Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) - Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros

The political and economic development of Madagascar and the Comoros and the depth and breadth of our bilateral cooperation have been held back by cycles of political instability, weak governance and corruption, and crippling levels of poverty and inequality. [...] businesses, advocate for policies that improve the ease of investing and doing business in Madagascar and Comoros to attract trade and investment in support of job creation and the countries’ inclusive and sustainable development. [...] Though the GOM economic strategy cites “good governance and institutions” as a priority, corruption, enforcement of laws and regulations, access to and the quality of civil and criminal justice, and government accountability for the quality and availability of public services remain formidable challenges. [...] In election cycles in both countries, the Embassy will continue its work to bolster institutions and emphasize in diplomatic and public communications the importance of independent and transparent election institutions and operations to improve the credibility of the democratic process. [...] In addition, work under this Mission Objective supports the Africa Joint Regional Strategy (Objective 3.3) and the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Strategy (Goals 2 and 3) by bolstering transparency, accountability, and access to justice, improving state legitimacy in the eyes of the African public, and by strengthening civil society and independent media for democratic and accountable.