Issue 4
January 2005
Regional Programme Division <<< NEWSLETTER >>> Regional Programme Division
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Dear Colleagues, At first sight, the January 2005 Regional Programme Newsletter may seem to be all about meetings. We have HARPAS’ breakthrough assembly of religious leaders, a milestone that marks success in partnering, for the first time, with representatives of all the major religious institutions from around the region, engendering a historic dialogue amongst them over critical issues relating to HIV/AIDS, and winning them over to a more compassionate leadership style in dealing with this challenge. We read about POGAR’s ever-expanding portfolio of quality symposia, seminars, conferences and consultations, which show how that programme has become an impressive vehicle for promoting good governance, one now sought after by clients and donors alike. We learn about ICTDAR’s skilful steering of ICT committees and coalitions for building an Arab information society, the meetings of CAWTAR’s various networks and its Board of Trustees and about several other gatherings, both held and planned, and the many useful publications, products and outcomes from these events. It might appear that, with war, occupation and other momentous developments in the region filling the headlines, our programme participants' keenness to get together and talk is somewhat incongruous. Yet, as the briefest reflection will confirm, this Newsletter is not about gabfests. It is about contact, discovery and human development. It is about knitting the sinews of Arab professional and civil society in a region where forced divisions among social groups are many and counter-productive. It is about catering to the Arab people’s keen interest in learning and their curiosity about the experiences of others. It is about building alliances and coalitions to achieve progressive goals in social and economic governance, knowledge, women’s empowerment and other major focus areas, including the campaign to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS. And it is about offering governments and other leadership groups a free platform on which to discuss strategies, ideas and initiatives for change with their intended beneficiaries. These purposeful pursuits are the essence of any healthy regional development programme, and RBAS has one that it can be proud of. Certainly, I take pride in my three years at the helm of that programme, three packed and stimulating years during which I discovered some extraordinary colleagues and an entirely new world filled with some of the most talented, vital and loveable people on the planet. I am confident that, under its able new management by Nada Al-Nahif, the regional programme will continue to expand its pillar projects and branch out in important new directions in the coming year. It has the position, the staff, the resources and the leadership to remain the Bureau’s flagship. Zahir Jamal |
| § 20-23 September 2004- Artists and the Media join hands to transform public attitudes towards HIV/AIDS in Agadir Supported by the UNDP HIV/AIDS Regional Programme in the Arab States (HARPAS), 38 outstanding arts and media professionals from Algeria, Djibouti, Morocco and Tunisia participated in an arts and media workshop held in Agadir, Morocco from 20-23 September 2004. This transformative workshop was tailored to participants from Arab Francophone countries. It sought to build a deeper understanding of the epidemic and to enlist artists and journalists in efforts to change public attitudes through positive social advertising. Participants committed to lend their professional skills to a large number of initiatives, and outcomes were immediate and effective. As early as the second day of the workshop, a caricaturist succeeded in publishing a cartoon satirising obstructive attitudes to HIV/AIDS in Tunisia’s most influential newspaper, reaching an estimated 750,000 people that day. A week later a journalist explained, on a live prime time radio programme, how her participation in Agadir had changed her outlook on HIV/AIDS. |
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| The programme achieved substantial audience records and was the first time that basic issues such as sex education, the use of condoms to prevent infection and HIV testing were openly aired on that Tunisian radio channel. Two famous Moroccan actors, Rachid El Ouali and Naima Lemcharki, confirmed their interest in cooperating in MDG programmes. Two weeks after the workshop a TV programme on HIV/AIDS in the Maghreb region was being piloted by a presenter who took part in the workshop. Professional media initiatives such as these, impact vastly greater numbers of the public than conventional messaging about the epidemic. |
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§ 27-28 September 2004- The Arab Network for Gender and Development (ANGED) holds third annual meeting in Tunis
CAWTAR held the third annual meeting of its Arab Network for Gender and Development (ANGED) on 27 and 28 September. The meeting, entitled “From Research to Policies: Best Practices and Strategies”, attracted more than 100 participants from research centres, governments, civil society and the media. Participants came up with concrete recommendations for sectors involved with creating and impacting on policies, including legislators, CSOs and regional and international organizations, as well as recommendations to strengthen the work of CAWTAR itself.
