Board Members' Column
CIPE: Looking Back, Looking Forward

For democracy to succeed, the business community must become a leading advocate for market oriented reform and democratic governance. The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is dedicated to supporting counterpart organizations throughout the world in their efforts at building democracy through private enterprise and market-oriented economic reforms. As Chairman of the Board of Directors of CIPE, I am pleased to inaugurate the first issue of our newsletter and to share a brief history of the organization.

CIPE is committed to supporting a system of free enterprise and fostering democratic growth around the world. We view this growth not only as a direct benefit to the American business sector but also as a way to mobilize American and international private and public sector leaders to communicate their expertise to counterparts across the globe, thereby creating a foundation on which to build sound trade relations and possible future trade with more regions of the world.

Fifteen years ago, President Ronald Reagan and a bipartisan Congressional leadership forged the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) while the U.S. Chamber of Commerce founded CIPE to join with the NED as a force to foster a new era of free-market growth and development.

Our strategy is to encourage legislative and economic reform by supporting private sector associations and leaders worldwide through informal-sector research and advocacy, economic analysis, business and economic education, business association development programs, and privatization packages.

Over the last fifteen years, CIPE has been privileged to be part of one of the great transition periods in history. We were formed just as the democratic transitions in Latin America and the Philippines began. The fall of the Berlin Wall created a whole new series of challenges and opportunities, as has the slower but equally significant process of gradual reform in China. Most recently, the Asian financial crisis has exposed the weakness of economic systems built upon authoritarian political systems and personal relationships between business and government.

We want to use the occasion of our fifteen year anniversary both to survey and reflect on what has worked and what has not, as well as to craft a renewal of our strategic approach along with partner organizations throughout the world. During the next year, we will be undertaking evaluative surveys and studies, as well as hosting a series of conferences to set strategies for the future. We hope you will participate with us in this endeavor, and we look forward to your support throughout the year.

William S. Kanaga, Chairman