Co-operation Agreement signed between Inter-American Development Bank and International IDEA

Press Release:

Co-operation Agreement signed between Inter-American Development Bank and International IDEA

Stockholm 27 May 1999 – The Inter-American Development Bank officially signed today a co-operation agreement with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). The agreement will facilitate co-operation between the two organizations on issues of common interest, such as democracy promotion in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The official signing ceremony took place in connection with a consultative group meeting (25-28 May 1999) on the reconstruction and transformation of Central America, organized by the Inter-American Development Bank, hosted by the Swedish Government and attended by heads of states, donor countries and multilateral organizations.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) was established in 1959 to promote economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean, and today has a membership of 46 nations. It supports the promotion of democracy in the region through governance, state reform and civil society programmes.

With a current membership of 17 countries and five international non-governmental organizations, International IDEA promotes and advances sustainable democracy world-wide.

The two organizations have agreed to co-operate closely in Latin America and the Caribbean and to adopt practical measures to facilitate the exercise of their mutually complementary activities. This co-operation will take place, in particular, in countries where International IDEA is involved in democracy promotion, such as Paraguay and Colombia, and in areas where the IDB has a role relevant to International IDEA’s activities. In addition, they will co-operate on issues of mutual interest, such as political reform. To this end, joint actions or programmes may be initiated by the two organizations to pursue their respective mandates and realize their shared objectives.

The agreement is not a financial commitment but rather an agreement to promote development initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean.

International IDEA (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance) was founded in February 1995. The Institute’s overall objective is to promote and advance sustainable democracy world-wide and to improve and consolidate electoral processes. To date, Members are Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, India, Namibia, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, the International Federation of Journalists, the International Press Institute, Parliamentarians for Global Action and Transparency International. The Institute also has co-operative agreements with the International Commission of Jurists, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Inter-American Development Bank. Switzerland also contributes to the work of the Institute.