§ 1 November 2004- Dr. Rima Khalaf attends CAWTAR Board of Trustees Meeting in Tunis
CAWTAR’s Board of Trustees held its annual meeting on 1 November chaired by his Royal Highness Prince Talal Ibn Abdulaziz Al Saoud of Saudi Arabia. UNDP RBAS Director, Dr. Rima Khalaf attended the event, together with the Tunisian Minister of Women’s, Family and Childhood Affairs and representatives from the League of Arab States, the World Bank, IPPF, UNDP, AGFUND, UNFPA and UNIFEM (as an observer). The meeting highlighted the partnerships the centre has successfully built through the active programmes of the various institutions present. A document covering a new phase of assistance to enhance the direction and focus of the centre’s activities over the next two years (2005-2007) was also signed during the board meeting.
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§ 22-23 November 2004- Second regional preparatory conference for the World Summit on the Information Society in Damascus The second regional preparatory conference for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was held in Damascus, Syria, 22-23 November 2004. |
It followed up on the outcome of the first phase of the summit, held in Geneva in December 2003, and set in motion regional preparations for the second phase in Tunis in November 2005. ICTDAR Programme Coordinator, gave a strong presentation on the use of ICT hubs for SMEs and regional e-government portals and on using ICT to promote the rights of women and children. Since the Tunis summit will focus on the implementation of a global plan of action, this preparatory conference focused on partnerships for building an information society in the Arab world. Following from the Western Asia Preparatory Conference for WSIS (Beirut, 2003), which resulted in the Beirut Declaration, this Damascus meeting produced a comprehensive Plan of Action, responding to regional needs for a sustainable Arab information society. |
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§ 4-5 December 2004- Conference on ICT in Algiers
This scientific conference organized by two research institutes (Institute the Recherche du Mahgreb Contemporain (IRMC) and Centre de Recherche en Economie Appliquee pour le Developpement (CREAD)) aimed at providing insight in the usage of ICT in North Africa among practitioners, particularly in the areas of e-commerce, distant learning and e-government. ICTDAR gave a presentation on ICT in North Africa: challenges and opportunities and joined participants in their discussion, sharing experience and best practices in these areas.
§ 6-9 December 2004- Arab Adolescent Girl Presented in the first Arab Forum for Children’s Rights and the Media in Dubai
CAWTAR attended the first Arab Forum for Children’s Rights and the Media, held in Dubai 6-9 December. The forum was organized by the Arab Institute Of Human Rights and UNICEF. During this meeting the institute presented its report The Arab Adolescent Girl: Reality and Prospects, highlighting key findings and recommendations.
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§ UNAIDS UBW Meeting in Cairo The Forum for the Future was held in Rabat, Morocco on 11 December, 2004. Ministers from 28 countries gathered to discuss and develop collaborative efforts to support political, economic and social reform in the broader Middle East and North Africa region. |
Good Governance for Development in the Arab Countries, a joint initiative of POGAR and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, was presented in the Forum for the Future by the head of the Jordanian delegation, H. E. Dr. Salaheddine Al-Bashir. The initiative will be launched in February 2005. |
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| §12-13 December 2004- ICTDAR and ADWEA organize conference on ICT4 Sustainable Development in Abu Dhabi The Conference on Information and Communication Technology for Sustainable Development in Abu Dhabi, organized by ICTDAR and ADWEA (Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority), was held 12-13 December 2004. High level participants with different professional backgrounds (government, private sector, NGO), coming from both inside and outside the region, met to learn from one another’s experiences. They discussed best practices that can be applied in contrasting contexts. ICTDAR gave the keynote address and a presentation on the Arab Knowledge and Information Society. The conference provided a platform to discuss the relevance of ICT to achieving sustainable development. It focused on how to use ICT as a development tool for improving the performance of markets and institutions and the capacities of individuals and governments. |
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| § 11-13 December 2004- Historic Declaration produced at the Regional Colloquium for Religious Leaders on HIV/AIDS in the Arab States in Cairo |
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Religious leaders gathered in Cairo from 11-13 December 2004 to complete the final phase of the Religious Leaders initiative on HIV/AIDS. Under the auspices of the League of Arab States (LAS), the Colloquium was organized by HARPAS in collaboration with Family Health International (FHI) and UNAIDS. The opening ceremony was graced by several high-level political figures, including LAS Assistant Secretary-General, H.E. Mrs. Nancy Bakir. Eminent religious leaders such as Al Azhar H.E. Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawy, Mufti of the Republic of Egypt, H.E. Sheikh Mohamed Ali Gomaa, and Pope Shenouda’s assistant, His Eminence Bishop Youanas, conveyed messages of mercy and compassion for those affected by the epidemic. 80 prominent Muslim and Christian religious leaders from 19 countries of the region participated in the Colloquium, which can be credited with articulating a significant transformation in religious attitudes. In their interventions, spiritual leaders moved from punitive to compassionate approaches to the challenge of HIV/AIDS. |
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This breakthrough with major
religious figures has brought governments, international organizations
and civil society new and highly influential allies in the response
to HIV/AIDS in the Arab world. |
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§ 20-22 December 2004- Aid Co-ordination regional workshop in Marrakech
UNDP/BDP in collaboration with ICTDAR, UNDP/RBAS and UNDP Morocco, recently organized a workshop on aid management for Arab states in Marrakech, 20-22 December 2004. The workshop, with participants from most Arab countries, sought to address issues of policy, usage of tools and needs in the area of aid coordination and management in the Arab region. The focus was on the co-ordination, management and alignment of development resources for the achievement of the MDGs and poverty reduction. ICTDAR’s contribution underscored how ICT can support efficient aid coordination.
