Embassy Newscentre

Embassy News 2008

Ambassador Wanda L. Nesbitt with David Pottie, the Carter Center Assistant Director during the grant signing ceremony (Photo: Yacouba Soro/U.S. Embassy)

Monitoring and Electoral Observation in Côte d’Ivoire: US Supports Carter Center

Abidjan, November 7th 2008 -- The Government of the United States of America is pleased to announce that it has provided a grant in the amount of 200,000 U.S. dollars to the Carter Center to contribute funding the Center’s political monitoring and electoral observation project in Côte d’Ivoire.  The goal of the project is to support the peaceful resolution of Cote d’Ivoire’s political crisis through democratic processes and representational government.

The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former President of the United States Jimmy Carter and former First Lady of the United States Rosalynn Carter.  Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.  The non-partisan Carter Center emphasizes action and results and believes that people can improve their lives when provided with the necessary skills, knowledge, and access to resources.

In Cote d’Ivoire, the Carter Center will provide a credible and impartial assessment of the electoral process, including the pre-electoral preparations.   It will provide early warning assessments of challenges and issues that could reignite conflict and will conduct conflict prevention activities, as appropriate.  The Carter Center will deploy long term observers to monitor the identification and voters’ enrollment operations and short-term observers during the immediate election period throughout the country to monitor polling.  When possible, the Center will work in collaboration with Ivorian observer groups and other international observation missions.