US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1725

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001725 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA, NEA/ARPI, AND NEA/PI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KMPI, EAID, BA, REFORM, REGION 
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN PLEASED WITH SUCCESS OF FORUM BUT FOCUS ON 
LACK OF DECLARATION DISAPPOINTING 
 
REF: MANAMA 1679 
 
Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) The Ambassador called on MFA Assistant Under 
Secretary for Coordination and Follow-Up Shaikh Abdul Aziz 
 
SIPDIS 
bin Mubarak Al Khalifa November 20 to discuss the November 
11-12 Forum for the Future conference held in Manama.  Shaikh 
Abdul Aziz, who was the lead Bahraini organizer, told the 
Ambassador that the conference had many successes, including 
the "historic participation" of NGOs in the proceedings.  The 
Bahrain conference was an enormous improvement over the 
treatment of NGOs in Rabat, and he hopes this trend continues 
with the next conference in Amman.  While some civil society 
representatives were not entirely happy with the Bahraini and 
British chairs' strict control of interventions during the 
conference, Shaikh Abdul Aziz pointed out that the GOB also 
supported the November 9-10 parallel conference for NGOs. 
This conference provided an additional outlet for activists 
to express their views. 
 
2.  (C) Shaikh Abdul Aziz said that at the closing press 
conference, Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid had announced King 
Hamad's decision to provide $2 million in funding for the 
Fund for the Future and Foundation for the Future.  Shaikh 
Abdul Aziz noted that the GOB had not yet decided on the 
breakdown of funding between the two institutions, but the 
split would probably not be even. 
 
3.  (C) Shaikh Abdul Aziz said the focus on the lack of a 
formal declaration at the conclusion of the conference was 
disappointing.  He noted that the concept of a declaration 
was a relatively new development, having been discussed for 
the first time at the September 9 steering committee meeting 
in London.  The first country to express concerns with the 
language in the draft declaration was Oman, on November 10, 
the eve of the opening of the Senior Officials meeting.  Oman 
was worried about the perception of the declaration allowing 
interference in internal affairs.  After negotiations between 
the Omani and British delegations, there was consensus on 80 
percent of the text, enough that the Bahrainis felt 
comfortable moving ahead with the declaration.  The Saudis 
offered some wordsmithing on use of the term "creed" in place 
of "religion," but these were not serious objections. 
 
4.  (C) Bahrain was surprised, however, when the Egyptians 
voiced objections "at the eleventh hour" over language on 
assistance to NGOs.  Shaikh Abdul Aziz said he met with 
Egyptian MFA official Shaaban to discuss Egypt's insistence 
on referring to "legally registered" NGOs, and recommended 
Shaaban take it up with U.S. officials.  Shaikh Abdul Aziz 
said he did not receive an update on the status of those 
talks, but it was clear they failed.  He faulted Egypt for 
not accepting the declaration, which was not a legally 
binding document.  He wondered, however, why the U.S. could 
not accept the reference to legally registered NGOs. 
 
5.  (C) Comment:  Shaikh Abdul Aziz put the blame for the 
lack of a declaration squarely on Egypt.  He was 
uncomfortable, however, with the international media's 
sensationalistic focus on the conference "ending in discord," 
and implied that King Hamad and others were concerned with 
the perception of the outcomes.  While the conference did not 
issue a declaration, it did launch the Fund and Foundation 
for the Future, and some 44 civil society representatives sat 
at the table with governments as equals - an historic and 
unprecedented event in the region. 
 
MONROE