2008 Speeches
Ambassador Mark M. Boulware participates in the Opening of the Caravan of Hope's Campaign Against Corruption
Ambassador's Remarks
Nouakchott, March 15, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today the government of Mauritania embarks on a vast new program as part of its ongoing efforts to eliminate the obstacles to the further development and the prosperity of the Mauritanian people. The Good Governance Program, conceived of by the new government, is a non-partisan campaign designed to counter corruption and instill a sense of national cohesion. The United States government is honored to be associated with this effort.
Much to its credit, the government of Mauritania has initiated many programs to address the issues of corruption and national disunity which it inherited from previous regimes. Mauritania’s elected leaders have proven that they take these problems seriously and are willing to take the necessary steps to eliminate them. The strides that the government has made in these endeavors have won the well-deserved applause of the international community. Mauritania’s efforts in creating genuine democratic institutions and bringing greater transparency to the business of government have not gone unnoticed.
In the future, when Mauritania’s efforts are reaping rich dividends, other countries, struggling with similar problems will be able to learn from Mauritania’s example. They will see that the success of any democracy is based on the citizen’s knowledge of their rights and, perhaps more importantly, of their duties as citizens. They will understand that in a genuine democracy, the actions of the government are transparent and intelligible to its own people as well as to the international community. They will know that one of the essential duties of the citizen is active participation in the political process of the country.
The greatest danger to democracy is the indifference and inattention of the citizens. Democracy demands hard work, we, the citizens, must be constantly alert to how we can work together to make our voices heard, assure ourselves that your choices are considered, and that our needs are addressed by representatives at every level of your government.
Over the past two and a half centuries, we in the United States have learned this hard lesson and are constantly working for a cleaner, more efficient, more responsive government.
As proud as we are that we, the United States, are often considered one of the best governed most transparent countries in the world, we must cope every day with neglect and corruption. City, state, and national personalities have been voted out of office or been forced to leave government because they have not been able to adhere to the honesty, openness, and leadership their fellow-citizens demand.
Also, in the past, we have been very concerned that the number of citizens participating in our elections has fallen dangerously low. And now, in the past decade, we have seen these figures change as citizens have become more and more interested in having their voices heard. Today in the elections taking place to chose our candidates for president in the November elections, more citizens have voted than at any other time in our history.
The work toward building a transparent and vibrant democracy in Mauritania continues. The successful elections of last year, the creation of governmental institutions such as the IGE, the respect that the dominant political parties show for the democratic process all bear witness to the steps Mauritania has taken to create a strong democracy.
The work, however, is not finished and the government of Mauritania is the first to recognize this. That is why it has launched this new Good Governance Program to educate citizens on their rights and duties, to enhance a feeling a national unity, to sensitize the people to the evils corruption. The government of the United States is privileged to have contributed to this program and pledges its assistance and cooperation throughout the Good Governance campaign.