Letter of Intent Between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Republic of Mali

Mali and Canada cooperation on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH)

This Letter of Intent is to confirm an enhanced Mali-Canada partnership under our common priority of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH).

The signing of this Letter of Intent is in the context of a visit to Mali by the Canadian Minister of International Cooperation, the Honourable Beverley J. Oda (Bamako, 22-25 August, 2010), and further to a visit to Canada by the Minister of Health of Mali, Minister Oumar Ibrahima Touré, who participated in the Muskoka G-8 Summit and the Halifax G-8 Development Ministers meeting.

Whereas Mali and Canada have had a long and fruitful partnership for approximately forty years;

Whereas Mali is one of seven African countries of focus within the Canadian international development framework;

Whereas Canada has witnessed significant development progress within Mali;

Whereas much progress has been made with respect to Millennium Development Goals targets and Canada notes Mali is on track to ensure food security, to achieve universal primary education and to provide safe drinking water;

Consistent with the Muskoka initiative on MNCH and working together with other donors, under this renewed partnership, it is agreed:

• That Canada will further support Mali's National Health Plan;
  
  
• That Canada will support increasing access to equipped and resourced local health facilities, with trained health workers;
  
  
• That Canada will work with Mali to train needed health workers to provide the assistance needed to improve the health of mothers and children;
  
  
• That Canada and Mali will work to increase the nutritional health of pregnant mothers and children under five;
  
  
• That Canada and Mali will work to enhance the coordination and integration of our development efforts and those of other partners towards increasing the effectiveness to reducing maternal and child mortality; and
  
  
• That Mali and Canada will look for innovative ways to achieve greater progress towards reaching the objectives of MDG 4 and 5.
  

Canada and Mali sign this Letter of Intent to confirm a MNCH partnership that will result in a better and more welcoming world for mothers and their children.

Signed by:

For the Government of Canada: Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation
For the Government of the Republic of Mali: General Kafougouna Koné, Minister of Territorial and Local Communities, Administration, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation