FOURTH PARALLEL FORUM LAUNCHES NEW ERA OF HOPE FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SANAA 002313 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR DAS KENT PATTON NEA/ARP FOR NATASHA FRANCESCHI, NEA/PI FOR KENNETH GROSS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID KDEM KMPI PGOV PREL YM SUBJECT: FOURTH PARALLEL FORUM LAUNCHES NEW ERA OF HOPE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA ¶1. SUMMARY: Over 300 people, representing over 200 civil society groups, met at the Fourth Civil Society Parallel Forum in Sana'a on November 30-December 2 in order to tackle the issues of freedom of expression, the legal environment for NGOs, education, women empowerment, youth political participation and the private sector's role in promoting democratic reform. Six workshop groups devised concrete action plans in order to address these issues and also elected representatives to the upcoming Forum for the Future. The Parallel Forum published a report which described the "state of emergency" facing freedom of expression and the legal environment for civil society in the Middle East. Despite the serious obstacles which face civil society in promoting democratic reform, many participants hailed the Fourth Civil Society Parallel Forum as "a real revolution and new road" for civil society in the region. END SUMMARY. ¶2. Yemen hosted the Fourth Civil Society Parallel Forum to the Forum for the Future on November 30-December 2. The event was co-chaired by Germany and was funded by the U.S. State Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative and the British and Dutch Governments. The Parallel Forum was organized by a coalition of 28 Yemeni Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and attracted over 300 representatives from the government, private sector, civil society organizations, media, unions and syndicates from every country of the broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA), including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan. ¶3. According to Ezzadine al-Asbahi, the General Director of the Yemeni Human Rights Information Training Center and main organizer of the event, the main purpose of the Parallel Forum was twofold: 1) to create alliances and bridges between the government, private sector, and non-government organizations to advance democratic reform and freedom of expression, and 2) to identify tasks and action plans (not just issue recommendations). The 300 participants were divided into six workshop groups, which were given the task of coming up with action plans in different areas: a) Freedom of Expression and Opinion; b) Legal Environment for the Operation of Civil Society; c) Education and the Labor Market; d) Women and Political Empowerment; e) Youth and Political Participation; and f) the Role of Private Sector in Advancing Democratic Reforms. Each workshop group also elected four representatives to participate in the upcoming Forum for the Future. (Note: The Parallel Forum finalized the list of Civil Society Delegation members, who will attend official meetings at the upcoming Forum for the Future. The delegation consists of 56 members: 24 were selected by the workshop groups, another 30 were chosen by the Democracy Assistance Dialogue (DAD) Group and 2 were organizers of previous Parallel Civil Society Fora. End note.) STRENGTHENING CIVIL SOCIETY AND DEMOCRATIC REFORM -------------- -------------- ¶4. The workshop groups came up with the following recommendations/action plans: ¶5. The "Freedom of Expression" Group lamented the deterioration in freedom of expression throughout the MENA because no official mechanism for monitoring freedom of expression had been set up after the Third Parallel Forum (in Jordan in November 2006) and noted that there has been a lack of external pressure on MENA governments to respect freedom of expression. The group declared a "state of emergency" in the monitoring of official violations against freedom of expression not only by the governments, but also by extremist religious groups and big businessmen. The group recommended: a) civil society organizations should prepare "shadow reports" in response to government-published reports on human rights; b) the independence of the judiciary should be strengthened; c) they should organize fora on international laws/conventions on the "freedom of expression;" d) the governments' monopoly of the media should be ended and independent media organizations should be established; e) civil society organizations should be given the right to own media organizations; f) governments should have specific points of contact for members of the media; and g) defense SANAA 00002313 002 OF 003 mechanisms should be established in order to protect journalists. ¶6. The "Legal Environment for the Operation of Civil Society" Group demanded a) the cancellation of licensing procedures for civil society organizations (CSOs) and their replacement with a notification system; b) the cancellation of government powers to dissolve NGOs, unions and professional organizations; c) the cancellation of the restrictions on "freedom of assembly" and punitive actions connected to "freedom of assembly;" d) the promotion of private sector support of CSOs; e) the guaranteeing that NGO laws comply with international standards, coupled with reform of non-compliant laws; f) the forging of alliances between local and regional organizations on CSO legislative issues; g) technical assistance and capacity-building measures for CSOs on non-profit law and legislative reform issues; and h) greater coordination with the Arab League and the U.N. Human Rights Commission Rapporteur. ¶7. The "Education and the