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POGAR study Legal and Economic Framework to Address Corruption
translated into English
In early December 2004, a Legal
and Economic Framework to Address Corruption in the Arab World, originally
prepared by POGAR in Arabic, was translated into English. The paper was
first presented by POGAR’s regional coordinator during a meeting
on corruption and good governance in the Arab states, which was organized
by the Centre of Arab Unity Studies in Beirut, on 20-23 September 2004.
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New study on corruption and legal status in Arab countries
A new study was added to POGAR’s list of publications, of which
hard copies are expected to be available by the end of January 2005. The
new document, Comparative Study on the United Nations Convention Against
Corruption and the Current Legal Status in the Arab Countries, was
prepared by Soliman Abdel Moneim and is in Arabic.
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Publication on the proceedings of the workshop on the role of
civil society in Arab reform
Another publication on the proceedings of the workshop entitled The
Role of Civil Society in the Arab Countries and Reform: Reality & Prospects
has now become available in hard copy. POGAR and the UN-OHCHR jointly
organized this workshop in partnership with the Arab Organization for
Human Rights and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt on 21-22
June 2004.
POGAR website
reaches one million visitors
POGAR’s website, www.pogar.org,
received 30,000 and 35,000 visitors in October and November respectively.
The numbers bring total hits to one million since the site was launched,
and more are being registered each month.
§ Religious
kits for Muslim and Christian faiths |
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| ICT access centres launched Mohammed El Gahs, Moroccan secretary of state for youth, officially launched a Community Access Centres Initiative on 1 October. In the presence of distinguished guests (including the US Ambassador to Morocco, the Executive Director of UNFPA, the Regional Director of Microsoft North Africa, and the UNDP Resident Representative in Morocco), the first community access centres established jointly by the Ministry of Youth, UNDP/ICTDAR and Microsoft were opened. The ten centres were established to contribute to local development by providing underprivileged communities with access to information and communication technologies, as well as training for centre operators in the areas of IT and management. Through technology and training, the project seeks to create a sustainable model that will allow regional replication. |
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| § Second steering committee meeting of the Project on Family Rights through Access to Information WRCATI (Promoting the Rights of Women and Children through the use of ICT), is an EU funded project that started in December 2003 and is managed by ICTDAR. The project made steady progress during 2004, aiming to provide women and children in difficult circumstances with the information necessary to obtain financial and legal support from governments, social service institutions or their separated spouses. |
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In its first stage, the project is being implemented in Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia. The project steering committee, led by ICTDAR, met in Beirut at a coordination meeting, where national partners reported on progress made, sharing experience gathered during the first half of the project. It is expected that CD-ROMs produced by the local implementation teams, will be launched in early 2005. CAWTAR is the implementing partner in Tunisia, in finalising its own project on Promoting the Rights of Women and Children through Information in partnership with ICTDAR, CAWTAR is also preparing a website consisting of various texts and legislation covering issues related to women’s rights, as well as a glossary, a search engine and a collection of FAQs and answers. |
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CAWTAR invited
to the social affairs ministers meeting at the League of Arab States
CAWTAR was invited to participate
at the Regional Social Affairs Ministers meeting held at the League of
Arab States gathering in early December. This participation furthered
CAWTAR’s interaction with ministries and government institutions
and helped the efforts of the centre to expand its outreach.
