CIVIL SOCIETY AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS MEET AT FORUM FOR THE FUTURE SOM IN ABU DHABI

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001222



SENSITIVE

SIPDIS



TUNIS FOR JOHANN SCHMONSEES

DEPT FOR NEA/PI, DRL/EX, AND NEA/EX



E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PHUM, PREL, PGOV, KMPI, XF, AE

SUBJ: CIVIL SOCIETY AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS MEET AT FORUM FOR THE

FUTURE SOM IN ABU DHABI



1. (SBU) Summary: The Fifth Forum for the Future's Senior

Officials' Meeting, on October 18 in Abu Dhabi, provided a venue for

civil society and government representatives to present their views

on a number of reform issues and discuss regional efforts to advance

democratic development. Tension flared between the two sides on

several occasions, in particular following accusations leveled at

the Sudanese and Mauritanian governments and alleged interference by

the Syrian government in civil society participation. Nevertheless,

the meeting moved the two sides measurably closer to the adoption of

a Partnership Document which would commit governments and civil

society organizations to work together in a more constructive

fashion toward democratic reform goals. End summary.



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Opening Statements --

Giving CSOs and Reform their Due

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2. (SBU) The Chair, Director of Diplomatic Training at the United

Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Ministry Dr. Youssef al-Hassan, opened

the Third Senior Officials Preparatory Meeting of the Forum for the

Future after a half-hour delay he attributed to technical

difficulties (which may have been partly due to a haphazard badging

process). In his acknowledgments he referred to civil society

representatives present as the "private sector" but quickly

corrected the term, recognizing that the Forum's preparation had

involved important input from civil society organizations (CSOs).

He set the tone for the day's meeting by citing the need for

partnership between governments and CSOs. Governments face many

difficult challenges due to instability in the security and economic

realms (in the first of many allusions during the Meeting to the

global financial crisis); the UAE, he mentioned, is looking to the

Forum to find solutions, and hopes that its outcome will provide the

basis for increased cooperation and partnership.



3. (SBU) The Japanese Co-Chair (as G8 President),Takehiro Kagawa,

Deputy Director-General for the Middle East at the Japanese Foreign

Ministry, used his opening remarks to express Japan's commitment to

the Forum process. Kagawa apologized for Foreign Minister

Nakasone's need to return to Japan the same evening, making it

impossible for him to participate in the following day's

Ministerial. (Note: Nakasone returned to Tokyo to participate in

Diet deliberations regarding Japan's refueling mission in the Indian

Ocean in support of US and NATO operations in Afghanistan. End

note.) While the FM would attend the Ministerial Dinner, Japan

would be represented at the Ministerial Meeting by the Senior

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Seiko Hashimoto.



4. (SBU) After asking the media to depart the room, the UAE Chair

called for the adoption of the agenda, in the absence of any

objections. The Oman delegation head intervened to request a change

in the translation of "reform" from the Arabic word "islah" to an

Arabic word closer to "development." The UAE Chair noted that

"islah" is a correct and standard translation that appears

throughout the Forum documents, and declared the agenda adopted.



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Political Reform and Women's Empowerment --

Civil Society Presentation Summaries

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5. (SBU) The next agenda item was the presentation by civil society

representatives of the findings of their preparatory working groups.

Presenters of the "Political Reform" rubric were unanimous in their

disappointment at the lack of progress since the Forum's 2005

inception. The UAE's Dr. Ebtisam al-Kitbi, a UAE University

professor, noted that reform was hampered by inequality, lack of

individual freedom, corruption, and suppression of free expression

in the form of Internet and satellite television censorship.

Al-Kitbi also condemned the role of militaries and other armed

groups in squelching dissent and free expression, citing the recent

coup in Mauritania and the exposure of journalists to violence in

"combat zones." (Al-Kitbi's intervention prompted a later rejoinder

from the Mauritanian delegate to the effect that the coup in his

country was a "correction" integral to his country's process of

democratization.) Egypt's Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim called attention

to his former imprisonment and current self-imposed exile, and noted

that the Forum's inception in 2005 provided a "spark of hope." That

spark is gone now, he said, owing to a lack of commitment on the

part of "the G-8 countries" (in an apparent reference to Co-Chair

Japan) to continue the process, thereby ceding the field to

authoritarian regimes. Dr. Abdul Husain Shaaban called for a change

in the culture surrounding reform, calling reform "not a luxury but

a universal need" and insisting that partnership with civil society

is "not a gift but a duty" on the part of governments. Dr. Shaaban

cited a list of changes in the legislative environment that would

need to take place before such a partnership could be realized,

including measures relating to the registration of CSOs, their



financing, their ability to network both locally and

internationally, and adoption of international norms against the

suppression of CSOs and detention of their members.



