Why does democracy matter for natural resources management?
“Democracy is key for inclusive natural resources management,” says Yves Leterme, secretary-general of Stockholm-based intergovernmental organization International IDEA. “Look at the examples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Botswana. Both rank among the most natural resources-rich countries in Africa, but it is the level of democratic governance that makes the difference between the two in terms of human development.”
Indeed, Botswana is a success story. Having ranked among the poorest places on the continent just over five decades ago, the country has transformed into an upper-middle-income economy. Invited to assume International IDEA’s rotational chairmanship in 2014 and co-host this year’s Annual Democracy Forum in the capital Gaborone, the country was also presented with a unique opportunity to share its experiences with a multitude of other country representatives, civil society actors and global development professionals.