Gender and
water issues in the region discussed in Delft, Netherlands
CAWTAR, the Gender and Water Alliance
(GWA), and Cap-net met with different members from the Arab region in
Delft, Netherlands to identify areas of common interest and future action
in gender and water issues in the region. Participants agreed on the next
actions to be taken in the region.
Cairo Declaration captures
high-level Interest abroad: Dutch Minister of Development Co-operation
responds
The Cairo Declaration by Religious Leaders attracted a message
from the Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation that solicited the
views of subscribers to www.righttodecide.org
on this important breakthrough. Views received will be used by the Netherlands
Ministry of Development Cooperation for policy development on how cultural
and religious elements can play a positive role in the HIV/AIDS response.
| § New Governance project on the Modernization of Arab Public Prosecution Offices Finalized And Funded |
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In November 2004, at the conclusion of successful negotiations on funding, POGAR’s regional co-ordinator met in New York with the United Kingdom minister of state for the Middle East, Baroness Symons, to finalize a new governance project. The meeting agreed on plans for a project titled Strengthening the Rule of Law in the Arab States: The Modernization of Arab Public Prosecution Offices. |
| The project will support national efforts in the Arab region to strengthen institutional capacity within the context of good governance and the rule of law with the aim of enhancing citizen security. In the same framework, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved a grant of DKK 4 million (around US$ 700,000.00) to the new project. |
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§ HARPAS partnership funding increases HARPAS has received a US$ 100,000 contribution from UNFPA to support follow-up activities to the religious leaders’ initiative and other civil society oriented activities. It has also obtained US$12,000 from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-OHCHR) to support a legal review of human rights issues in responding to HIV/AIDS. |
§ Launch of Good Governance initiative in February 2005 POGAR and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan are launching an initiative on good governance for development in Arab countries in partnership with the OECD and in collaboration with Arab and international organizations. |
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| The launch will take place
through a regional conference at the Dead Sea in Jordan, under
the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II, on 6-7 February
2005. The initiative is founded on three inter-related reform
areas, administrative, financial and judicial, and it has six
main pillars for reform: |
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§ Workshops
to enhance Micro-Credit services
Supported by UNDP Tunisia, CAWTAR is holding a series of workshops
on the enhancement of micro-credit services through information technology.
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Supporting the engagement of society in the MDGs
This new regional project concentrates on building the capacities of civil
society groups and governments to work together to enhance MDG processes
at the country and regional levels. It will produce training materials
and effective advocacy tools for the Arab MDG campaign.
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New website to be launched in February
CAWTAR is launching its new website www.cawtar.org
in February 2005. The site’s new design and content reflect the five areas
of the centre’s work: research, networking, training, media and database.
It also gives descriptions of and access to most of the centre’s publications,
training kits and databases and provides links to numerous regional and
international institutions concerned with gender and development.
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Adolescent training kit will be available soon
As part of a comprehensive adolescence project, CAWTAR is finalizing a
training kit titled “Ideas on Working with Adolescent Girls and Boys”,
drawn from the findings of its project report. Downloadable modules will
be available in an e-training format from CAWTAR’s new website soon to
be on-line.
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New information will help advocates help women
CAWTAR and UNFPA are finalizing their project on advocacy for the empowerment
of Arab women and adolescent girls. This effort builds on previously compiled
social science research and on a database of best practices in Arab advocacy
for women. It will operate and disseminate information through networking
and by building coalitions.
§ HARPAS Religious
Leaders folder coming up
HARPAS is preparing a Religious Leader’s folder slated for the end of
February. It will contain the report on the December Colloquium, a report
on media coverage and the kits for Muslim and Christian leaders in addition
to audiovisual material. The latter, a 2 minutes spot and a 15 minutes
documentary, show how the Cairo Declaration was developed and how religious
leaders will play their role in the HIV/AIDS response.
§ HARPAS Regional
Report to be launched
HARPAS is finalizing a regional report on its pathfinding initiatives
in the region. Prepared under BDP’s leadership-for-results guidelines,
the report will capture the achievements and partnership-building successes
of individual initiatives. It will also chart the way forward and collate
the lessons learned and outcomes by early March.
§ Expert Meeting
on Arabic content in March
ICTDAR with the LAS (League of Arab States), ALECSO (Arab League
Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization), ESCWA (Economic and
Social Commission for West Asia) and ITU (International Telecommunication
Union) will be holding a meeting in March on Arabic content in ICT.
§ ICTDAR
support to Djibouti, Somalia, and Sudan
ICTDAR is initiating an e-readiness
assessment in Sudan, developing an e-government program for Djibouti and
setting up of Community Access Centres Supporting SMEs in Somalia.
