8th Forum for the Future: NPWJ urges promotion of “active citizenship” to foster democracy in the MENA region

 
 
A delegation of No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) is participating in the Eigth Forum for the Future Ministerial Meeting in Kuwait, being hosted on 21-22 November 2011 by Kuwait, under the co-chairship of France. The meeting, being attended by high-level government delegations and civil society representatives of G8 and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, as well as regional and international organisations and institutions, is examining the state of play of progress accomplished in the realm of political reform and human rights promotion in the region.
 
During the Ministerial meeting, a set of constructive proposals and recommendations that emerged from the Civil Society preparatory workshops held in Kuwait, Marseilles, and Marrakech will also be presented. These centre on reform priorities aimed at enhancing the economic and political participation of women and youth in the countries of the region.
 
Statement by Niccolo’ Figa-Talamanca, Secretary-General 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.
 
"As highlighted by recent developments in several countries of the region, supporting active participation of civil society in the political process and its contribution to the identification of political priorities is among the essential requirements for liberal institutions and democracy to thrive as home-grown aspirations.
 
"Today it is even more urgent to provide full support to this process in order to ensure that citizens can actively engage in democratic reform and contribute to the building of their country’s future based on respect for their fundamental human rights: freedom of association, the possibility for each individual and group to gather freely and form communalities without interference, is still a right that too many are not able to enjoy; freedom of speech and thought is still a right that too many individuals and minorities simply do not have.
 
"While courageous men and women from Libya to Yemen and from Amman to Tunis are at the forefront of the struggle to defend and reaffirm the values of human rights and democracy, and seek recognition of their broader political and social rights and those of their communities at large, 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.”
 
Visit the website of the 8th Forum for the Future
 
 
Additional documents:
FFF 2011 Agenda
FFF 2011 Civil Society recommendations
FFF 2011 Final Declaration

 
For further information, please contact: Gianluca Eramo, email: geramo@npwj.org, phone: +32 2 548 39 25 or Nicola Giovannini on ngiovannini@npwj.org or +32 2 548 39 15.