VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #9741 0672220
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 082210Z MAR 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 0000
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0000

UNCLAS STATE 029741 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM MX PHUM PGOV PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: U.S. PARTICIPATION IN OPENING MEETING OF THE 
COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES WORKING GROUP ON POVERTY, 
DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE MARCH 12 
 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraphs 3-4. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶2. (U) This year's Community of Democracies (CD) Ministerial 
is scheduled for November 2007 in Bamako, Mali.  At the 
Santiago CD Ministerial in April 2005, participants 
established four working groups to develop democracy 
promotion projects and initiatives with the aim of meeting 
their commitments made under the Seoul Plan of Action and 
Santiago Commitment. The CD Convening Group (CG) was charged 
with organizing these working groups and making them 
operational to further the CD's work in between CD 
Ministerials, which occur every two years.  Mali as chair of 
the Community of Democracies (CD) has been working with the 
16 CG members of the Convening Group to activate the groups. 
Four CD working groups have now been put into place and have 
begun work to develop and implement theme-specific concrete 
projects as deliverables at the Bamako Ministerial, the theme 
of which is the relationship between democracy and 
development.  On March 12 the CD Working Group (WG) on 
Poverty, Development and Democratic Governance wi 
ll hold its first meeting under the leadership of WG Chair 
Mexico in Mexico City.  Subsequent meetings of the WG are 
slated to take place in Washington, D.C. End Summary. 
 
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OBJECTIVES 
---------- 
 
¶3.  (U) Department requests Embassy detail one emboff to 
attend the March 12 initial meeting of the Community of 
Democracies Working Group on Democracy, Poverty and 
Democratic Governance.  Department understands Embassy will 
also be engaged with President Bush's visit to Mexico on the 
same day, but it is essential that the United States, as 
member of all four CD WGs, attend the opening meeting of this 
group. 
 
¶4.  (U) Department sent separately via unclassified email the 
agenda and background for the March 12 meeting.  The Draft 
Program notes the anticipated outcome for the first meeting 
to be a document reflecting the discussion of the three 
roundtables scheduled for the day.  Please see background 
themes to specifically address the three roundtables, but 
post is requested to emphasize the need in each roundtable 
for subsequent WG meetings to initiate concrete project 
proposals to address issues identified in the course of the 
meeting.  Post should remain vigilant for any attempts to 
negotiate a political declaration, or to reach consensus on 
particular conclusions.  Post should use the Mexican Draft 
Program describing the expected outcome of the working group 
to oppose any such effort.  The document coming out of the WG 
should simply be a report on the discussion at the seminar. 
 
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REPORTING DEADLINE 
------------------ 
 
¶5.  Embassy should report results of efforts by cable to G 
Joaquin Ferrao and DRL/MLGA Laura Jordan by March 20. 
 
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BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶6.  (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. 
 
¶7. (U) At the Santiago CD Ministerial in April 2005, 
participants established four working groups to develop 
democracy promotion projects and initiatives with the aim of 
meeting their commitments under the Seoul Plan of Action and 
Santiago Commitment. The CD Convening Group was charged with 
organizing these working groups and making them operational 
to further the CD's work outside the CD Ministerial, which 
occurs every two years. 
 
¶8. (U) The current Chair of the 16-member CD steering group, 
the Convening Group (CG), is Mali.  Under Malian leadership 
the Convening Group has elected chairs for the four working 
groups, developed terms of reference for the working groups, 
and committed to developing and executing a concrete 
initiative or project before the Bamako ministerial in 
November of 2007.  The theme of the ministerial conference 
will focus on democracy and development.  Moreover, in 
preparation for the November Ministerial the Malians are 
hosting a seminar in Mali on March 29-30 entitled "Democracy 
and Development: Poverty as a Challenge to Democratic 
Governance."  The U.S. is firmly committed to focusing on 
concrete initiatives, and understands the Mexican government 
may place more emphasis on urging the CD to issue statements 
on democracy, poverty, and democratic governance.  Under 
Secretary Dobriansky conveyed this position to Mexican 
 
SIPDIS 
Undersecretary for Human Rights and Multilateral Affairs Juan 
Manuel Gomez Robledo during bilate 
ral meetings in January.  Post is requested to watch for a 
singular focus on statements and a final declaration for the 
Bamako Ministerial in November, and to push the WG to move 
forward with concrete, actionable efforts. 
 
---------------------- 
THEMES FOR ROUNDTABLES 
---------------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) ROUNDTABLE I: GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRACY - Under 
Secretary Dobriansky has spoken often on the theme of the 
 
SIPDIS 
Bamako Ministerial and that of this working group - the 
relationship between democracy and development.  In a January 
Freedom House event, Undersecretary Dobriansky outlined yet 
again the U.S. position on this topic: "There is 
international agreement that sustained economic growth and 
effective poverty reduction require government that is 
transparent, non-corrupt, and responsive to the needs of its 
people.  An independent legislature that creates laws 
ensuring an equal playing field is essential to lasting 
development, as is a judiciary that adjudicates fairly and 
reliably.  Only a democracy can harness the talents of all 
its citizens and allow them opportunities to realize that 
potential in the open marketplace of goods and ideas."  The 
role of civil society in promoting democratic governance 
should also be emphasized; their role is critical, 
particularly in emerging democracies. 
 
