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Benin joins International IDEA as its 30th Member State

December 08, 2016 • By David Rosén

Today, Benin joined International IDEA as the 30th Member State of the organization. At the Council meeting held in Stockholm today, Member States approved Benin’s membership application and welcomed Benin, represented by Ambassador Eusèbe Agbangla, to International IDEA.

The Republic of Benin will be the seventh country from the African continent to become a Member of International IDEA (in addition to Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa).

"We are very pleased to welcome Benin’s membership to International IDEA. The accession of Benin to International IDEA comes at an opportune moment. Benin will not only be the first Member State from the African Francophone community, but also be of particular value to IDEA’s Africa Programme and strengthen our presence and relevance in West Africa. I am delighted to note the solid popular support for democracy in Benin and its strong commitment to democratic institutions and practices.

I believe that Benin’s democratic progress and real-life experiences can provide useful lessons to other countries in the region. International IDEA is keen to draw on the lessons from Benin to enrich our comparative knowledge resources and to collaborate with Benin on relevant issues and processes, such as the constitutional review process, political finance and the role of civil society organizations in democracies. We are determined to establish a strong partnership with Benin and live up to Benin’s expectations of its engagement with International IDEA", says Yves Leterme, Secretary-General of International IDEA.

About the authors

David Rosén
Advisor, Climate Change and Democracy
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