The “High-Level Meeting on Beyond Populism: Economic Challenges and Opportunities in Democratic Transitions,” opened today in the Moroccan capital Rabat, as organized by ESCWA in cooperation with the other regional commissions of the United Nations on 5-6 February 2013. The Meeting was held in the presence of Minister of State Abdallah Baha Representing King Muhammad VI and Minister Delegate Attached to the Prime Minister for General Affairs and Good Governance Mohamed Najib Boulif.
The opening session witnessed a statement by King Muhammad VI, delivered by Minsiter Baha, which read: this Meeting is especially important in that it is being held within delicate regional and international circumstances, characterized namely by the far-reaching and fast political changes in certain Arab countries, not to mention the negative circumstances of the global financial crisis weighing down on them.
This makes the “Economic Challenges and Opportunities in Democratic Transitions”, that you chose as title for your meeting a current issue that requires a serious examination and analysis, since interest in political developments in these countries is not met with a similar interest in economic areas.
On the contrary, the developments that were laid down as grounds for a new world towards democratic transition have unfortunately created a complex socio-political and security atmosphere that is characterized in certain places with disturbing unrest, accompanied by negative repercussions on social stability and economic growth.”
Following the speech of King Muhammad VI, UN Undersecretary-General and ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf delivered a statement and said that “Uprisings for freedom, dignity and justice raised high hopes among Arab citizens”, noting however that “Two years after the eruption of the Arab uprisings, many have grown more pessimistic. The prosperity they hoped for remains elusive, poverty has not decreased and unemployment is higher and more acute than ever.” While some Arab leaders, as in Morocco for example, listened to the voice of their people and embarked on promising reforms, others turned a deaf ear, forcing their countries into a vicious cycle of violence, hostility and destruction, Khalaf added.
Khalaf seized the opportunity to express delight at having Morocco as part of the ESCWA family. This rising country represents a rich mix of the Arab and African identities. Having reconciled tradition and modernity, Morocco has opened to the world of today, taking pride in its own culture and building on the very best of its authentic heritage.
In her statement, ESCWA Executive Secretary added that this meeting was the first regional event held by ESCWA since Morocco joined the Commission in the summer of 2012. It supports the reforms and transition to democracy in Arab countries. This meeting is the second in a series of dialogues organized to address the political, economic, social and cultural challenges of building democracy and good governance institutions in the Arab region. Those components are strongly interrelated. Reforms in one area will not succeed unless they are complemented by reforms in the others. The democratic transition will not be complete unless it is supported by a strong and inclusive economic system in which all may participate and benefit equally. Societies will not be able to provide the economy with productive and innovative labour forces unless they rise above complacency and no longer accept mediocrity. Those values were instilled during despotic times. Economies will not prosper unless they are supported by democratic regimes that are free from corruption and dependence, Khalaf said.
She added that Economic slowdowns are not atypical during revolutions: they are a recurrent feature of the first phases of transitions. Revolutions erupt against failed systems where injustice and exclusion prevail, and their success often requires that corrupt State structures are dismantled and then rebuilt on the basis of justice, freedom and popular participation. Other experiences have shown it: between destruction and reconstruction there will always be hard times. Khalaf concluded by saying that the only way forward is to build a future where freedom and dignity prevail, under just regimes that derive their power from the will of the people and do not exclude anyone on the basis of religion, ethnicity or gender.
Co-organized by the Moroccan Ministry of General Affairs and Good Governance, the Meeting was attended by a number of high-level Arab and international political leaders, policymakers and development practitioners with relevant experience in the fields of democratic transition and socioeconomic reform. The Meeting provides decision makers in emerging democracies in Arab countries with an opportunity to interact with world leaders who encountered similar challenges.
The High level Meeting is intended to provide a forum for an exchange of views and experiences between participants; provide policymakers and practitioners with global best practice and lessons learned in relevant areas; examine different ways to manage people’s expectations in the short and medium term without taxing the future; identify key mechanisms for restoring confidence and building consensus around options for economic growth and social justice based on the experience of other countries; explore the potential role of regional and international intervention, support and cooperation on prospects for democratic transition and addressing short-term challenges; promote South-South cooperation and networking; identify the priority needs of member countries and their expectations of the United Nations and other donors.