the world.”

The Malian President responded “we do share the values of democracy promoted by the United States and the democracies of world and we are members of the Community of Democracies which encompasses over one hundred countries in the world, which is why as our position of Chairman of the Community of Democracies we placed our tenure under the banner of Democracy and Development because we think that the two ideas are closely linked.”

Following the signing of Compact President Toure was attended a luncheon in his honor offered by the Center for Global Development at its Washington headquarters. A second public event on Capitol Hill at the Rayburn Building on November 14 allowed President Toure to reiterate many of his themes. Addressing the public at that event, the President of the nongovernmental Secretariat of the Community of Democracies Malian Oumar Makalou, spoke of the centrality of the role of the nongovernmental process to the CD and the partnership between civil society and government intrinsic to the international democracy movement.