Samen naar een nieuw Mali (en)
An International Donors Conference in Brussels on 15 May 2013 brought together the International community to help rebuild Mali. After the conference the organisers, the European Union, French President François Hollande and Mali's acting President Dioncounda Traoré set out the steps ahead for the trouble country.
In 2012 Mali underwent one of the most serious crises in its history since independence. The crisis, involving the occupation of part of Mali by terrorist groups, and large scale abuses against the civilian population, plus a military coup followed by the opening of a period of transition towards a full return to constitutional order, has had major humanitarian and economic consequences.
Against this backdrop, Mali showed its resilience and its determination to examine the deeper causes of the crisis in order to find sustainable solutions. Mali also had the crucial support of the international community, in particular France, Chad and the African nations and organisations involved in the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA), which helped restore the unity and stability of the country.
The United Nations will shortly deploy a stabilisation mission which will build on the work done in particular by the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union. The return to stability opens up a political space for Mali within which a national dialogue will help bring about reconciliation; new foundations will be laid for initiating a comprehensive reform of public governance, establishing a new decentralisation policy and creating the conditions for sustainable economic and social development.
The EU made a prompt and substantial contribution to this process of political transition, restoration of stability, and relaunching of development, and is determined to continue its efforts to aid Mali.
Corruption has undermined people's faith in Mali institutions
The crisis Mali is currently undergoing is not economic and is not linked solely to external factors: it has revealed the fragility of the country's institutions and its governance problems, in particular corruption, which has resulted in a loss of credibility of the State institutions in the eyes of its citizens. It has shown the need for a public debate within Mali on the main political issues and the economic and social development challenges facing the country.
No development without security - no security without development
This crisis has not yet been fully resolved, in terms of a full return to constitutional order by free inclusive and transparent elections, the process of dialogue and national reconciliation, or the restoration of the State’s authority throughout the country. Against this background, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, the President of France, François Hollande, and the President of the Republic of Mali, Dioncounda Traoré, have taken the joint initiative of holding a high-level Donor Conference for Development in Mali, so that Mali can present its Sustainable Recovery Plan (PRED) for 2013-2014 and request the support of the international community in financing it. The conference is based on the principle that there is no development without security but also no security without development.
"Together for a New Mali"
The conference participants welcomed the adoption of the Transition Roadmap on 29 January 2013, all aspects of which they support. Its implementation constitutes a precondition for resuming normal international aid to Mali. They also welcomed UN Security Council Resolution 2100 of25 April 2013, which opens up encouraging prospects for the stabilisation of Mali and for its development.
The conference 'Together for a New Mali' considers that Mali does not need to be rebuilt because its administration withstood the consequences of the political and security crisis and the country was able to adjust its macroeconomic policy to the crisis situation. But the State institutions and governance practices need to be thoroughly overhauled in order to ensure sustainable development. Mali bears the responsibility for this reform, but the support of the international community is needed and is ready to put into action.
The title of the Conference reflects this shared ambition.
Together. Participating in the Brussels conference were the delegations of 108 countries, including13 heads of State and Government, a large number of Ministers for Foreign Affairs and senior representatives of regional and international institutions, together with representatives of local authorities, civil society (especially women), the diaspora and the private sector. 'Together' reflects the need for coordinated action by donors and the Malian Government on the basis of the priorities established by the Malian authorities, in cooperation with all the non-governmental players, to ensure that the people of Mali live better together in the future.
New: Mali needs new momentum - it needs to re-establish itself on the basis of the PRED (Plan for the Sustainable Recovery of Mali) presented by the Malian authorities and endorsed by the international community, who consider the plan to be ambitious and realistic.
Mali: The donors' conference concentrated on Mali without neglecting the regional aspects, in the conviction that Mali's development will contribute to the development and security of its neighbours and of the African continent. Support for regional infrastructure and regional coordination in security matters will be essential. On the basis of the twelve priorities identified by the PRED, the donors have undertaken to donate €3.25 billion to Mali in the next two years. The following aspects were stressed:
Governance: Donors’ support for the PRED and the fulfilment of their budgetary commitments will depend on the Malian authorities' determination to persevere in consolidating public-finance reform. Particular attention will be given to increasing internal resources (especially fiscal resources) and consolidating accounts with a view to setting up a single treasury account and to ensuring the transparency of public accounts and those of the extractive industries. The reform of the security forces, including domestic forces, the judiciary and the whole criminal justice system, must be pursued. The fight against corruption remains a priority, with donors welcoming the Government's approval of the draft law against illicit enrichment. Donors will carefully monitor the law's systematic application once it has been adopted. Better use must be made of the reports of the Office of the Auditor General. The increased capacity needed by the Malian administration to carry out this programme means that donors may well devote the bulk of their aid to building capacity in the national and local administrations. In line with the work undertaken in preparing the PRED, increased participation by the various stakeholders, in particular by civil society organisations, in the implementation of the Plan will help ensure good governance of the aid.
Balanced regional development and decentralisation: The development of Mali requires not only action targeted on the three regions in the north of the country, but also a strategy for the other regions, including that of the Niger river and the metropolitan area of Bamako. Decentralisation, accompanied by devolution of government departments and on-going reform of the state, must be resumed by speeding up the transfer of skills and resources from central government to local authorities and strengthening their role in governance and the provision of basic services. Donors are willing to consider channelling a significant and increasing proportion of their aid over the next few years to the local authorities, in keeping with the national institutions, whether for project aid or decentralised sector budget aid.
Private sector: The recovery of the Malian economy will be driven by support for the private sector, in particular job creation, the construction of transport infrastructure, an improvement in the business environment and easier access to credit (in particular microfinance), and support for the agricultural sector based in particular on sustainable family farming, with guarantees concerning water
management and energy access. Donors support the creation of an appropriate tool for rural development and regional planning.
Social sectors: The renewal of Mali requires an improvement in teacher training, a revised school curriculum and increased use of new technologies. In the health sector Mali must facilitate access to basic health services and implement policies to control population growth, which remains particularly high.
Inclusivity: There will be no development in Mali without the participation of all non-governmental stakeholders. Mali's partners will also help to strengthen Malian civil society. A proportion of international aid will go towards strengthening the dialogue between communities and helping people live together harmoniously. As shown by the preparatory meetings, non-governmental actors have plans, expertise and resources that should be exploited. The conference also considers that diaspora remittances must be facilitated both legally and financially in the interests of investment as well as consumption. Mali stands at a crossroads. The PRED constitutes a sound basis for mutual commitments by Mali and the international community. Implementation of the PRED requires monitoring and evaluation of the planned programmes and expenditure by means of budgetary documents, better statistics and existing donor coordination instruments. The mobilisation of this international aid depends on Mali keeping its commitments, and in particular implementing the necessary reforms with regard to democratic governance. The Government and donors will contribute by ensuring transparency, predictability, accountability and improved procedures and alignment of aid. The Malian authorities and the international community agree to provide high-level follow-up to the Brussels conference via meetings of representatives of the capitals at headquarters, held alternately in Bamako and outside Mali, and involving non-governmental stakeholders. The co-Chairs will take initiatives on this follow-up in the near future.
The development of Mali will be a long-term process. It requires mutual accountability and an increase in aid effectiveness. The PRED and the guidelines set by the conference will contribute to the effort. The Malian authorities must maintain their determination and the international community its support to ensure that the events of 2012 never happen again and that Mali is well on the road to sustainable balanced development.