| Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC June 8, 2006 Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Agrees to Serve as U.S. Representative to the Board of the Broader Middle East and North Africa Foundation for the FutureThe Department of State is pleased to announce that former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has agreed to serve as the U.S. representative to the board of the Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) Foundation for the Future. The Foundation, which was announced in November in Bahrain at the Forum for the Future, will work to promote freedom and democracy in the broader Middle East and North Africa. It will be a multilateral, not-for-profit entity with a focus on providing financial and technical assistance directly to local non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, professional associations, and others in the region. To date, initial contributing governments have committed over $50 million to the Foundation, including $35 million from the United States through the Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative. Other financial contributors include Bahrain, Denmark, the European Commission, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Qatar, and the United Kingdom. The first meeting of the Board of Directors will occur later this month. More information can be found at www.foundationforfuture.org. 2006/600
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