A delegation of No Peace Without Justice will attend the Second Coordination Meeting in preparation of the Forum for the Future of 2009, organised by the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will be held in Rabat (Morocco) on 2 April 2009. Delegations from the Italian, Moroccan and USA governments and representatives from NPWJ and the Moroccan Organisation for Human Rights (OMDH) will be present at the coordination meeting in Rabat.
NPWJ intends to reinforce a constructive environment for civil society that can be conducive to the preparation of the 2009 Forum for the Future. To this end, NPWJ is promoting continuous and inclusive consultation with all the parties involved in the organisation of Forum activities, in order to facilitate a positive and fruitful dialogue between governments and civil society representatives, aiming at the development of proposals and goals that can be jointly agreed upon by the democracy advocates and governments of the broader Middle East and North Africa (bMENA) Region.
In the last months, NPWJ conducted a series of missions in the MENA region to engage civil society in the Region in a wide, transparent and participatory consultation, with the aim to ensure that the Forum for the Future maintains its intended substantive focus on political reform in the bMENA Region by (1) preserving the crucial role of civil society in encouraging the growth of active citizenship, that can act as a guarantor, alongside governments, for the promotion and full respect for democratic values and freedoms, (2) reaffirming diversity and pluralism as strategic values for society, (3) developing an appropriate mechanism to follow up and monitor the commitments made by both governments and civil society at the Forum annual ministerial meetings.
The Rabat meeting will provide a further opportunity for governments and civil society representatives involved in the Forum to meet and discuss the political and logistical preparation of the Forum’s activities.
This project is funded through the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). MEPI supports efforts to expand political participation, strengthen civil society and the rule of law, empower women and youth, create educational opportunities, and foster economic reform throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In support of these goals, MEPI works with non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academic institutions, and governments. More information about MEPI can be found at: www.mepi.state.gov.
For further information, please contact: Gianluca Eramo, by email: geramo@npwj.org, phone: +32 2 548 39 10
