In the framework of the project “Supporting the Activities of the Community of Democracies and its Task Force on Moldova”, representatives of the ICDT attended several meetings aimed to enhance the work and future prospects of the intergovernmental organization, at the end of February in Geneva and in Ottawa, subsequently.

At the 7th meeting of the Governing Council (GC) of the Community of Democracies (CoD) in Geneva on February 26, the plenary session decided on several important issues regarding future activities and the mandate of the organization’s Working Groups. Several expert reports were presented on recent democratic developments worldwide, urging further initiatives to support countries in need, such as Mali.

ICDT’s colleagues also visited Ottawa after the GC meeting to discuss related issues with their Canadian counterparts chairing the Working Group on Enabling and Protecting Civil Society. An aim of the meeting was to strengthen the cooperation of different Working Groups and to review the establishment of a brand new Working Group raising awareness on situations where democracy is being threatened. Another topic of the discussions was the long-term goal of transforming the CoD into a stronger international organization. During their visit, ICDT representatives also met with distinguished colleagues of notable development agencies to share best practices and discuss future cooperation possibilities supporting the activities of the CoD.