6. (U) The presenters of "Women's Empowerment" made a number of

recommendations, including the establishment of a regional "Gender

Institute." According to the first presenter, Nadia Ait-Zai of the

University of Algiers, the Institute would research and encourage

gender equality and social justice, facilitate exchanges in

expertise, and strengthen the relationships among CSOs working in

the field. Lebanon's Houda al-Khatib reported that the Women's

Empowerment Seminar recommended the adoption of quota systems to

insure the participation of women in at least 30% of political

positions; laws to end discrimination against women; adoption of

school curricula designed to end stereotyping; protection against

violence; the right of women to participate in all areas of economic

activity; and programs to promote women in leadership positions.



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Political Reform and Women's Empowerment --

Government Reaction and Discussion

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7. (U) Next came the government delegations' opportunity to respond

to CSO representatives. The delegation of the next G-8 Chair,

Italy, reaffirmed the GOI's commitment to facilitating constructive

dialogue between governments and CSOs "with respect for

sovereignty." Italy called attention to the Democracy Assistance

Dialogue (DAD) of which it is (with Turkey and Yemen) a sponsor,

expressing hope that the DAD's Partnership Document will be adopted

during the following day's Ministerial Meeting. The USG delegation

head DRL A/S Kramer noted that while it is encouraging to see many

CSOs enjoying a seat at the table at the Forum, it is important that

CSOs obtain a similar "seat at the table" in their own societies.

Kramer saluted the work of the Parallel Civil Society Forum that had

just concluded in Dubai. The Pakistani and Lebanese delegates were

eager to highlight their governments' commitment to gender equality,

citing the number of women in leadership roles in Pakistan and

recent legislative and political achievements in a Lebanon finally

free "to live in peace in the region."



8. (SBU) The CSO presentations had many government delegations on

the defensive, however. While welcoming CSO participation in the

Forum, stating that governments and civil society are "not enemies,"

and notably refusing to react to Saad Eddin Ibrahim's accusation of

wrongful imprisonment in Egypt, the Egyptian delegate described

reform as "a complicated process, full of errors and mistakes." He

expressed hope for CSOs' "mature participation" in the Forum and

that the Forum would not be used solely for criticism. He handed

the microphone to a female Egyptian delegation member, who endorsed

the CSO suggestion to establish a Gender Institute. The Syrian

delegate voiced his support for cooperation between governments and

CSOs, but noted that the SARG goal is to "advance our own

communities." He defended Damascus' record on women's empowerment,

averring that Syrian women participate in all spheres of life. The

Yemeni delegate stressed that his country is considered an "emerging

democracy" and that many important reforms are underway, but that

they need time and "external support."



9. (SBU) In a series of interventions, civil society representatives

and the UAE delegation called for increased participation by Saudi

women in upcoming Forum meetings and other settings. Bahraini

activist Abdul Nebi al-Akri pointed out that all participating

governments had accepted the notion of reform, but that a peaceful

process of reform had proved elusive. Lest civil society

representatives and governments be fated to merely "jump from one

conference to another," there is need for a coordinating authority

for civil society that will work on a continuing basis. The

Bahraini delegate welcomed these comments and noted that some

countries have moved faster down the path of reform than others, and

that participants must be frank and "acknowledge their mistakes."

The delegate also took a swipe at "superpower, super-rich countries

[that] have not played their part" (again, a probable reference to

Japan). He thanked the USG and UK for establishing and providing

funding for a Center for Entrepreneurship in Bahrain, but

acknowledged that the project had fallen through due to a lack of

commitment from other G-8 countries.



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Sustainable Development

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10. (U) First among civil society presenters on the Sustainable

Development topic was Tunisian Mohsen Marzouk of the Arab Democracy

Foundation, based in Qatar. Marzouk said CSO reps had examined the

issue of school curricula and recommended the inclusion of material

relating to human rights, as well as a Summit on Education to take

place in the second half of the current academic year. Presenter



Sheikha al-Shamsi seconded these curriculum proposals and suggested

also that governments should introduce more programs to prepare

young people for the job market. She proposed a fund for technology

and scientific development and an entrepreneurship center to be

located in the UAE, and called on Co-Chairs UAE and Japan to support

one or both initiatives. A representative of Masdar energy outlined

his company's plans to develop renewable energy projects in the

UAE.



11. (U) Fatima al-Abdali, a Kuwaiti activist, stressed the role of

the private sector in Sustainable Development, and reported that

Parallel Forum participants found that private sector organizations

suffer the same kinds of challenges as CSOs. Those institutions

nevertheless have a vital role in formulating policy and

legislation. The private sector should give something back to the

community, but governments must also support entrepreneurship and

training, enact United Nations-endorsed anti-corruption measures,

and cooperate with think tanks and the private sector on research

and development. Abdul Wahab al-Kibsi, of the Center for

International Private Enterprise in the United States, expressed his

hope that the financial crisis would not sideline reform efforts,

and noted that it is not economic liberalization that is to blame

for the crisis, but rather bad corporate governance and a lack of

disclosure, transparency, and accountability.



