MALI HOLDS ROUNDTABLE IN BAMAKO FOR INTERNATIONAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAMAKO 000575 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W AND EB DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD AORC EAID ML SUBJECT: MALI HOLDS ROUNDTABLE IN BAMAKO FOR INTERNATIONAL DONORS REF: BAMAKO 493 BAMAKO 00000575 001.2 OF 002 1.(SBU) Summary: Mali held its sixth donors' conference for international partners June 12-13 in Bamako. The conference provided a forum for the GOM to present a series of economic growth, poverty reduction, governance, and Millennium Development Goal (MDG) programs and initiatives. Instead of pledging new commitments, as the Malian government had perhaps intended, traditional donors outlined existing programs of USD 6.5 billion for the 2008-2012 period. The U.S. delegation, led by the Ambassador, used the conference to highlight the U.S. assistance package to Mali, which makes us Mali's largest bilateral donor. Although one of the round table's central themes was improved donor coordination and harmonization, a noticeable failure to coordinate on the conference's final press statement triggered some controversy as the text jointly drafted by the Dutch and Malians was not cleared by the Canadian, French or U.S. delegations. End Summary. 2.(SBU) Mali's June 12-13 donor round table was co-chaired by Prime Minister Modibo Sidibe and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The round table was intended to reinforce cooperation between Mali and the international donor community by focusing on Mali's plans for reaching the Millennium Development Goals and increasing growth and reducing poverty. Over 250 individuals representing the Malian government, bilateral and multilateral partners, financial organizations, the private sector, and civil society participated. The Malian Ministers of Finance; Economy, Industry and Trade; and Agriculture all played prominent roles. International donors, which had agreed to cap representation at the Chief of Mission level in order to manage expectations for the conference, were generally represented by local Ambassadors or agency heads (reftel). China, Japan and several Arab and Islamic development organizations attended, as well as Turkey (which pledged USD 100,000) and Egypt (which expressed interest in technical exchange programs). The U.S. delegation was led by the Ambassador with assistance from the USAID and the MCC directors. 3.(U) Prime Minister Sidibe opened the conference with a comprehensive speech outlining the economic and social progress Mali has made despite exogenous shocks and continued instability in Mali's northern regions. He noted that Mali's economy continues to grow at an average of 5 percent annually, that school attendance is rising, access to water is increasing, and infrastructure developments expanding. The Minister presented Mali's plans for economic growth, poverty reduction, good governance, and its 10 year strategy for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. 4.(U) There was little in the way of new commitments, apart from the Turkish delegation, as donor contributions and engagement in Mali are already significant. Existing funding for Mali totals USD 5.3 billion for 2008-2011 and USD 1.2 billion for 2012. A joint commission will review the implementation of these engagements as well Mali's Strategic Framework for Growth and Poverty Reduction (CSCRP) on an annual basis. The Ambassador's speech highlighted U.S support for good governance while our USAID director provided an overview of U.S. food security programs designed to support 166 local communes regarded as vulnerable. The USAID director lauded the Malian government's new food security initiatives and encouraged the government to coordinate with on-going donor projects in affected communes. The MCC director discussed policy reform, noting that while significant resources are dedicated to infrastructure improvements, the impacts of these improvements in terms of poverty reduction depend on how they are managed. The MCC director encouraged effective and efficient management within the framework of public-private partnerships. 5.(SBU) As the current head of the donors' coordination group in Mali, the Dutch delegation played a central role during the conference and jointly drafted the round table's final press statement with the Malians. Unfortunately, they drafted the text without consulting with the French or U.S. delegations. The Canadian delegation, which participated to some extent in the drafting process, objected that some of their concerns were not reflected in the final document. When the statement was read to conference participants, the French Ambassador said it was difficult to react not having seen the document beforehand, while the Canadian Ambassador said Canada was not in complete agreement with the text. The Dutch delegation apologized but indicated that it believed BAMAKO 00000575 002.2 OF 002 that, as head of the donors' coordination group, it had the authority to negotiate with the Malian government on behalf of the entire donor community. At this point, Prime Minister Sidibe said he thought the document was a "close enough reflection of the discussions" and that the GOM and donors could move ahead. 6.(SBU) COMMENT: The donor round table was generally well-prepared and well-managed. The Minister of Finance and the new Minister of Economy stood out as particularly eloquent (and less defensive than other Ministers). The Minister for the Promotion of Women, Children and Families also gave a well-received presentation. One source of friction between the donors and the Malian government is the slow pace of reform and the donor community urged the Malians to implement key reforms in the economic, social and political spheres. Reaction to the round table's final press statement reflected the challenges of increased donor coordination in Mali. Although the round table did not produce any new developments, it provided a useful accounting of ongoing international support to Mali. MCCULLEY