United States Embassy and UNDP
Joint Press Statement

United States Gives Financial Support to Electoral Project in Mauritania

Joseph LeBaron, Ambassador of the United States to Mauritania, and Madame Cecile Molinier, Permanent Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), today concluded the signing of an accord by which the Government of the United States has agreed to provide funds to the UNDP to support the electoral process in Mauritania. 

This contribution of $200,000 will become part of the basket fund created by the project partners to finance electoral assistance in the country. The $200,000 contribution comes from USAID’s development assistance fund.

The amount represents only a part of the U.S. global contribution, through its Embassy in Mauritania, to promote democracy and free elections.  The U.S. Government has financed, as well, in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute, a multi-year democracy-building program.   The total amount of these contributions is approximately $1,000,000. 

Today’s agreement is within the framework of the memorandum signed in May between the Mauritanian Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, the President of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), the Chief of the delegation of the European Commission, the Ambassadors of France and Spain, and the Permanent Representative of the UNDP.

Under the terms of the memorandum, the signatory partners have designated the UNDP to manage the basket fund within the mandate conferred upon it by the General Assembly of the United Nations in order to coordinate electoral assistance between all national and international parties.

The funds are meant to support CENI, regional and local election officials, and other parties in conformity with those needs identified to and accepted by the project partners.

Nouakchott, July 19, 2006