Egypt’s Opposition: A grand coalition of reformers? via CIPE Development Blog
Last Minute Things to Do in May/June Meetings via Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog
May events:Conference: Migration and Refugees in the Region, AUC Center for Migration and Refugee Studies, 8-9 May 2010 [info]Discussion: Citizenship and Human Rights under the African Charter, Gambia, 14 May 2010 [info]Lecture: Refugees - Innocent Victims, Illegal Migrants or Political Pawns?, Univ. of New South Wales, 20 May 2010 [info]June events:Conference: Ethics in Humanitarian Action, National Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN), Georgetown University, 4-6 June 2010 [info]Workshop: The Role of the Special Rapporteurs of the Human Rights Council in the Development and Promotion of International Human Rights Norms, University of Leeds, 24 June 2010 [info]Tagged...
Iraq’s window of opportunity via CIPE Development Blog
Al-Saadi, Chairman of the Iraqi Securities Commission, (seated fourth from the left) at the CIPE headquarters in Washington, DC last week. (Photo: CIPE)
On April 28, CIPE hosted Chairman Abdel Razzak Al-Saadi of the Iraqi Securities Commission (ISC), at its headquarters in Washington, DC. Although Iraq is still emerging from conflict and facing sizeable security threats, Chairman Al-Saadi is optimistic and reiterated that Iraq is open for business. Since its inception in 2004,the ISC has listed over 90 companies to the Iraqi Stock Exchange. With new investment and entrepreneurship blooming in Iraq, the country has a window of opportunity to rebuild much of what the conflict has damaged or destroyed.
Mr. Al-Saadi stressed that unemployment remains a significant problem in the region, as... Ready for prime time: Civil Society in Iraq via CIPE Development Blog
Iraqi women after voting.
It’s true that this election in Iraq is significantly different from the last one in 2005; however, we should be aware that this is a classic reminder that elections do not equal democracy. As ballots are counted and results tallied, a growing civil society is not-so-quietly preparing to voice Iraqi needs and concerns on a multitude of issues.
Individuals in this election campaigned more on issues than on religious and ethnic platforms, and the leading Shia cleric consistently remained neutral. But as ballots are painstakingly being counted, plenty of political parties who are not in the lead are filing hundreds of complaints alleging voter intimidation, and ballot tampering. Although widespread fraud has not been reported after Iraq’s elections, the... Past Events: Climate Migration, Human Rights in Haiti, IDP Protection, Middle East Displacement, U.S. Asylum Law via Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog
Even though these events have already occurred, you can still get a sense of the discussions that took place via the various resources provided.12th International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) Conference, Nicosia, Cyprus. 28 June–2 July 2009 [access]- Listen to the podcasts of the plenary discussions."Asylum & Refugee Law National Moot Court Competition," UC Davis School of Law, 6 Feb. 2010 [access]- Read the problem presented and the competitors' briefs."Displacement and Dispossession in the Modern Middle East," UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies, 12 Jan. 2010 [access]- Listen to the lecture by Dawn Chatty."The Global Implications of Climate Migration," Center for American Progress, 1 March 2010 [access]- Watch the video."Haiti’s Human Rights Challenges...
Featured partner: the Lebanese Transparency Association via CIPE Development Blog
Haifa Wehbe, a popular singer in Lebanon, dons an LTA t-shirt for the BLOM Beirut Marathon.
When you live and work in a region where daily life accessories may include shoulder-mounted missiles and backpack bombs, efforts to reduce corruption have plenty of incentive to be as creative as possible. The Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) is the Lebanon chapter of Transparency International, and rather than investigating or exposing individual cases of corruption, which might invite a few unwanted accessories, LTA focuses on systemic factors that create situations for bribery, nepotism, patronage, embezzlement, and other forms of corruption. If you’re interested in asking LTA what it’s like to do this kind of work, you can ask them yourself, later today on Facebook.
LTA is... Let there be light… via CIPE Development Blog
A worker checks a switch linked to a generator that distributes electricity to residents in Beirut. (Photo: AFP/ JOSEPH BARRAK)
A few months ago, the Lebanese Anti-Bribery Network—an initiative of the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) supported by CIPE—organized a roundtable in Beirut to discuss a draft policy paper on good governance in the Lebanese electricity sector, with representatives of the national utilities company Electricité du Liban present. In an eerie strike of irony, an hour into the event, the hotel hosting the roundtable experienced a power shortage that resulted in a brief blackout.
A recent working paper by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicated that reducing electricity constraints to business could raise per capita GDP by up to two percent... Iran: recent nuclear weapons concerns unfounded? via Global Issues
Towards the end of 2009 it was revealed published a document which purportedly described an Iranian plan to do experiments on what the newspaper described as a neutron initiator for an atomic weapon. However, it seems US intelligence sources find this Iran nuclear document to be a fabrication. Shortly before his term as head of the IAEA ended, Dr. Elbaradei reiterated that using the language of force on this issue has not been helpful and despite some serious failings recently failings by Iran not to disclose an enrichment facility by a certain time, to present the Iran threat as imminent is hype.