¶10.  (U) The 2002 Monterrey Consensus affirmed this idea, 
stating "Good governance is essential for sustainable 
development.  Sound economic policies, solid democratic 
institutions responsive to the needs of the people and 
improved infrastructure are the basis for sustained economic 
growth, poverty eradication and employment creation."  The 
Monterrey Consensus reinforces the notion and reality that 
respect for human rights, rule of law, gender equity, 
market-oriented policies, and "an overall commitment to just 
and democratic societies" are "essential and mutually 
reinforcing."  The Monterrey Consensus established the 
partnership between developing and developed countries that 
the Community of Democracies and this WG seek to fulfill. 
The U.S. firmly supports such a partnership, and seeks to 
support CD initiatives that promote good governance and 
democratic capacity building through technical cooperation 
and concrete initiatives. 
 
¶11.  (U) ROUNDTABLE II: DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRACY - There is 
a long-standing debate between developed (especially common 
law) nations and developing nations at the United Nations 
about similarities and differences between political and 
civil rights on one hand, and economic, social, and cultural 
rights (ESC) on the other.  In the U.S. view, economic 
development and democracy are mutually reinforcing; both 
goals can and should be advanced simultaneously.  Democracy 
can yield a range of tangible benefits by encouraging 
stability and good governance, which are essential for 
economic prosperity.  The developed world argues that respect 
and implementation for civil and political rights leads to 
conditions in which citizens can develop economically, 
socially, and culturally.  Much of the developing world 
however, argues that poor countries require development and 
fulfillment of ESC rights before they can fully protect civil 
and political rights.  Some have argued that developed 
countries have an obligation to provi 
de assistance to developing countries in order to permit 
those countries to fulfill ESC rights in their territory. 
Although we disagree, many developing country officials 
assume that the U.S. opposes all ESC rights.  This view of 
U.S. policy is incorrect.  The U.S. supports the Universal 
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which alludes to ESC 
rights, including rights related to an adequate standard of 
living, employment, and education.  The U.S., however, is not 
a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and 
Cultural Rights (ICESCR). 
 
¶12.  (U) From the time countries negotiated the ICESCR and 
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 
(ICCPR), governments and experts have recognized important 
distinctions between the two kinds of rights.  First, under 
the ICESCR, ESC rights are to be "progressively realized," 
and states are expected to fulfill these rights only in 
accordance with "available resources" and within their 
evolving capabilities.  In contrast, the civil and political 
rights contained in the ICCPR are to be immediately 
guaranteed by governments, without the kinds of 
qualifications accompanying ESC rights.  Secondly, generally, 
the ICESCR and other ESC treaties provide no remedy rights 
"violations," whereas governments are obligated to provide 
remedies for violations of civil and political rights.  These 
distinctions make sense.  ESC rights relating to health, 
housing, education, etc. are generally "positive" rights, in 
that they require major government expenditures, and 
associated discretion with respect to allocat 
ion of limited resources.  By contrast, civil and political 
rights often have more of a "negative" dimension, meaning the 
government must refrain from certain activities to guarantee 
them (e.g., not torture, or not interfere with free 
expression or religious belief).  Because of their 
characteristics, the U.S. views ESC rights as aspirational in 
nature.  Most other countries also view ESC rights through a 
political, not legal, lens.  (However, at the domestic level, 
some countries do provide for judicial enforceability of 
certain ESC-related rights, and we have no objection to such 
approaches.)  Department requests post to remain attentive to 
any countries that assert development (and associated 
achievement of ESC rights) must come before securing civil 
and political rights.  We do not accept "preconditions" on 
civil and political rights. 
 
¶13.  (U) ROUNDTABLE III: POVERTY AND DEMOCRACY - Closely 
related to the theme on Development and Democracy, the U.S. 
views the fight against poverty as a cornerstone in 
stability, but does not believe in a rights-based approach. 
A rights-based approach for economic, social, and cultural 
rights places an onus on States to interfere in the market, 
and to control social and cultural mores in ways that create 
opposite effects.  The U.S. disagrees with the view that 
poverty is a violation of human rights per the Vienna 
Declaration and Program of Action (VDPA).  The argument that 
poor or less developed countries cannot respect civil and 
political rights without first addressing development (ESC) 
issues does not bear out in reality.  CD President Mali, 
Benin, and other countries in Africa, as well as most of the 
Western Hemisphere, demonstrate that countries can respect 
the civil and political rights of their citizens, while 
working to realize and secure ESC rights. 
 
¶14.  (U) U.S. assistance programs such as the Millennium 
Challenge Account provide incentives for countries that serve 
both development and democracy aims.  Through MCC the U.S. 
grants substantial poverty alleviation assistance to 
countries with sound policies on ruling justly, investing in 
people, and fostering economic freedom.  In so doing, 
recipients help demonstrate the mutually reinforcing 
relationship between development and democracy, further 
encouraging good governance in the interest of economic 
growth. 
 
¶15.  (U) OUTCOMES - While we do not expect a final proposal 
on concrete projects that the WG could pursue as an outcome 
to the initial meeting, post should encourage countries to 
pursue such an initiative.  Simply sending a report to Bamako 
is not sufficient.  Post should determine whether there is 
any enthusiasm for having the WG focus on the negative 
relationship between corruption and development.  This topic, 
and particularly best practices, has been the subject of work 
in both the World Bank and OSCE.  If there is interest in 
pursuing this topic, the WG should agree to develop a 
proposal for further discussion in subsequent WG meetings. 
With respect to sending the report of the Mexico City Working 
Group as a contribution to the upcoming seminar in Mali, the 
U.S. position should be flexible, provided the report is not 
presented as the position of the WG. 
 
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POINT OF CONTACT 
---------------- 
 
¶16.  (U) Please contact G - Joaquin Ferrao at (202) 647-4096 
or DRL/MLGA - Laura Jordan at (202) 647-0293 or via e-mail 
for any necessary further background information or 
argumentation to meet our objectives. 
RICE