VZCZCXRO0209
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHCO #0875/01 3200806
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160806Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0008
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1193
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0323
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
RUEHLS/AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
RUEHLMC/MILLENIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000875 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/W, AF/EPS, EEB/IFD/ODF:VBELON 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO USAID AND PEACE CORPS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY (ADDITIONAL ADDRESSEES) 
 
E.O: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EAID ETRD ECON EWWT MASS PTER KMCA
BN 
 
SUBJECT:  PARLIAMENT WELCOMES USG'S TOUR D'HORIZON ON US/BENIN 
COOPERATION AND FOCUS ON MCA-BENIN 
 
COTONOU 00000875  001.4 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  In a November 13, 2007 speech, the Ambassador outlined 
major elements of the USG/Benin cooperative partnership for economic 
growth and trade, investing in people, poverty reduction, 
anti-corruption, and regional peace and security in a well-attended 
National Assembly session in Porto Novo.  Assembly President 
Mathurin Coffin Nago warmly welcomed and thanked her for the USG's 
support of Benin and its development objectives.  In an afternoon 
session, Mr. Simon Pierre Adovelande, National Coordinator for the 
Millennium Challenge Account Compact (MCA-Benin), accompanied by the 
MCC Resident Director and Deputy, explained the program and 
addressed the legislators' questions and concerns about Compact 
projects.  Given the Assembly's decision-making role in policy 
reform, its support will be key to the success of MCC Compact 
projects.  End summary. 
 
¶2.   The Ambassador's November 13 speech before Benin's Parliament 
focused on the dynamic partnership between the USG and the 
Government of Benin (GOB), which features cooperation with a range 
of national and international interlocutors from the GOB, civil 
society, and NGOs to bilateral and multilateral donors.  She said 
that the partnership was based on shared goals of investing in 
people; fostering economic growth and development via assistance and 
trade; combating corruption, and trafficking in drugs and people, 
and terrorism; protecting human rights and promoting regional 
stability, including maritime awareness, peace and security.  She 
highlighted various USG programs including those implemented by MCC, 
USAID, Peace Corps, DOD, DOS, NOAA, CDC, and the African Development 
Foundation. 
 
¶3.  MCC:  Noting the extensive, collaborative development of the MCA 
Benin program with all elements of Benin's society, the Ambassador 
outlined significant USG contributions via the MCC program and 
highlighted the four-part program's main elements. These include: 
promotion of access to markets, notably via reform and extension of 
the Port of Cotonou, access to land (formalization of land titles) 
and access to financial and justice sectors.  While praising Benin's 
implementation of the Compact, she also warned that continued 
eligibility for MCC support depends on meeting selection criteria, 
principally for anti-corruption, a serious constraint to growth and 
development. 
 
¶4.  USAID:  USAID programs with a range of domestic and 
international development partners invest in people, notably in the 
education and health sectors, and promote democracy, gender 
equality, anti-violence against women, and anti-child trafficking. 
USAID programs, such as the Women's Legal Rights' Project, have 
resulted in new laws to protect children, women and the family. 
Also, Benin's selection for the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) 
and the Women's Justice and Empowerment Initiative (WJEI) was in 
large part due to the country's comitment in these areas. 
 
¶5.  Peace Corps:  Celebraing 40 uninterrupted years in Benin in 
2008, Peae Corps programs and its current 98 Peace Corps Vounteers 
reinforce U.S. and Benin priorities.   P activities focus on 
investing in people and support the Millennium Development goals for 
education, health, community health and HIV/AIDS.  Other priority 
program areas include: decentralization, development of the private 
sector, information technology, and gender equality. 
 
¶6.  DoD:  Political military cooperation under DoS and DoD programs 
focuses on professional training under IMET for the members of the 
Beninese Armed Forces (BAF) for work with civil society, members of 
the press, civil authorities and institutions of government on 
themes relative to peace keeping and the fight against terrorism. 
Under ACOTA, U.S. teams trained BAF for deployment for regional 
peacekeeping and provided requisite equipment.  ACSS also since 1999 
has presented seminars for senior civil and military personnel on 
issues related to civil society and security. 
 
¶7.  ADF:  The African Development Foundation has funded projects in 
agro-processing, soap production, construction of rural roads, and 
improvement of medical care and infant nutrition. 
 
¶8.  Other USG Programs:  Small grants, human rights, refugee and 
humanitarian assistance programs support grass roots projects, 
including support for democracy, the fight against female 
circumcision, election observation, publication of laws, and 
anti-child trafficking efforts.  In conclusion, the Ambassador said 
that the USG and her Mission would continue to work hard with Benin 
on current programs and to seek opportunities for future 
cooperation. 
 
//MCA-BENIN SESSION// 
 
COTONOU 00000875  002.4 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶9. In the afternoon session, the MCA-Benin National Coordinator 
outlined the unique quality of the MCC Compact, which gave to Benin 
the opportunity to define the major obstacles to growth in Benin and 
develop programs to address them.  Adovelande's presentation 
carefully explained the consultations with civil society, 
government, and the private sector that led up to the Compact and 
the objectives of each project.  He used this opportunity to 
reiterate to the representatives the consultative process and his 
interest in continued consultations with the Assembly. 
 
¶10.  The representatives expressed support for the Compact, posted 
questions, and raised their concerns at length.  Many complained 
that the Benin Compact does not specifically support agriculture in 
a country that is primarily agricultural.  Several asked the U.S. to 
help Africa by reconsidering its policy of subsidies for U.S. cotton 
producers.  Others were disappointed that education was not part of 
the Compact and wanted more attention paid to micro-credit programs 
and direct help to small entrepreneurs.  However, many other 
representatives praised the compact and its management and committed 
themselves to its support.  A number of the representatives' 
questions related to previously shared and publicized information on 
selection of locations, especially for land titling and construction 
of courthouses.  The National Coordinator well-used this opportunity 
to present carefully crafted and pertinent answers, demonstrating a 
leadership and elegant patience that is his trademark. 
 
¶11.  The MCA-Benin National Coordinator is concerned especially 
about the Assembly's development of national policy on the 
formalization of land titles.  This was a special focus of 
journalists as they questioned the Assembly President.  President 
Nago refused to go into details, preferring to emphasize the role of 
the legislators in reviewing the facts and making thoughtful 
decisions on the options to be presented to them.  He firmly 
expressed the Assembly's commitment to address this subject and to 
support the Compact. 
 
¶12.  Comment:   There was broad positive print and media coverage of 
the "good news" USG outreach and presentation at Parliament.  Not in 
recent memory, if ever, had a bilateral mission shared a country's 
cooperation program with lawmakers in such a fashion, according to 
the MCA-Benin National Coordinator who warmly appreciated the 
Ambassador's role and commitment.  The speech and MCA-Benin 
presentation laid the groundwork for the Assembly's future 
cooperation with the Compact.  This is significant, because the 
Assembly decision-making role in policy reform will be essential for 
many of the MCC Compact projects.  End comment. 
 
BROWN