News

UNDEF Mission to Washiongton DC

The goal of the mission was to brief key UNDEF partners on the current state of operationalisation of the Fund, and to exchange ideas on priorities, policies as well as on outreach activities. The mission included meetings with senior officials of the State Department, National Security Council, USAID, senior staff on Capitol Hill, the Organisation of American States, (OAS), as well as with a large group on think tanks and civil society organisations working in democracy promotion, in particular NDI and IFES.

UNDEF visits the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the US State Department

Magdy Martinez-Soliman, Executive Head a.i.and Valerie de Campos Mello, Senior Policy Officer, with Mark Lagon, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs at the US State Department on 27 April 2006

Magdy Martinez-Soliman and Valerie de Campos Mello visited Ken Wollack, President of the National Democratic Institute in DC on 27 April 2006.

UNDEF visits the Organization of American States

Executive Head a.i., United Nations Democracy Fund visits Assistant Secretary Dante Caputo of the Organization of American States (OAS) on 28 April 2006.

Mr. Martinez Soliman and Mr. Caputo exchanged views on recent efforts to support democracy at the UN and at the OAS. Mr. Caputo briefed the UNDEF team on reform at the OAS, in particular on recent efforts to strengthen the OAS' political role and on its activities to strengthen democratic governance.

UNDEF attends International Foundation on Election Systems(IFES) Roundtable

IFES hosted key staff from the new United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) and leading democracy-building organizations at a roundtable on April 28. Acting Executive Head of UNDEF, Magdy Martinez-Soliman, discussed the purpose of the new fund and parameters for applicants. "While democracy has always been one of the United Nation's goals, for the first time, [it] has decided to put 'democracy' explicitly in a program with UNDEF," he said. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced the establishment of the fund in July 2005 to provide legal, technical and financial assistance and advice to new and emerging democracies. Martinez-Soliman also noted that the UNDEF is "not in the import/export business," explaining that the fund responds to local needs and does not support any single model of democracy.

Barbara Haig, vice president for programs, planning and evaluation at the National Endowment for Democracy, said that the establishment of UNDEF was welcome for bringing added legitimacy to funding democracy. It will be important, she said, to leverage strengths with other funding partners and set priorities to carry it through its long-term goals. IFES President Richard Soudriette concluded the roundtable, commenting that "IFES commends the establishment of UNDEF. It is an exciting initiative that really underscores the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights."

^ Back to top

Return to homepage