This update expands on the above as well as adds a few notes on the recent political violence that has erupted as Iran’s security forces have clamped down on protesters... Corruption on the rise in MENA via CIPE Development Blog
New Issue of the Journal of Refugee Studies via Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog
The December issue of vol. 22 of the Journal of Refugee Studies (JRS) is now available. Contents include the following articles:The (Relative) Decline of Palestinian Exceptionalism and its Consequences for Refugee Studies in the Middle East [abstract] [working paper]Residential Sampling and Johannesburg's Forced Migrants [abstract] [workshop paper]Facilitating Youth Participation in a Context...
Syria [In Arabic] via New at IFPRI
Publications: Disaster Displacement & Climate Change, Field Surveys/DRC, Iraqi Refugees, TB & Asylum Seekers/Norway, Young Asylum Seekers via Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog
Iraqi Refugees in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey (CARIM, 2009) [access]- 10 papers available."Learning lessons from field surveys in humanitarian contexts: a case study of field surveys conducted in North Kivu, DRC 2006-2008," Conflict and Health, 3:8 (10 September 2009) [open access text]Monitoring Disaster Displacement in the Context of Climate Change (IDMC & OCHA, Sept. 2009)...
A Big Push for the Smallest of Enterprises via CIPE Development Blog
The street vendor is a ubiquitous feature of urban life virtually everywhere in the world. Food served from a battered cart, jewelry on rickety table, local souvenirs laid in neat rows on a blanket (ready to be pulled up by the corners at the first sign of the police).
Street vendors are often viewed as an urban nuisance even in the most developed of economies – recall Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s war on vendors, legal or otherwise, in New York City in the 1990s. The Federation of Economic Development Associations (FEDA), a grassroots federation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Egypt, knew that this would be an issue that would capture attention when its launched its own program aimed at this unlikely group of small business owners.
Still, FEDA has sparked... Acknowledging Egypt’s Elephant in the Room via CIPE Development Blog
The Cursed Tree via CIPE Development Blog
Yemen remains one of the most underdeveloped countries in the Middle East and around the world. In 2009, it was ranked 153 out of 177 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index. Economic progress in the country is being hindered by a host of issues including poor governance, weak institutions, terrorism, and social unrest in both the northern and southern parts of the country.
Qat consumption is another major hurdle contributing to the poor performance of the Yemeni economy. Qat or “Catha edulis” is a tree that grows mainly in Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and classified as a drug by the UN and the U.S. Qat leaves are used as a narcotic when chewed to achieve a state of euphoria and stimulation. Research showed that 70 to 80 percent of Yemenis consume Qat... The private sector as agents of change (and optimism) via CIPE Development Blog
Practice doesn’t make perfect via CIPE Development Blog
Obama Mid-East Speech Supports Rights, Democracy via
(Cairo) – President Barack Obama’s much-anticipated June 4, 2009, speech to the Muslim world avoided confronting authoritarian governments directly, but sent a welcome message that Washington would not let the prospect of empowering Islamist parties deter it from supporting democracy in the region, Human Rights Watch said today.
read...
Youth for Change in MENA via CIPE Development Blog
Earlier this week I had a chance to hear six recent college graduates/graduate students (see bios here) present brief summaries of policy recommendations formed at youth conferences in Rabat (Morocco), Cairo (Egypt), and Amman (Jordan). The event was organized by Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) and The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED).
Why young people’s views on reform? Youth constitute a majority of the Middle East population and, leaving universities, many young people find themselves at the crossroads - unable to get jobs in the public or private sectors.
One issue that people consistently highlighted was the idea of cultural exchange. Two representatives spoke from the experience of each conference, all three of which included cultural exchange as a...
Debating the Future of Reform in MENA via CIPE Development Blog
With inflation and political backtracking competing with trends of economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa, the link between economic and political reform has increasingly come under scrutiny in the region. It was a prevailing theme in the recent roundtable that CIPE held for key partners from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, and Yemen in Hammamet, Tunisia.
Leading private sector organizations from around the region shared successful reform approaches, focusing on entrepreneurship, advocacy, public-private dialogue, and corporate governance. Many of these programs underscore the need for institutions that promote better economic policies and expand growth dividends across a broader segment of society.
It was interesting to see partners not...
Forbes Global Energy Forum via Governance Focus
When: November 9 - 11, 2008Where: Four Seasons Hotel Doha, Doha, QatarConvergence in Technology & Policy InnovationTwenty trillion dollars. The number is staggering and demands serious attention. Twenty trillion dollars is the cumulative investment the world’s energy producers will need to spend just to keep up with global demand over the next two decades.The deep impact of that kind of capital flow will reverberate through industrial and capital markets, and governments, everywhere. The winners among them, the heroes and the profit-makers, will be those who understand how to navigate conflicting interests and find the convergence required to attain the widely sought goal: adequate, secure energy supply in an environmentally acceptable fashion. Achieving this goal requires facing...
