Tunisia: US Commits Support to the Community of Democracies

Media Note
Washington, DC
February 9, 2012

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Officials from the United States and more than twenty countries will convene in Tunis, Tunisia on February 9-10 for the inaugural meeting of the Community of Democracies Tunisia Task Force. The United States will be providing $5 million to support priorities emerging from the work of the Task Force and the broader Tunisian transition to democracy.

In July 2011, Secretary Clinton and other leaders participating in the Vilnius Ministerial of the Community of Democracies announced the creation of the Democracy Partnership Challenge to support countries in the midst of promising democratic transitions. Tunisia and Moldova were selected as the first two countries to participate in the initiative based on their commitment to consolidating democratic gains, their potential for future progress, and the strength of their applications.

This week’s meeting of the Tunisia Task Force will bring together officials from countries represented at the Vilnius Ministerial and representatives of civil society. Participants will work to channel support to priority areas identified by the Tunisian government and civil society, including: public administration reform, security and judicial sector reform, regional development, and efforts to strengthen civil society.

Each Community of Democracies Task Force is co-chaired by a long-established democracy and a country that has recently come through the transition process – the Netherlands and the Slovak Republic co-chair the Tunisia Task Force; the Moldova Task Force is co-chaired by the United States and Poland. For information on the Moldova Task Force, please visit: www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/12/178396.htm.

ENDS