DEMARCHE: CONVENING GROUP COALITION MEMBER

1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4-5.

SUMMARY


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2. (U) This year's Community of Democracies (CD) Ministerial
is scheduled for November 2007 in Bamako, Mali. Based upon a
set of participation criteria, countries are invited to the
ministerial as full participants, as observers, or are not
invited at all. The decision of which countries will be
invited to the CD Ministerial is taken by the CD Convening
Group (CG), a coordinating body of 16 countries of which the
United States is a member. The CG members 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. The
initial step in this process is the preparation of a report
by the non-governmental International Advisory Committee
(IAC), organized by several NGOs affiliated with the CD
process. The IAC issued recommendations to the CG on which
countries to invite to the ministerial. The CG has just
begun its deliberations but final decisions are not expected
until the end o
f July, at which time CD Chair Mali will send official
invitations.



3. (SBU) The IAC recommended that Iraq not be invited for
the 2007 ministerial. In May 2005 Iraq, before it held
national elections, was an Observer in Santiago. Each CG
member will undertake its own evaluation based on the CD
Criteria for Participation and Procedures, which provides the
norms for the participant and observer categories. The IAC
recommendations are not binding but we want to ensure that
Iraq is not excluded from the 2007 ministerial. The U.S.
believes that Iraq should be invited as a full participant to
the 2007 CD Ministerial in Bamako. Initially, we intend to
share our view, with countries with personnel in Iraq,
countries with a direct stake in ensuring that democracy
succeeds in Iraq. End Summary.

OBJECTIVES


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4. (SBU) Posts are instructed to pursue the following
objectives:

-- Urge host governments, members of the Convening Group, to
support full Participant status for Iraq for the November
2007 Bamako CD Ministerial.

-- Convey to governments that while the situation in Iraq is
difficult on the security side, the Iraqis have made
considerable progress in developing their democracy,
including holding national elections in December 2005 and
passing a Constitution in October 2005.

-- Convey our sense that Iraq's attendance as a full
participant will provide a positive incentive for the Iraqi
authorities to continue to make progress on democracy.

-- Press host governments to lobby other members of the
Convening Group to ensure full participant status for Iraq.

-- Resist any effort on the part of host governments to
downgrade Iraq's status to Observer or non-invited.

-- Should host governments indicate intent to downgrade Iraq
to Observer status, press for concrete reasons for such a
determination.



5. (SBU) Posts should also highlight positive steps that
have been taken since the May 2005 ministerial including most
notably:

-- Iraqis have completed three successful nationwide
elections, voted for a transitional government, drafted the
most progressive, democratic constitution in the Arab world,
approved that constitution, and elected a new government
under their new constitution.

-- In October 2005, Iraqi voters approved a new permanent
constitution.

-- In December 2005, nearly 12 million Iraqis chose a
permanent government in free elections under the new
constitution.

-- In April 2006, Iraqi leaders announced an agreement on the
top leadership posts for a national government uniting Sunni,
Shiite, and Kurd.

-- In January 2007 the Council of Representatives passed a
law that established an Independent Higher Election
Commission, and Iraqis are now in process of selecting those
commissioners.

-- The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), the entity
monitoring and largely implementing the UNSCR 1546 democracy
program, and subsequent UN resolutions have praised
specifically Iraq's commitment to and achievement of
democratic institutions.

-- The current government is inclusive, with most of the
parties except Iyad Allawi's Irakiaya, the Al Sadr Stream,
and Saleh Mutlaq's group outside, for a total of about 200 of
the 275 legislators in the government.

-- Reflecting its democratic, inclusive vocation, the
government has announced a major program of reconciliation
with insurgents, Sunnis, and Shia radicals, including a
revised oil law, constitutional reform, de-Baathification
reform, and communal elections.

-- The Sharm Al Sheikh Neighbors Conference and the
UN-sponsored International Compact Meeting, both held in
Egypt in early May 2007, are the latest manifestations of
Iraq's acceptance in the region and the international
community as a democracy.

REPORTING DEADLINE


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6. (U) Posts should report results of efforts by cable to G
- Joaquin Ferrao, DRL/MLGA - Laura Jordan, and IO/RHS -
Rachel Leatham before May 10.

BACKGROUND


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7. (U) The Community of Democracies includes over 120
countries with (nascent or developed) democratic governments
which have committed to promoting democracy around the world
and sharing their unique experiences and lessons learned with
others. The U.S. has been an active supporter of CD because
we view it as a unique forum where democracies can act
together to address issues of democracy and human rights.
More information about the Community can be found at
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/c10790.htm.



8. (U) The Criteria for Participation and Procedures set out
the basis upon which countries are to be judged for Observer
or Participant status. The Criteria for Participation and
Procedures are available at
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/26085.htm.

POINT OF CONTACT


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9. (U) Please contact DRL/MLGA - Laura Jordan at
202-647-0293 or via email for any necessary further
background information or argumentation to meet our
objectives.
RICE