Forbes Global Women’s Forum via Governance Focus
When: May 5 - 6, 2008Where: Four Seasons Hotel Doha, Doha, QatarDriving Change: Women in LeadershipFor economies to grow and companies to profit, they must stay competitive and embrace globalization. They need to fully utilize all resources. What roles are women playing in the development of today’s business, social, and political sectors? As women gain more influence in public life around the world, how are they making a difference? How will the face of the global workplace change as female entrepreneurs start and build the companies that are creating millions of jobs needed around the world? Are quotas in the workplace effective in encouraging diversity? Which sectors are women favoring and how are they succeeding?The Middle East is at a critical juncture. Thanks to high oil prices...
Yemen at a critical juncture via CIPE Development Blog
With the world’s eye squarely focused on Iraq, much less attention is being paid to the challenges – and opportunities – for democratic and market reform elsewhere in the Middle East. Yemen, for instance, has recently come into the media focus because of an attempted Al-Qaida attack against the U.S. embassy that injured 13 students leaving a nearby school. But the domestic context of this attack remains poorly understood.
Yemen has an important choice to make. If the entrenched disfunctionalities in its political and economic systems persist, it will be headed toward anarchy or even a failed state. But if reforms continue, it may well become a regional example of progress in building democratic and market institutions.
Yemen is facing significant internal security problems...
Corporate Governance: Mandatory or Voluntary? via CIPE Development Blog
An academic paper just came to my attention by Najib Harabi, of the University of Applied Sciences of Northwestern Switzerland (November 2007) that poses an important question: What is the state of corporate governance as a major factor affecting the growth of the private sector in MENA countries? Although Mr. Harabi doesn’t answer the question fully, he makes some assumptions that are worth evaluating. With corporate governance gaining steam in the MENA region, it is a critical that we have good answers to such questions about how corporate governance can foster better investment climates.
The study looks at the World Bank assessment tool on corporate governance (ROSCs) used in Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, as well as a series of regional roundtables from 2003 to 2006 that were...
Corporate Governance and Responsibility Forum 2008 via Governance Focus
Date: Tuesday, 18 March 2008 to Thursday, 20 March 2008Place: JW Marriott, Safat, KuwaitEvent DescriptionDuring the Corporate Governance and Responsibility Forum (CGR Forum) 2007 and as a result of its success, the CGR Forum was announced to become an annual event.The success of CGR Forum is evidence that it is possible to reap value from creating a venue for the private and public sector to discuss key topics such as corporate governance and responsibility and overcome obstacles by working together. See full...
Hawkamah And CFA Emirates To Promote Corporate Governance Reforms via Governance Focus
The Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance (Hawkamah) yesterday announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Certified Financial Analysts (CFA Emirates), the UAE society for CFA charterholders and candidates, to cooperate with each other to actively promote and improve good corporate governance practices in the UAE, GCC and the MENA region. The signing took place the Annual UAE CFA Charter award ceremony in which charterholders received their new CFA charters.The memorandum states that Hawkamah and CFA Emirates will work together to advocate corporate sector reform and enhance existing corporate governance standards across the region. This goal is supported by three broad objectives, namely to: improve the corporate governance practices of private and public...
Al Khaliji urges best corporate governance via Governance Focus
Al Khaliji, which aims to build a strong regional presence in the GCC countries, has called for implementing global best practice in corporate governance. This was highlighted by Niall Coburn, senior executive, group corporate governance. Al Khaliji was one of the endorsement partners of the recently concluded Second GCC regulators’ Summit in Bahrain.See full...
Gulf ‘must follow Bahrain model’ via Governance Focus
The regulatory environment in Bahrain is an excellent example to other countries in the GCC and the Middle East, according to a visiting expert.Ernst & Young Northern Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa Regulatory and Public Policy managing partner Jan Babiak was speaking on the sidelines of the summit."Regulation is of growing importance in a global economy that is more interdependent every day," she said."All central banks are more aware than ever of the threats posed to their security - and the economies which they are there to protect - by a wide range of threats, from money-laundering to non-compliance to information security."The Central Bank of Bahrain is recognised internationally for its support of strong corporate governance frameworks in the financial sector, according to...
“Middle East and North Africa Reform: Rooted in Economic and Political Ground” via CIPE Development Blog
An intensifying demographic transition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region calls for creating as many as 100 million new jobs in the next decade in order to accommodate the increasing number of entrants into the labor force. The shortcomings of past economic reforms foreshadow a massive labor crisis and potential social instability as the rising wave of youth unemployment sweeps through the region. But MENA may also have at hand a unique window of opportunity for sustained growth and development, provided that long-overdue institutional reforms – both economic and political – are introduced.
The key to successful reforms lies in understanding the profound interconnections between well-functioning markets and democratic governance. They both rely on the same set of core...