The Doha Workshop on “Social Development: A new prospective on Human Security in the BMENA Region”, which was organised by the Arab Democracy Foundation (ADF) and No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ), in cooperation with the Qatari National Human Rights Commission and the co-chairs of the 2009 Forum for the Future, concluded today with the adoption of a set of conclusions emphasizing that Human Security and Human Development are fundamental guiding principles of domestic and international government policies, and that civil society actors are legitimate participants of dialogue together with Governments in their implementation process.
The meeting was part of a series of initiatives organized in preparation for the 2009 Forum for the Future, under the Italian and Moroccan co-presidency, aimed at ensuring that the Sixth Ministerial Meeting discussions and outcomes are the result of a process of continuous interaction between and among Governments and civil society of the BMENA Region, G8 and other democratic partners.
The Conclusions of the Doha Workshop are the final result of a two-day susbtantive dialogue and consultations through which participants discussed in detail the many specific components of the concept of Human Security, encompassing various facets of citizens’ rights to freedom from fear and freedom from want.
Among its main recommendations, the document calls for the promotion of political pluralism and condemns all violations committed against civilian population, emphasizing the need to encourage national reconciliation and accountability also trough transitional justice processes; as well as acknowledging the importance of supporting and encouraging good governance and institutions capable of ensuring the broad and balanced participation of all segments of society.
The development of future Human Development and Human Security Policies for the BMENA Region requires the establishment of processes of coordination and consultation between governments and civil society at the national and regional level on issues of democracy, human rights and local governance.
The recommendations emerged from the Workshop will be presented to the Ministerial Meeting of the Forum for the Future 2009 in Marrakech, Morocco, on 2-3 November 2009, to contribute constructive proposals and recommendations that could fruitfully feed the discussion between government and civil society representatives.
For further information, please contact: Gianluca Eramo, email: geramo@npwj.org., phone: +32 494 533 925. Check also www.npwj.org
