SECOND POST-CONSULTATIVE GROUP FOLLOW-UP MEETING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SANAA 000256 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA/ARP FOR NATASHA FRANCESCHI AND ASHLEY BAGWELL, USAID/ANE/MEA FOR JWOOD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AID EAGR EAID ECON EFIN ETRD GCC PREL YM SUBJECT: SECOND POST-CONSULTATIVE GROUP FOLLOW-UP MEETING HELD IN YEMEN SANAA 00000256 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. SUMMARY: Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) officials, Gulf Cooperation Council representatives (including the Secretary General) and a large number of bilateral and SIPDIS multilateral donors gathered in Sana'a on February 4 to discuss the status of the pledges allocated to Yemen and the progress made by Yemen on economic development projects and reforms since the November 2006 Consultative Group (CG) meeting in London. The GCC Secretary General reported that USD 3.7 billion in pledges (70 percent of the total) have already been allocated to Yemen. The ROYG Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation outlined progress made on the National Reform Agenda and next steps which the ROYG will pursue. During the meeting, donors called for a curb on the rapid population growth, increased security on the ground, more coordination between GCC and non-GCC donors, and quick implementation of economic development projects. END SUMMARY SECOND POST-CG FOLLOW-UP MEETING HELD -------------- ¶2. The ROYG hosted the second Post-CG Follow-Up Meeting with Donors on February 4 in Sana'a. Over one hundred ministers, diplomats, NGO representatives and GCC and non-GCC donors attended. (Note: In November 2006, GCC and non-GCC donors pledged USD 4.7 billion to Yemen at a conference in London. The ROYG and donors have met every six months since to monitor progress in economic development and on the National Reform Agenda. End note.) In addition to the two aforementioned areas, participants in the second post-CG meeting discussed the ROYG's Development Program for 2011-2015. PROGRESS MADE ON NATIONAL REFORM AGENDA, BUT CHALLENGES REMAIN -------------- -------------- ¶3. Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) Abdul-Karim al-Arhabi opened by stating that while Yemen's poverty rate decreased from 42 percent in 1998 to 35 percent in 2006, real economic growth declined to 3.2 percent in 2007, mainly due to the decrease in oil and gas revenues. Al-Arhabi noted that the ROYG is eager to implement several development projects through the establishment of new implementing units and the strengthening of existing ones. He told participants that ROYG has undertaken a number of reforms, including passage of the anti-corruption, public procurement and financial disclosure laws and establishment of an 11-member Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption (SNACC). He anticipated Yemen would join the Gulf Cooperation Council by 2015. (Comment: Not all GCC members share his optimism. End comment.) ¶4. The World Bank's Regional Vice President for Middle East and North Africa, Daniela Gressani, emphasized that Yemen is at a critical juncture and that the ROYG should focus on implementation of its National Reform Agenda in order to promote development and create an environment for investment (Note: The National Reform Agenda concentrates on fighting corruption, strengthening the independence of the judiciary, reforming the economic and financial sectors, developing the political system and modernizing the civil service system. End note). She encouraged greater coordination between GCC and non-GCC donors. MAJORITY OF PLEDGES HONORED -------------- ¶5. GCC Secretary General Abdulrahman al-Atiyyeh expressed his desire to strengthen relations with Yemen and to integrate the Yemeni economy into the fabric of the GCC by ¶2015. He indicated that 70 percent of pledges (i.e. USD 3.7 billion) have already been allocated toward 25 projects in Yemen. He praised progress achieved on the National Reform Agenda since the last Post-CG Follow-up Meeting in June 2007, but urged the ROYG to increase ROYG budgetary allocations towards the National Reform Agenda, and to establish new implementation units and strengthen existing ones. ¶6. Prime Minister Ali Mujawar praised the partnership between donors and Yemen in order to overcome the country's development challenges and highlighted serious steps undertaken by ROYG to increase political participation. Nevertheless, he added that Yemen still faces daunting challenges with respect to high population growth, high SANAA 00000256 002.2 OF 003 unemployment, increasing poverty, the scarcity of water and lack of institutional capacity. NEXT STEPS FOR YEMEN GOVERNMENT -------------- ¶7. After the opening remarks session, the ROYG Director General of Cooperation with Europe and the Americas at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Nabil Shaiban, reported on progress made in the five target areas of the National Reform Agenda and on the status of donors' pledges. (Note: A complete copy of the ROYG's Report for the Second Post-CG Follow-Up Meeting may be obtained from NEA/ARP. End note.) He also told participants that the ROYG plans to finalize the Public Investment Program (PIP) of 2007-2010, strengthen the capacity of the government, establish a project tracking and reporting system, continue the National Reform Agenda and establish a fast track Parliamentary approval process for donor-financed economic development projects. ¶8. A representative from the GCC Secretariat praised Yemen's progress on the National Reform Agenda since June 2007, but urged the ROYG to enhance the capacities of implementing units, implement planned economic development projects and improve coordination between GCC and non-GCC donors. A World Bank representative stated that Yemen continues to face a difficult economic situation and called for alignment of the PIP with the Development Plan for Poverty Reduction and Reform (DPPR). He offered World Bank technical assistance on rapid implementation of National Reform Agenda and PIP projects. The French DCM, representing the traditional non-GCC donor community, warned that the deteriorating security situation and high population growth undermines economic development in Yemen and the ROYG's ability to meet its Millennium Development Goals of poverty eradication by ¶2015. He encouraged progress toward democracy as a precondition for stability and development. DONORS CALL FOR GREATER GOVERNMENT ACTION -------------- ¶9. Participants raised a number of issues during the open discussion session. The German Ambassador, a UN representative and the USAID Director expressed concern that the ROYG was not doing enough to combat rapid population growth, which was outstripping economic growth. Connected with population growth is high inflation, which has raised the prices of basic commodities by over 100 percent since ¶2006. The ROYG Minister of Industry and Trade, Yahya al-Mutawakel, appealed to donors to help the ROYG confront this problem, especially concerning wheat prices. ¶10. The British Ambassador best summed up the opinions of many in the audience that "Yemen's challenges are real and now. Time is of the essence. The ROYG needs to quickly implement its economic development projects." Many believed that the capacity of the ROYG needs to be improved and that the Yemeni economy needs to be diversified away from the oil and gas sector. The USAID Director underscored the problem of security, especially in underserved governorates like Mareb and al-Jawf, where implementers of health, education and infrastructure projects were prevented from visiting project sites or were hijacked in their vehicles by tribesmen. ¶11. The Deputy Minister of Education, Abdul-Karim al-Jarbawi, complained that there was still a major gap in ROYG investment expenditures for education. In this regard, all donors called for better incorporation of the PIP and DPPR in the ROYG national budget and for closer coordination between the GCC and non-GCC donor communities. A European Community official and Yemeni Women's Union Chair Ramzia al-Iryani opined that involvement of civil society in reform projects would be crucial. Women's National Committee Chair Rashida al-Hamdani asked that more women be included in capacity training and economic development project implementation units. COMMENT -------------- ¶12. Many donors have commended the ROYG for progress made in the National Reform Agenda. The fact that donors have already given Yemen 70 percent of pledges promised in November 2006 is a good sign of their commitment to Yemen. SANAA 00000256 003.2 OF 003 However, in order to keep the donor community engaged, the ROYG will need to rapidly implement its NRA, PIP, and DPPR programs. Progress in these areas will ensure continued foreign direct investment in the future. END COMMENT SECHE