PARIS, December 5, 2007 — The Fifth Mauritania Consultative Group met on December 4-5, 2007 in Paris, France and was attended by a large Mauritanian delegation led by Zeine Ould Zeidane, Prime Minister, and more than 40 delegations representing development partners and international institutions. One of the unique aspects of this Consultative Group was its joint organization and close collaboration between the World Bank (which operates the Secretariat), the European Union, and the United Nations Development Programme. Over two days, participants examined the Government of Mauritania’s national development strategy, priority action plan, and background documents and expressed their support for the efforts to which the Government is committed. After this work, participants lauded the quality of the sectoral presentations and the Government’s work, as well as the visibly participatory nature of the process of defining and implementing the Strategic Framework for Poverty Reduction (Cadre stratégique de lutte contre la pauvreté, or CSLP II). With regard to the financing needs base, partners committed to granting external assistance valued at US$2.104 billion to finance Mauritania’s 2008-2010 development plan. Some of these partners advised that the financial amount of their aid would be specified at a later time, following ongoing discussions with the Government. During the discussions, several development partners contributed valuable recommendations that the Government said it will take into account in its sectoral plans. The development partners reiterated their commitment to promoting the spirit of the international partnership for MDGs and to being party to the commitments set forth under the Paris Declaration. The Government made a commitment to pursue and intensify its poverty reduction efforts, speed up reforms to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and maintain a prudent budgetary and monetary policy. It also agreed, within the framework of agreements signed with the IMF, to ensure the sustainability of its external debt. In his opening speech, Prime Minister Zeine Ould Zeidane, who chaired the CG’s work alongside World Bank Country Director James Bond and Bouna Diouf, Director, TICAD/UNDP Africa Bureau, highlighted the context of the work of the Consultative Group. “ Mauritania is passing through a critical time in history marked by a successful democratic transition and the establishment of republican institutions.” He added that the Mauritanian authorities had made a commitment to “implement a program that has obtained the support of most Mauritanians, and of which the main pillars are building national unity, deepening democracy, good governance, accelerating economic growth, developing human resources, access to basic services, and combating poverty and inequalities.” The participants renewed their commitment to supporting the Government in its efforts to ensure the necessary harmonization and alignment of aid in accordance with the Paris Declaration and encouraged the Government to work on transparency in managing public funds, strengthening the quality of public expenditure so that the majority of Mauritanian citizens could benefit from the fruits of the nation’s wealth. They also praised the measures taken by the new authorities both with regard to eradicating the legacy of slavery, as well as the return of Mauritanian refugees to ensure national unity, the only guarantee of harmonious and sustainable development. Participants were invited by the Mauritanian Government to attend a December 6, 2007 meeting dedicated to mobilizing the private sector and promoting public-private sector partnerships, essential elements for supporting reforms, developing infrastructure programs, and attracting foreign direct investment. Bilateral partners in attendance at the Mauritania CG: Germany, Australia, China, Korea, Spain, the United States of America, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Qatar, the United Kingdom, and Tunisia. The following multilateral organizations were represented: the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development, the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the International Monetary Fund, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Saudi Fund for Development, the United Nations System [the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), UNESCO, UNIDO, and UNIFEM] and the World Bank Group. All documentation on the Consultative Group may be found at: http://www.tamwil.mr http://www.worldbank.org/mauritania |
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