On October 11, 2007, with the collaboration and support of the World Bank Institute (WBI), Mali, in its capacity as chair of the Community of Democracies organized a video conference to generate ideas and recommendations to share with countries and non-governmental organizations participating in the Community of Democracies Ministerial Conference on the theme of democracy and development and to add to the body of knowledge and to further discussions on the positive link between democracy and development.
The conference included representatives from governments, civil society, academia and the media in Chile, India, Mali, Senegal and the United States. Brief presentations were made by representatives of the Convening Group and International Steering Committee on the background and efforts of the Community of Democracies to fulfill its mission and why it chose the theme of democracy and development along with a presentation on the positive links between the two concepts.
Participants from the various sites were able to exchange their views on these topics with one another and to share their experiences and expertise.
One focus of the discussions was on how the Community of Democracies selected Democracy and Development as theme of the upcoming Ministerial Conference, in Bamako, Mali, November 14-17, 2007 which is based on the "conviction that democracy, sustainable development, peace and respect of human rights and basic freedoms are interrelated and mutually strengthening" as stated in the 2005 Santiago Commitment.
The following conclusions were the highlights of the discussions:
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The intrinsic value of democracy and how it is related to development outcomes
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Basic democratic values and ethics as a starting point of any development effort, including the important role of the political leadership and mechanisms for improving leadership practice
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The development of sustainable integrity through credible information, transparent access to information, an engaged society, a vibrant private sector, balance of power and well functioning institutions
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Importance of local solutions and the understanding of exceptional outliers like China in the analysis of the link between democracy and development.
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