US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1670

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAMA 001670 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA, EUR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM, KMPI, EAID, PREL, PGOV, PHUM, BA, AF, CA, JA, PK, TU, OVIP (RICE CONDOLEEZZA) 
SUBJECT: FORUM FOR THE FUTURE:  MINISTERIAL SESSION ON 
CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE DIALOGUE 
 
 
1.  (U)  November 12, 2005; 12:10 p.m., Manama, Bahrain. 
 
2.  (U) Participants: G8 and BMENA Foreign Ministers 
 
Peter Mulrean (notetaker) 
 
3.  (U) SUMMARY.  During the afternoon session of the Forum 
for the Future, participants discussed Civil Society and the 
Democracy Assistance Dialogue. With 40 civil society 
representatives present at the Forum, and eight of them 
taking the floor, this session demonstrated the progress made 
in increasing the level of government-civil society dialogue 
within the BMENA context over the past year. Government and 
civil society reps praised this development. Specific issues 
discussed were women's empowerment, transparency and 
corruption, rule of law, human rights and political 
participation.  The Secretary announced that the Foundation 
for the Future, launched earlier in the day, represents a 
clear example of the parties responding to calls from civil 
society for support.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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Women's Empowerment 
------------------- 
 
4. (U) Civil Society representatives reported on the results 
of four thematic meetings held under the BMENA umbrella over 
the past year.  A Bahraini participant said the October 
meeting on Women's Empowerment in Manama identified four 
priority areas for potential action to strengthen the status 
of women as equal partners: training, legal protections, 
raising social awareness, and defining strategies for 
broadening the role of women.  The meeting also made 
recommendations for the agenda of a planned follow-up meeting 
in 2006 that will focus on specific areas for action, 
including programs to combat illiteracy, increased women's 
access to technology and employment, and micro-financing for 
women's SMEs.  A representative of the Bahraini Supreme 
Council for Women explained the activities of the 
organization, which works with both local NGOs and the 
government to break down barriers to equal treatment of women 
in Bahrain. 
 
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Transparency and Corruption 
--------------------------- 
 
5. (U) The Transparency meeting representative reviewed the 
work of three seminars held since July in Cairo, Amman and 
Beirut on the impact of corruption on political, economic and 
social development. The groups developed a list of priority 
areas for follow-up work by civil society and governments. 
First, all countries should ratify international conventions 
on corruption and pass legislation implementing the 
conventions.  Second, there should be a public awareness 
campaign on the corrosive impact of corruption and the 
efforts being taken to combat it.  Third, the media must be 
free to provide constructive criticism of governments without 
fear of retribution.  The group is planning a February 2006 
follow-up conference to address these issues and called on 
the Forum to take up the recommendations of that conference 
in its work as well. 
 
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Human Rights 
------------ 
 
6. (U) The Human Rights meeting representative reported on 
the conclusions that emerged from that session:  reforming 
legislation on the registration and operation of NGOs, 
obstacles to freedom of expression and assembly, and ending 
emergency laws and other extraordinary legislation.  He 
criticized governments for invoking security concerns as a 
means of disrupting full participation in the electoral 
process, though he noted this was not the case in this year's 
Lebanese and Palestinian elections. Progress in Egypt and 
Saudi Arabia on the electoral front is significant, but much 
remains to be done. He aimed his strongest criticism at 
Tunisia for interfering with the media and Syria for its 
persecution and detention of civil society and political 
opponents.  He called for a release of political detainees in 
Syria.  Gulf countries had made some progress in their 
treatment of critics, though protections need to be codified 
in law.  In conclusion, the human rights representative 
underscored political will as the sine qua non for progress 
on human rights, which he said included G8 political will to 
pressure Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian Territories 
and a withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq. 
 
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Rule of Law 
----------- 
 
7. (U) The Rule of Law (ROL) meeting representative reported 
that the September meeting in Jordan operated from the 
position that civil society was interested in dialogue and 
not confrontation to resolve issues but needed the freedom to 
operate, which is often not the case around the region.  The 
ROL thematic meeting made specific recommendations in two 
areas: the ability of NGOs to operate, and the independence 
of the judiciary.  On the former, the meeting called for a 
review of laws across the region that either prohibit or 
restrict the functioning of independent NGOs.  It also called 
for a review of the tax status for NGOs, which should have 
preferential non-profit benefits.  The ability of NGOs to 
receive outside financing was also considered a priority.  On 
judicial independence, the representative stressed the 
importance of a separation of powers as well as the ability 
of judges and lawyers to join independent associations. 
Finally, it called for the abolition of extraordinary courts. 
 The Rule of Law representative asked the Forum to take up 
these issues and called for a high-level international 
conference to address them in 2006. 
 
----------------------------- 
Democracy Assistance Dialogue 
----------------------------- 
 
8. (U) This agenda item began with interventions by 
government and civil society coordinators of the Democracy 
Assistance Dialogue (DAD) from Italy, Turkey, and Yemen, 
which have sponsored events on Political Pluralism, Women, 
and Human Rights over the past year.  Several common themes 
emerged.  First, they all stressed the tremendous progress 
made since the DAD's launch at the Rabat Forum for the Future 
last year.  They underscored that the new spirit of 
cooperation and dialogue between government and civil society 
represents a true watershed for the BMENA region.  Second, 
they praised the creation of the Foundation for the Future, 
which will give civil society the financial ability to play 
its proper role.  All three government reps committed to 
continuing their support for these efforts.  Turkish FM Gul 
announced Turkey's intention to hold two more meetings on 
women's empowerment in 2006, building on the Istanbul meeting 
earlier this year.  Italian NGO President Emma Bonino was the 
most effusive in her praise for the Forum, to which she added 
a caveat for the BMENA governments.  She had heard many 
promising statements by governments about their support for 
civil society and reform.  Civil society, she added, "will 
take you seriously and come knocking at your door to see if 
you mean it." 
 
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The Secretary 
------------- 
 
9. (U) In her intervention, the Secretary stated that the 
Forum amplifies the growing calls for reform sweeping the 
BMENA region. Elections in Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, 
Palestine and the right for Kuwaiti women to vote are 
examples of the people calling for change and the governments 
responding wisely to those calls.  The mission of the DAD is 
to expand the dialogue between governments and civil society 
and to take action on the results of that dialogue.  At DAD 
meetings in Venice and Rabat, there were calls for a 
foundation to support civil society activities in the region. 
 The Secretary stressed that we had heard those calls and 
responded to them in a concrete way by launching the 
Foundation for the Future. 
 
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Other Interventions 
------------------- 
 
10. (U) Interventions by France, Switzerland, Denmark and 
Hungary were similar in content, praising the Forum, 
particularly the inclusion of civil society, and outlining 
their governments, particular areas of interest and/or 
activity.  Lebanese FM Salloukh gave a lengthy intervention 
on the historical context that led to Lebanese elections this 
year and the Commission currently working on electoral law 
reform.  The Sudanese FM broadly committed his government to 
the principles of supporting democracy, human rights, the 
rule of law, and combating corruption, all of which he said 
are already being worked on.  These are essential ingredients 
to dealing with the situation in Darfur and the west.  He 
asserted that the international community needs to refrain 
from unilateral action and to be more respectful of the 
specific circumstances of individual countries. 
 
MONROE