Inter-Governmental Regional Conference on Democracy, Human rights and the Role of the International Criminal Court

Address by Désirée Bonis, Head, Peacebuilding and Governance Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague, the Netherlands - Sana'a, 10 – 12 January 2004

Many of the issues raised here today and yesterday are not really new. Political and economic reform have been part of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership process all along. I think what is new is the commitment to effectuate real change on the ground. Now, more than ever, the role of civil society is key in pressing for such change. Better than anyone, it is civil society which knows that real democracy entails much, much more than just periodic elections.
 
Sana’a Intergovernmental Regional Conference on Democracy, Human Rights and the role of the International Criminal Court, 10 -12 January 2003.
 
Thematic session III: Civil society and the promotion of democracy
 
As a non-regional participant, allow me to make a few observations of a more general nature.
This has been a very special conference, in more than one way the first of its kind. I have been to many meetings on human rights and democracy, but not to many where democracy was the subject of debate between Arab governments, let alone between Arab governments and NGOs. We feel privileged to have been invited to this gathering and we want to congratulate the organisers, the Government of Yemen and No Peace Without Justice, for taking the initiative.
 
Many of the issues raised here today and yesterday are not really new. Political and economic reform have been part of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership process all along. I think what is new is the commitment to effectuate real change on the ground. Now, more than ever, the role of civil society is key in pressing for such change. Better than anyone, it is civil society which knows that real democracy entails much, much more than just periodic elections.
 
Let me highlight just a few items on the agenda of change; since most of them have actually already been mentioned, I shall do so in key-words:
 
political plurality;
independent judiciary and equality before the law;
free and independent media;
advancement of women;
respect for minorities, be it religious or ethnic or otherwise;
the fight against corruption;
education for all.
 
To achieve such aspirations will undoubtedly require capacity-building and institution-building. More than that, it needs the political will to bring about change - as expressed in many Government statements here yesterday. But most of all, it will require and active civil society which will advocate, negotiate, monitor and, if necessary, denounce. To play this role, such laws which currently restrict the freedom of speech, association and assembly in many Arab countries, including emergency laws, will need to be lifted or revoked.
 
In my country, the Netherlands, democracy was the outcome of a long struggle for civil and political rights, rather than the other way around. I am from a family which belonged to a religious minority that once found refuge in Holland. Moreover, I am a woman in a country where even 100 years ago women were not allowed the vote. Therefore, like many individuals present here, I realise just how precious these rights and freedoms are.
 
More importantly, democracy is not an end result, but a long and winding road, with steps forward and setbacks all along, both in Europe and in the Arab world. I already mentioned the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership process; in the context of the Wider Europe initiative, this cooperation is sure to expand. Such cooperation admittedly does not cover all countries in the Arab region, though many are included. On a bilateral basis, the Netherlands has cooperated with Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and with our host country Yemen in the areas of human rights promotion and democracy building, both at Government and NGO level.
 
To conclude, let me share with you what we have learned from supporting democracy during the last few years:
 
change must be incremental, and the sequencing of change is important; it is now widely believed that democratic reform should focus on creating liberties and strengthening civil society before promoting elections, in order not to fuel instability;
 
change must come from within. I think the Sana'a declaration, to be signed by participating regional Governments this very afternoon, can be seen as a hopeful sign of such change-from-within. All the necessary commitments are there. It it will need a strong civil society to take their Governments to task to fulfill these commitments.
 
Désirée Bonis
Head, Peacebuilding and Governance Division
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Hague, the Netherlands