9th Forum for the Future: NPWJ calls for enhanced partnership between governments and civil society to foster democratic reforms in the MENA region

El Jadida, Morocco, 4 September 2012

No Peace Without Justice contributed to the Regional Workshop on “Women’s empowerment in the BMENA Region”, that was held in El Jadida, Morocco, on 3-4 September 2012, as the first of a series of preparatory regional workshops convened in the framework of the 2012 Forum for the Future. The Casablanca workshop was organized by the League of Women Voters (USA) and the Tunisian NGO “Arforghe” in coordination with the co-chairs of this year’s Forum – the governments of USA and Tunisia.

The meeting, which gathered together democracy advocates, civil society activists and experts together with government representatives of G8 and Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) countries, particularly focused on addressing reform priorities aimed at enhancing women’s political, economic and social participation. The results of the Workshop will be presented to the Ministerial Meeting of the Forum for the Future 2012 in Tunisia.

Statement by Gianluca Eramo, MENA Program Coordinator of No Peace Without Justice:

“Since 2004, NPWJ has been working to promote, within the framework of the Forum for the Future, continuous and inclusive consultation between governments and civil society representatives, aiming at the development of joint proposals to promote political reforms and human rights in the MENA Region.

“The regional workshop held in El Jadida was the first opportunity for civil society and governments of the MENA Region to meet this year in the framework of the Forum for the Future, and to discuss key prior measures and strategies to advance women’s empowerment issues.

“We look forward to see the engagement of governments further expanded and reinforced during the next preparatory regional workshops in order to enhance a regular and substantive dialogue with civil society, based on peer-to-peer and mutual recognition, and achieve a set of joint and constructive proposals and recommendations at the Ministerial meeting in Tunis.

“Considering the recent developments and ongoing process of transition in several countries of the region, today it is even more urgent to provide full support to this process in order to ensure that citizens, and in particular social groups who are currently under-represented such as women, can actively engage in democratic reform and contribute to their country’s future based on respect for their fundamental human rights. No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) recommits itself to standing by their side in the struggle to secure the full establishment of democratic and open institutions in their countries.”