Bangkok--11 Jun--CIPE
Drawing proper linkages between democratic and economic development in post-conflict environments is crucial to the success of reconstruction efforts. Such success is often determined by countries’ ability to balance the immediate needs of the populace while addressing long-term institutional priorities. How can these two development objectives be addressed? Experience shows that for post-conflict societies to achieve sustainable stability and economic growth local civil society groups must be at the forefront of any rebuilding and reform efforts. Without local support, countries face reduced prospects of good governance, job creation, investment flows, and provision of public services.
Join us as we discuss the linkages between building democratic and free market institutions in post-conflict environments. By focusing specifically on the role of local civil society groups in these efforts, we will identify and analyze strategies for building domestic constituency for reform and avoiding aid dependency.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Rayburn House Office Building
Room 2255
*Breakfast will be served at 8:30*
To RSVP for this event, email [email protected]
Opening remarks by Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission). Ambassador John Herbst will discuss the U.S. Department of State’s strategy for post-conflict reconstruction.
Panelists:
John D. Sullivan, Executive Director, CIPE. (Moderator)
Oscar DeSoto, Director of Planning, U.S. Department of State.
Having served as a member of the U.S. Kosovo diplomatic mission and as the deputy director of the State Department’s Kosovo Crisis Task Force, Mr. DeSoto will focus in his comments on strategies for strengthening democracy in post-conflict environments.
Hamidullah Farooqi, Chief Executive Officer, Afghanistan International Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Farooqi will discuss strategies to mobilize the business community and engage it in the reconstruction process. Mr. Farooqi will also discuss the progress of reconstruction in Afghanistan and the ways in which the private sector has been both included in and excluded from the decision-making process.
Jafar Javan, Chief of Policy and Programme Development, Regional Centre for Europe and the CIS, United Nations Development Programme
Based at the UNDP’s Regional Centre in Bratislava, Dr. Javan oversees a number of post-conflict programs in the Balkans and former Soviet Union. He will discuss his experiences working in the region and the importance of including local stakeholders, such as the private sector, in the reconstruction process.
Martin Tisne, Associate Programme Director, Network for Integrity in Reconstruction, Tiri Mr. Tisne will focus on strategies to address corruption in post-conflict reconstruction. He will present lessons learned from case studies of 8 countries, focusing on issues related to accountability, good governance, and transparency in the reconstruction process.
The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is a non-profit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy. CIPE has supported more than 1,000 local initiatives in over 100 developing countries, involving the private sector in policy advocacy and institutional reform, improving governance, and building understanding of market-based democratic systems. www.cipe.org