Regional Partnership: Peace, Stability and Development

1. Regional Partnership:Peace, Stability and Development Khaled Galal AbdelHamid Secretary of the Commission UN-ESCWA Santiago, Chile June 2007

2. I. Key Characteristics of the ESCWA region • Demographics: • The ESCWA region accounts for 2.8 % of the world’s population • Expansion in the ratio of the 15-64 age group; May offer a favourable opportunity for economic growth • Natural Resources: • The region holds 57.2 % of the world petroleum reserves and 27.4% of the world natural gas resources. • Limited annual renewable water resources (0.3% of world total) • Socio-Economic Factors: • Growth: Average GDP 5.6% in 2006; forecast 5.1% in 2007 • Poverty: 28 % below $2 a day; 13.5 % of children underweight • Migration: High migration; Brain Drain; Remittances • MDGs: Significant sub-regional variation; Arab LDCs, Iraq and Palestine will be unable to achieve most MDGs. • Unemployment: 16% overall, 25% youth, 60% in young Iraqi males. • Illiteracy: among 15+ age group, estimated at 36% • Conflict: Protracted conflict, occupation, and political instability.

3. Increase in illegal migration II. Conflict in the ESCWA region The regional dimension of conflict and the need for a regional approach to address the interrelationship of political instability and development, is evident in the Middle East where war, foreign occupation and ethno-sectarian conflict, inhibits development. Refugees increase hardship for host communities Ethno-sectarian tensions are replicated in various settings BRAIN DRAIN due to migration of skilled workers *Regional Spill-over effects

4. III. Development under Crisis Conditions Conflict distorts development priorities: • Tendency to focus on humanitarian relief/emergency aid instead of long-term sustainable development. • Long-term development and social planning are often undermined, thus root causes of civil unrest are not addressed. • THEREFORE: • Assistance in protracted conflicts should be tied to development efforts and should empower local partners to ensure sustainability. • Linkages between peace, security and socio-economic development should be explicitly addressed with an effort to combat the root problems.

5. IV. Repositioning ESCWA to address regional concerns ESCWA has repositioned itself to critically address the inter-linkages between conflict and development, by focusing on three key areas: Temporal Concerns Breaking the Cycle Sustainability 1) To develop a conceptual and operational framework that links immediate aid to medium and long-term development objectives. 2) To build partnerships within and between member states and promote regional integration to support peace, stability, and development. 3) To address the root causes of conflict through normative, analytical, and development projects.

6. ESCWA also established a Unit for Emerging and Conflict Related Issuesin January 2006 in order to reduce the impact of conflict and instability on socio-economic and political development in Western Asia. In particular, the Unit aims atconsolidating activities taking place in conflict and post-conflict settings and developing a conceptual and operational framework for engaging in development under crisis conditions. • Key Activities: -Analysis and policy formulation for conflict prevention and mitigation • Ex. Expert Group Meeting (EGM) entitled “Development under Crisis Conditions” -Capacity building of public and civic institutions in conflict afflicted and post-conflict areas • Ex.Iraqi Networking Academies Project: Capacity Building in Higher Education on Networking Technology - Mainstreaming conflict preventionby incorporating the socio-economic development needs of conflict-stricken countries into the work of substantive divisions - Forging partnershipswith civil society, the private sector, government institutions and United Nations and international organizations

7. V. Development and conflict lifecycles • Pre-Conflict Phase: • Reduce socio-economic and political tension and promote equitable sustainable growth; • Integrate conflict prevention strategies in development planning; • Promote bottom up decision making: local community input in formulating development plans; • Assist governments communicate more effectively development policies and programmes; • Assist governments in formulating development goals that address points of tension.

8. Conflict Phase: • Larger political context must be taken into consideration while devising and implementing development programmes and socio-economic and political variables contributing to conflict must be addressed; • Humanitarian assistance should be tied to long-term development goals and should be coordinated to minimize overlap and maximize complementarity ; • Short term development projects should be implemented (within a larger strategic framework) and should revolve around 4 determinants: relevance, security, community needs and the organization’s mandate; • Local partners should be empowered through technical assistance and capacity building.

9. Post-Conflict Phase: • Eliminate socio-economic causes of conflict through tailor-made development planning; • Forge partnerships for process-driven reconstruction efforts and formulate joint recovery strategies with international and national development agencies; • Implement small and easy projects with high visibility, thus yielding rapid results on the ground and building support for the peace process; • Streamline operations to ensure speed, flexibility and efficiency in responding to conflict emergencies; • Determine potential spoilers and involve them in the process; • Advocate the role of civil society and engage them in the development planning process.

10. VI. Partnership and Regional Integration for Sustainable Development PARTNERSHIPS: • UN Agencies: Arab Millennium Development Report REGIONAL INTEGRATION: • Economic: Facilitate interregional trade and transport. • Natural Resources: Promote interregional management of water and energy resources. • Information and Communication Technology

11. VII. Key Messages 1. Regional integration in economic and development spheres and regional projects are a vehicle for preventing future conflict and war; 2.Regional cooperation in the attainment of political stability and peace is necessary; 3. Conflict and crises in the Middle East have global repercussions and spill-over effects (including refugee/migration flows, oil-price fluctuation, etc.).

12. THANK YOU