§ Arab
MDG Ministerial Conference
Capitalizing on MDG achievements
in the region, RBAS is planning additional MDG activities. In preparation
for the 2005 MDG calendar, RBAS and its partners will organize an Arab
MDG Ministerial Conference in the first quarter of the year. The event
will draw policy attention to region-specific questions about how to integrate
the MDGS into national development plans and processes.
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§ OECD/MENA is organizing a series of meetings on Governance and Investment for Development The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD/MENA) Initiative on Governance and Investment for Development is having its Investment Programme Group 1 Meeting “Open and Investment Policies” on 1-2 February 2005 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. |
The objective of this meeting is to assist MENA countries’ development policies to be more open and transparent by facilitating a multi-stakeholder dialogue, experience sharing and capacity building in the region, with the support of OECD countries and other partners. The Working Group 2 Meeting “Encouraging investment promotion agencies and business associations to act as driving forces to economic reform” will be hosted by the Dubai Investment and Development Agency on 2-3 February, 2005. |
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§ Regional Parliamentary Conference for the Arab states in Cairo
The conference “The Rule of Law and the Protection of Civilians: The Role of Legislators”, Organized by Parliamentarians for Global Action, will take place 9-10 of February in Cairo, and will be hosted by the People’s Assembly of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Themes will comprise justice, the rule of law in post-conflict societies, and international humanitarian and human rights treaties for the protection of civilians in times of conflict. Participants will include legislators from the parliaments of Arab states, as well as the parliaments of Africa, Europe, and North America, leading experts on international law and human rights, and selected representatives of international organizations. Parliamentarians for Global Action can be visited at: www.pgaction.org
§ Launch of Global Corruption Report 2004 by Transparency International The report covers corruption around the world in the period between July 2002 and June 2003. |
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Transparency International (TI), a leading anti-corruption NGO based in Berlin, Germany, publishes the Global Corruption Report annually. To download the report, please visit: www.globalcorruptionreport.org |
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§ Gender deficits and current strategies identified in UNIFEM’s latest 2004 report UNIFEM’s latest 2004 report “Progress of Arab Women” serves as a tool for identifying gender deficits and for reconsidering current strategies and programs of action for protecting their rights. |
The report,
in Arabic, investigates three levels of work regarding women’s
empowerment: the policy level, where international commitments are
being made, the level of national operational plans and actions,
and the level of achievements and challenges in the everyday lives
of women. To download the report, please visit: |
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§ World Bank Gender Statistics Database |
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GenderStats is a World Bank electronic database that includes gender statistics with basic demographic data, population dynamics, labour force structure, education, health etc. Statistics can be found for all 22 Arab countries, except Somalia and Yemen.The web link is available at: http://devdata.worldbank.org/genderstats/home.asp |
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CAWTAR (Centre
of Arab Women in the Arab Region)
For more information on the centre: www.cawtar.org.tn
Regional Programme Coordinator: Ms. Soukeina
Bouraoui,
Contact them at: cawtar@planet.tn
HARPAS (HIV/AIDS
Regional Programme in the Arab States)
For more information on their programme: www.undp.org/rbas/regional/aids
Regional Programme Coordinator: Ms. Khadija Moalla,
Contact her at: khadija.moalla@undp.org
Higher Education
Project
Project Manager: Mr. Isam Naqib,
Contact him at: isam.naqib@btopenworld.com
ICTDAR (Information
and Communication Technologies for Development in the Arab Region)
For more information on their programme: www.ictdar.org
Regional Programme Coordinator: Ms. Najat
Rochdi,
Contact them at: info@ictdar.org
POGAR (Programme
on Governance in the Arab Region)
For more information on their programme: www.pogar.org
Regional Programme Coordinator: Mr. Adel Abdel
Latif ,
Contact them at: pogar@pogar.org
REGIONAL PROGRAMME
www.undp.org/rbas/regional/index.html
The paper "Human Rights in the Arab Mediterranean Countries: Intellectual Discourse, Socio-Economic Background and Legal Instruments" referred to in the October 2004 issue of this newsletter, was, in fact, a POGAR item, prepared by the regional co-ordinator, and not the product of any other group. We regret the misattribution.
We would like to hear from you!
§ If you have comments, suggestions, questions,
would like to add more news to Partners & Beyond NEW section contact
Randa Jamal at randa.jamal@undp.org