PARALLEL CONFERENCES SEEK TO COMPLEMENT--AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001132

SIPDIS

NEA FOR PDAS CHENEY, DAS CARPENTER, ARPI, PI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2015
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM KMPI KPAO BA
SUBJECT: PARALLEL CONFERENCES SEEK TO COMPLEMENT--AND
COMPETE WITH--THE NOVEMBER FORUM FOR THE FUTURE

REF: MANAMA 1094

Classified By: CDA Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. The November 7-8 Parallel Conference of the
Forum for the Future (PCFF) will bring together civil society
(CS) organizations from the BMENA region and the G8 to
discuss common issues. The GOB has said that it will support
the PCFF only if its agenda does not overlap with the four
BMENA Civil Society Dialogue thematic meetings sponsored by
Bahrain, the U.S., the UK, and Qatar, which it strongly
supports. PCFF organizers hope that they will be allowed to
present to ministers at the Noveber 11-12 G8-BMENA Forum for
the Future. Other local Bahraini activists are considering a
"second parallel conference" to discuss local issues, and may
stage public protests. End summary.

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PARALLEL CONFERENCE OF THE FORUM FOR THE FUTURE
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2. (U) NEA/PI TDYer and Poloff met with Abdulnabi Al Ekry,
coordinator of the Parallel Conference of the Forum for the
Future, which will take place November 7-8 (reftel). Al Ekry
is a member of the Bahrain Human Rights Society, but is
organizing the PCFF in his personal capacity. He reported
that the PCFF agenda will include six items:


1. Sustainable development

2. Reform, democracy, and human rights

3. Toward a stable and peaceful region (regional
conflicts, nonproliferation)

4. Women,s issues: empowerment and political
participation

5. Youth

6. Relationship between G8 and BMENA (including trade,
culture, technology transfer)

Al Ekry said that GOB officials have questioned the need for
the PCFF. He said he explained that while participants in
the Civil Society Dialogue thematic meetings would be
selected by the governments, a wider group of NGOs would
participate in the PCFF (the organizers are planning for 105
non-Bahraini participants) and a wider range of topics
discussed. He said that the committee had applied to the GOB
for financial support but would not ask for a permit to meet
because the committee is not registered. He said he has
approached European governments for funding and is interested
in applying for MEPI funds. He is asking G8 governments to
persuade the GOB not to put obstacles in the way of the
meeting, and welcomed U.S. suggestions of NGOs to invite.


3. (U) At the G8-BMENA Forum, Al Ekry envisions a small
delegation from the PCFF presenting to ministers, along with
representatives of the 4 civil society thematic meetings. He
said that the GOB has said they may support this approach,
although he said the GOB and UK Ambassador in Bahrain have
emphasized that the PCFF should not duplicate the thematic
meetings. He agreed with that approach, and said that to
avoid duplication the PCFF will not discuss women,s economic
empowerment and that transparency will not be a separate
agenda item.


4. (C) In a conversation with Charge, Shaikh Abdulaziz bin
Mubarak Al Khalifa, MFA Assistant U/S for Coordination and
Follow-Up, confirmed that the GOB would support the PCFF only
if the issues it considered are "BMENA themes" and are
different from those discussed at the CS thematic meetings
sponsored by Bahrain, Qatar, the U.S., and the UK. He said
that he might raise the potential participation by the PCFF
at the Forum at the planning meeting in London on September 9.

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A SECOND PARALLEL CONFERENCE, AND POTENTIAL PROTESTS
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5. (C) Separately, some local political societies are
considering holding a "second parallel conference" and public
protests that would focus on Bahrain-specific issues. Jasim
Al-Ajmi of the Bahrain Transparency Society told NEA/PI TDYer
and Poloff that the organizers include the now-closed Bahrain
Center for Human Rights, the Cairo Center for Human Rights,
religious groups, and the Bahrain Committee on the
Unemployed. Both Al-Ajmi and PCFF organizer Al Ekry said
that they planned to meet with organizers to discourage them
from a second parallel conference and protests. MFA's Shaikh
Abdulaziz told Charge that the GOB would not support the
meeting because focusing on one country's issues runs
contrary to the BMENA initiative, which is region-wide. The
GOB sees the Forum as an opportunity for Bahrain to showcase
its reform efforts, and would not support events that would
embarrass it.


6. (C) In a press conference on July 28, Shaikh Abdulaziz
was quoted as saying that Bahraini authorities would not
allow demonstrations during the Forum because "such
activities are against the spirit of the Forum itself ...
which is focused on the issues of the greater Middle East,
and is not a forum for local issues." Speaking later to
Charge, he said that the GOB expected demonstrations and that
he did not believe that any peaceful march would be
prohibited. However, he said that the GOB would not support
protests by the societies organizing the "second parallel
conference" on Bahrain's or any other country's issues.


7. (U) Minimize considered.
ZIADEH