Report of Activities 2007 - Club of Madrid

CLUB DE MADRID: REPORT OF ACTIVITIES 2007issued by the Club of Madrid, leaders were called on to look beyond short-term, nationalinterests in order to find solutions based on dialogue, cooperation, regional and internationalagreements and the integration of energy infrastructure.EUROPE:Participation in the 2nd European Development Days in LisbonIn early November, the Club of Madrid participated in the 2nd European Development Days inLisbon, a European Commission initiative. The debates focused on the implications of climatechange for cooperation between the European Union and developing partner countries.Government representatives from the EU and from African, Caribbean and Pacific countriesmet with representatives from United Nations and Non-Governmental Organisations to discusspossible common solutions for mitigating the effects of climate change on development.The high-level round table “Voices from Continents” held on 8 November brought togethermembers of the Club of Madrid and of the Global Leadership for Climate Action (GLCA)initiatives, as well as distinguished speakers from different continents, in a debate on theirrespective experiences as leaders in the management of climate change challenges and howthese interact with development cooperation.The European Development Days were set up with the aim of increasing public awareness onsubjects relating to development cooperation, such as the European Consensus for Developmentand how to enhance the efficiency of aid with a view to achieving the Millennium DevelopmentGoals. The first meeting for European Development was held in November 2006 in Brussels.About twenty Heads of State and Prime Ministers, plus over one thousand political leaders,members of civil society and renowned development experts participated in this meeting.Participation in the Community of Democracies Conference in MaliThe 4th Community of Democracies Ministerial Conference, from 14 to 17 November, inBamaki, Mali, brought together Ministers and governmental representatives from over 100governments and international organisations with about 75 representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations, political parties and think tanks from all over the world to debateon the importance of democracy for development.During the conference, the participants met in plenary sessions and in regional and thematicpanel sessions and drew up strategies for strengthening international cooperation in support ofdemocracy. The former Prime Minister of France, Lionel Jospin, participated in the workinggroups on behalf of the Club of Madrid and spoke in the final plenary session on theconference’s main theme – Democracy, Development and Poverty Reduction. He presented theorganisation’s contributions to the progress of democratic development and its work onexpanding access to energy as a poverty reduction strategy.The Community of Democracies was set up in June 2000, with a meeting of the Ministers ofForeign Affairs of over 100 countries held in Warsaw, Poland. The governments present at theConference adopted the Warsaw Declaration, whereby signatories undertook to respect anddefend a number of principles and democratic practices and to cooperate in promotingdemocratic government in their countries and elsewhere.At present, the Community of Democracies, which comprises 16 governments, meets regularlyto exchange information and coordinate its policies and activities. In November 2002, a second13/17