Fact Sheet
Embassy of Hungary Center for Democratic Transition
Washington, DC
April 2006

Driven by the policy objective to promote democracy in the world, the Hungarian Government established a Center for Democratic Transition a year ago. The Center is located in Budapest, Hungary and it is fully operational. The Hungarian Government provided initial financial support of 350000 USD for the Center.

The idea of establishing the Center was raised two years ago at the 15^th anniversary of democratic change in Hungary. Hungarian Ambassador to the US András Simonyi and former US Ambassador to Hungary Mark Palmer proposed to create an institution, which gathers experience of democratic transition in Hungary and other Central European countries, and shares it with countries struggling with democratic reforms. In July 2004 Hungarian Foreign Minister László Kovács announced the initiative at a joint press conference with Secretary of State Colin Powell. Foreign Minister Ferenc Somogyi discussed the issue with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during his visit to Washington DC in April 2005.

The Center for Democratic Transition in Budapest is a unique institution, which provides assistance for democratic reform using first-hand experience of countries that accomplished political, economic and social transitions. The special experience of Hungary in “transition through negotiation” (constructive regime change involving ruling and opposition political forces) as well as that of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Portugal, Germany, Chile and others are central elements of the expertise that the Center utilizes.

An international Board of Directors and an Advisory Board of Government Representatives manage the Center. It operates in close cooperation with Governments and non-governmental organizations, in particular the Community of Democracies and the UNDP.

The Center focuses on practical aspects of democratic transition, in particular through launching training programs and field projects. The scope of the Center’s projects has no geographic limitation. The Center operates wherever there is a need and interest in drawing on the experience of democratic transition.

The first projects of the Center include:

- Strengthening local municipalities in Iraq

- Encouraging transition in Belarus

- Promoting the situation of women in the Middle East

- Assisting the consolidation of democratic reforms in the Western Balkans

The objective of the Center for Democratic Transition in Budapest complements the efforts of the transatlantic community to promote democracy, stability and security.