12. (U) The Egyptian and Pakistani delegates highlighted their

countries' commitment to vocational training. The UK representative

alerted participants to the danger that governments may conclude

from the financial crisis that implementation of reforms in areas

like education and renewable energy should be delayed. The fact

that so many governments and civil society representatives are

gathered together in one place sends a powerful message, however.

The French delegate seconded these sentiments and stressed the

importance of vocational training.



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Progress and Review -- Towards a Partnership

Document and the Future of the Forum

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13. (U) Following a break, discussion turned to some of the concrete

outcomes that the Forum would seek in this session. Organizers of

the Foundation for the Future presented a progress report on the

establishment of the Foundation's office in Amman and the funding of

several programs, and welcomed the participation of civil society.

Iraqi Kurd activist and former Human Rights Minister Bakhtiar

al-Amin noted the region's cultural and ethnic diversity and called

for the establishment of a regional "Diversity Center" to study,

promote and protect that diversity.



14. (U) Two presenters from the Democracy Assistance Dialogue were

given the floor. Ezzadin al-Asbahi of the Human Rights Information

and Training Center (HRITC) of Yemen called for revision and

evaluation of the Forum, including the setting of goals that could

be evaluated after one year. He called on the Forum to produce a

"single big project," with possible reference to the Partnership

Document. The Partnership Document project was expounded by Niccolo

Figa-Tallamanca of Italian NGO and DAD partner No Peace Without

Justice as a commitment by governments and CSOs to work together.

His comments gained the endorsement of the Italian, Bahraini,

Moroccan, Turkish and USG delegations, all of which expressed their

hope that a Document would be concluded and adopted at the present

Forum. The USG delegate stressed the continuing USG commitment to

the Forum and assessed that the clear willingness around the table

to examine work with the Document draft shows that the meeting is on

the road to adoption of the Partnership Document.



15. (SBU) Significantly, the Egyptian delegate also expressed

support for the adoption of the Partnership Document, although he

stressed that it must "enjoy the support of all parties and not just

a couple of delegations" and must remain in conformity with "our

national laws." (Note: Those laws restrict, among other things,

outside funding for Egyptian CSOs. End note.) The UAE delegate

seconded the Egyptian position with slightly warmer support for the

Document. Following the ejection by the UAE Chair of four Syrians

who had allegedly seated themselves in the civil society area under

false pretenses, the Syrian delegate did not return from the break.

Neither he nor the Tunisian delegate was present during the second

half of the Senior Officials Meeting.



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Last Fireworks

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16. (SBU) A few general interventions of note were launched before

the end of the meeting. Women's Empowerment rapporteur Amal

al-Basha, a Yemeni activist, decried the fact that several of the

original Forum agenda items had disappeared in successive Forum



sessions, as well as the lack of progress in legislative reform

since the start of the Forum process. She pointed out that Arab

governments are quick to rally around certain issues (such as

condemning the effort to prosecute Sudanese President Bashir and

indict the Sudanese legal system for its failure to act in response

to abuses in Darfur) whereas they had made no progress fulfilling

their reform commitments. Her example drew a passionate defense



from the Sudanese delegate, averring that the Sudanese legal system

is a model for the region, that international observers have been

invited to witness its functioning in the Darfur cases, that a

special prosecutor has been appointed, and that accusations against

the President ignore "facts on the ground."



17. (SBU) The Palestinian delegate called for a "new relationship

between developed countries and the developing world." He advocated

the discussion of the topics of terrorism and extremism in the

Forum, and for the adoption by the Forum of a call on Israel to

remove settlements. A Syrian activist based in Lebanon, Nour

Rostom, shared her observations as a newcomer to the Forum that

cooperation among delegations and civil society representatives has

been exemplary during the Forum but poor thereafter, resulting in a

lack of progress for four years. There is a demonstrable need to

work on implementation and enforcement rather than just aspiring to

reform; reform will follow such practical steps. Finally, there are

many issues that the Forum has had to elide due to a lack of time,

including the effects of violent conflict. Rostom suggested

extending the Forum schedule to several days.



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Wrap-up

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18. (U) The Japanese Co-Chair concluded that the presence of so

many participants from governments and civil society sitting

together at the Forum, in and of itself, carries "deep meaning." He

added that while the discussions are helpful, the Forum is not about

"dialogue for dialogue." Rather, there is an action-oriented agenda

for all participants. The financial crisis will affect societies in

the region, and government and CSOs must cooperate to get through

it. Finally, he expressed his satisfaction that the meeting had

brought the Partnership Document so close to conclusion. The UAE

Chair expressed his sense that the hard work of the Senior Officials

Meeting would pave the way for success in the Ministerial, and

brought the meeting to a close.



OLSON