State Department to Fund Governance and Political Participation

In a written statement, the State Department announced it will provide $1.5 million in funding to the Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD), through its U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) office, to support open governance and political participation in the Middle East and North Africa.  The funding will be provided to Jordan, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, as the governments work with civil society organizations to increase government transparency and accountability. The four areas of focus for improvement within each government are: fiscal transparency; access to information; disclosures related to senior public officials; and citizens’ engagement. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said, “the real choice is between reform and unrest,” the desire being for reform to be chosen with inclusive economic growth to follow.