Political and economic inclusion is crucial for stability and development in the region
LONDON (TrustLaw) – The spark that set off widespread protests against autocratic rulers in the Arab world started with a slap and a slur hurled at a vegetable seller in Tunisia by a policewoman in a rundown provincial city.
Mohamed Bouazizi set himself alight in protest and, four months after his death, he would scarcely recognise the region he knew. Hundreds of thousands of people from Egypt to Yemen and Syria have taken to the streets calling for change. Many of them are young people frustrated by a lack of freedom, unemployment and opportunities, and eager to play an active role in their country’s economy and society.
The demand for governance, economic and justice reforms represents a huge challenge for Arab countries rocked by recent uprisings. In an interview with TrustLaw, the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Helen Clark, talks about the importance of political and economic inclusion in achieving peace and stability needed for development in the region.
Q. What’s the importance of economic and political inclusion in Arab states?
I think we had a combination of things coming together behind the uprisings...you’ve got a huge youth population and the lack of opportunity for youth, including for, and particularly for, educated youth. It’s been a huge issue. We’re looking at high unemployment among educated youth and among unskilled youth. This is a generation that is interconnected, interlinked, wired up, that can communicate readily and it has been very frustrating for them. They felt they haven’t had an impact on decision making, they have been excluded from economic opportunity. There are the seeds there for people to get extremely angry when times get tough. And times have been tough. There has been a global recession, food prices are on the rise, jobs, decent work has been scarce. I think for stable and peaceful transitions it’s very important that we at UNDP are advocating strongly for inclusive economic strategy and inclusive governance strategies.
Q. With revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, and calls for change from Libya and Syria to Yemen and Bahrain – where does UNDP start? Where are the priorities and what are the priorities – is it tackling corruption, the judicial system or human rights, women’s rights?
At this point only in Tunisia and in Egypt (uprisings) have led to change. What we have done both at a regional level and then at a country specific level is rewrite strategies and programmes for the new circumstances where the openings present themselves. In Tunisia and Egypt countries are reaching out to the U.N. system. In Tunisia elections are to be held ... UNDP is recognised as having expertise in supporting that around the world. There are constitutional arrangements to be written, there is a need for strategy to try and get the economy going quickly, quick impact recovery initiatives, human rights being on the table, space for civil society, development of free media, the possibility for political parties. All these are new opportunities. In Libya, which is in such profound conflict, obviously things tend to go on hold while the situation clarifies. In countries like Yemen ... security has dictated that we have to completely freeze where we are while things clarify. So we are very closely watching every development.
Q. How does the situation in Tunisia differ to Egypt or Yemen?
Tunisia and Egypt are middle-income countries. Yemen is a least developed country. I was able to visit (Yemen) in January, just before the security situation deteriorated, and you become very aware that Yemen had many crises. It has a political crisis, it has a security crisis, it’s got a water crisis ... it’s challenged in many many ways. But I think the way in which the situation is evolving country by country also is impacted on by the way in which regimes react ... there have been different responses from authorities in different countries.
Q. In countries like Yemen, how will UNDP tackle such a complex situation?
I think that Yemen is able to move to some grade of stability, there is tremendous potential for our work there ... We have begun with other players to put together community-based dialogue and reconciliation initiatives in the north. I think that work could certainly be scaled up in the aftermath of what's happened there. Then the basic issue of governance -- we had already moved in with supporters requested for the electoral commission because Yemen was due to have elections this year. Now again, as the way forward is clear I am sure Yemen will go to elections and we can do a tremendous amount ... to encourage a good process ... aside that the last election in Yemen were regarded by the international community as reasonably credible. There is a basis to build on there. Then there’s the whole capacity-building of the government to be able to plan, design, deliver services and of the subnational government in a complex country like Yemen. Then you come to basic issues like the acute water question, not just in Sanaa but in a patched country. UNDP is active on water, we’re active on working with the U.N. family around the sustainable livelihoods of people in the remote rural communities of countries, and then the overall environmental, climate stress, energy access issues that we’re active on. So I feel very very positive about what we can do in Yemen.
Q. What is UNDP doing in Tunisia and Egypt to help get governance, economic and justice reforms passed?
Everything we do is at national request, we operate government to government agreements. There is a desire moving forward in Egypt to get that (national) dialogue going amongst the players and producers of the current situation. We’ve been right back through the programme ... responding to any requests, we’ve tried to sharpen up things that need to be sharpened up for any circumstances.
Q. How will you judge if your work in these countries has been successful?
We would love to see the elections held, judged as free and fair elections and highly credible with good participation and vibrant media, political parties openly contesting. That would feel proud for the country but also proud that we have contributed to it. And that is probably very early on the agenda now.
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