CIPE, NED and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Launch Joint Initiative with Burkina Faso Government that Calls for Government, Civil Society and Business to Work Together
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (PRWEB) January 21, 2018 -- The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), along with the government of Burkina Faso, on Wednesday launched the groundbreaking Ouagadougou Declaration that advances the idea that business, government, and civil society must work together if a prosperous and democratic society is to be sustained.
“The Declaration is all about making Burkina Faso's society stronger; giving them the tools to govern better; helping them create sustainable prosperity which is the only real antidote for extremism, underdevelopment and social discontent,” CIPE Chairman Greg Lebedev said.
CIPE, along with World Movement for Democracy, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Africa Business Center and the Burkina Faso government jointly launched the initiative, which is aimed at engaging the private sector in democratic governance throughout Africa by initiating a dialog between business, civil society, and policy makers.
The declaration was witnessed at the end of a two-day conference in Ouagadougou, where participants discussed how the business community, working closely with government and civil society, can create better conditions for economic growth, political stability, and lasting security. Participants included Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou, and political leaders from Ghana and the Ivory Coast.
“An overarching goal of the conference is that the secret of successful democratic governance is the relationship between business, government, and civil society,” Lebedev said.
Africa is a key strategic partner for U.S. businesses, and the Chamber’s Africa Business Center is focused upon increasing trade and investment that will not only create new and innovative opportunities for both U.S. and African companies, but will result in closer ties between the United States, Burkina Faso and other countries across the African continent.
Ken Jaques, Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), http://www.cipe.org, +1 202-721-9245, [email protected]
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