BENIN: 4TH COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES MINISTERIAL DEMARCHE

UNCLAS COTONOU 000860 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR DRL/MLGA, Laura Jordan PARIS FOR D'ELIA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM KDM UNGA BN SUBJECT: BENIN: 4TH COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES MINISTERIAL DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: STATE 151024 ¶1. On November 6, the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) delivered reftel demarche to Mr. Raymond Vignikin and Mr Thomas Adoumassh, respectively Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, Francophonie and the Beninese Diaspora. Mr. Raymond Vignikin, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cyril Oguin, the Beninese Ambassador to the UN are designated to represent the GoB at the 4th Community of Democracies Ministerial that will take place November 14-17 in Bamako, Mali. ¶2. The DCM underscored that the issue of democracy is of great interest to the USG and that Americans spare no effort to advance and support democracy all over the world. She provided background information regarding the holding of the ministerial as far as the USG support to that event is concerned, and pointed out the 5 thematic roundtable subjects that the meeting would address. She urged the Beninese delegates to play a leading and active role in the deliberations at the five thematic roundtables as Benin is a model of democracy in Africa and as such has the experience of democratic governance and success stories to share with the community of democracies. ¶3. Also, the DCM urged the Beninese delegates to focus particularly on the thematic roundtable on the Institutional and Political Environments for the Promotion of Democratic Governance in order to highlight the important need to stress the complementary nature of democracy and Islam. ¶4. With reference to the thematic roundtables number 2 and 3, the DCM encouraged the delegates to present Benin's MCA experience and particularly to highlight MCC/MCA programming intended to reduce poverty and to bring about sustainable human development and democratic governance. She also encouraged the GoB to support the setting up of the Secretariat of the Community of Democracies in Warsaw and to foster the OAS/AU cooperation. In the same vein, she urged the GoB to ratify the African Union's charter on Democracy, Governance and Elections. ¶5. Recognizing the democratic achievement of Benin and the crucial role that his delegation would be expected to play at the ministerial, Mr. Raymond Vignikin pledged that they would do their best to meet all the expectations of the USG. He told DCM that they would prepare to contribute to successful discussions during the roundtables. Mr. Thomas Adoumassh stated that the Beninese Mission at the UN had been approached with an eye to serving as Chair at one of the thematic roundtables. He added that no decision had been taken in this regard. Mr. Adoumasse reiterated the GoB's commitment to supporting any initiatives aimed at advancing democracy in Africa including the African Union's Charter on Democracy, Governance and Elections. BROWN