Labor Market" Group advocated for a) the holding of a workshop on special issues related to education and regulatory reform; b) conducting a study on the labor force in the MENA region; c) providing free education and training courses for the poor; d) involving more women in the literacy process; e) private sector sponsoring and funding talented students involved in scientific research; and f) the G-8 and international NGO financing projects to collect CSO statistics on education and the labor market. ¶8. The "Women and Empowerment" Group called for the adoption of a quota system in which women would hold 30 percent of positions in political parties and government offices. They also proposed publishing an annual report on the "Political Empowerment of Arab Women." The group devised an action plan: On March 8, 2008, they would officially launch the Arab Network for the Political Empowerment of Women Committee in Cairo, Egypt on the occasion of International Women's Day. They would then conduct public awareness campaigns between March-November 2008 and would publish the first "Report on the Political Empowerment of Arab Women" in December 2008. ¶9. The "Youth and Political Participation" Group told the Parallel Forum that problems with youth stem from the restrictive social environment, the voting age, the lack of alignment between skills taught in schools and the labor market, the mass media not adopting objective strategies and the lack of government involvement in youth development issues. The group recommended: a) increasing the participation of youth organizations in the political process; b) educating/training youth in how to participate in the political process; and c) canceling all laws which impede CSOs and youth organizations. The group plans to organize a workshop during the first half of 2008 on the relationship of youth and the labor market, followed by training courses and another workshop. ¶10. The "Role of the Private Sector in Advancing Democratic Reforms" Group indicated that the "private sector not only includes millionaires, but also small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)." The group recommended a) ensuring the independence of business associations and chambers of commerce from government interference; b) the passing of strong anti-corruption legislation; and c) education, training and capacity-building in harmonization of business skills with the labor market, attracting investment and discouraging capital flight. REPORT CRITICIZES LACK OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION -------------- -- ¶11. At the end of the Parallel Forum, a report was issued on the "State of Democracy in the Middle East and North Africa" which concluded that there are many unjustifiable restrictions on the freedom of association and expression which are embedded within legislation in the MENA countries. The Parallel Forum report also contended that it will be impossible to achieve any meaningful democratic transformation in the MENA countries without partnership with SANAA 00002313 003 OF 003 NGOs, other political stakeholders and a free and diverse media. The report called for legislative reforms which are harmonious with international standards for freedoms of association, expression and opinion. According to the report, the legal status of NGOs represents one of the cornerstones for the success of reform initiatives within MENA countries. The Parallel Forum report will be distributed at the upcoming Forum for the Future. A copy of the report may be obtained from the main desk at NEA/PI or from AmEmbassy Sanaa. A NEW HOPE . . . -------------- ¶12. Many participants, including those who often criticize such meetings, were very pleased with the outcome of the Parallel Forum. The spokesperson for the "Private Sector" group remarked, "When somebody asked me if there was hope for civil society and democratic reform, I responded 'Yes, there is hope.' Reform requires capacity and willingness, which have both been demonstrated at the Parallel Forum." According to Ezzadine al-Asbahi, this Forum differed from the other three for two reasons. First, there was open democratic dialogue. Second, representatives from government, the private sector and NGOs worked together as partners on difficult issues, whereas in the past, there was a lack of cooperation. He added that the Fourth Parallel Forum not only concentrated on recommendations, but also issued concrete action plans. AND A NEW ROAD -------------- ¶13. Nevertheless, the task ahead for civil society promoting democratic reform will be a challenging one. Al-Asbahi noted that "We have reached the start, not the end of the road. This will be the beginning of serious work and a hardship for us. CSO representatives at the Forum, when they return to their home countries, should promote coalition building with CSOs, the private sector and the government. They should task their governments to take this 'partnership' seriously. This is a task for all of us." COMMENT -------------- ¶14. The Fourth Parallel Forum was a success because its agenda was driven by internal civil society organizations in the Middle East and North Africa, not by external donors. According to one Embassy contact, it represented a "new phase and a real revolution for civil society in MENA" since it not only outlined problems and priorities, but came up with concrete solutions and action plans. Stronger coalitions between the government, private sector and non-government organizations may provide strong momentum for promoting further democratic reform in the region. End comment. ¶15. This report has been cleared by NEA/DAS Kent Patton. ¶16. Minimize considered for Sudan. SECHE