The CEEFME Conference:An earnest effort to correct the incoherent development of the region [Archives:2006/920/Reportage]
February 13 2006
 |
 |
On January 29, 2006 YT Senior Political and Economic Editor attended the Conference for the Enrichment of the Economic Future of the Middle East which was held in Doha, Qatar, as an expert on development. This special report covers the Conference in detail and also provides interesting insights as to the rapidly ongoing changes that Doha was witnessing and the role that Yemenis are playing in Qatar's vibrant and energetic effort to become another model of successful development.
The importance of the Conference for the Enrichment of the Economic Future of the Middle East is not just apparent from the obvious large number of people that were invited as speakers, moderators and participants, but by the goal of the Conference. As a participant, one could not escape from realizing that the CEEFME sought to come out with viable solutions to the problems that stand in the way of the economic and social development of the Middle East. Though the issues involved are many and complex, it was amazing that, within the three days of the Conference, a long list of practicable recommendations were presented that could be used in a regional framework to help solve some of the seemingly perplexing difficulties that are faced by the region in achieving cohesive development.
The CEEFME was co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and the Burkle Center for International Relations in the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) organized by the Conference Organizing Committee of Qatar and Felixia Associates of London. There were some 250 participants, moderators and speakers, who represented a cross-section of relevant authorities in political, economic and social development and a healthy showing from the business communities of both the Middle East and the rest of the world.
The rationale for holding the Conference as related by H. E. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar in his inauguration address of the CEEFME was as follows:
“The holding of this conference comes in time where we are badly needing to arrange for the economic concern after the political concern has obtained a great part of the international community in the reform process”.
In other words, the politics of the Middle East should not be the major concern of the international community. It really is time to start to look at the issues that matter the most to most of the people in the region: determining the concrete steps needed to improve their economic well-being, raise their standards of living and eliminate poverty. Such sound rationalization is understandable as the majority of the people of the Middle East cannot really be expected to be concerned about their political situations, when their subsistence is the prevailing challenge of the day for them. Moreover, it is not possible to expect that regional development in cohesion cannot be achieved, while there is a significant disparity between the levels of achievement reached by some of the countries in the region, not to mention the disparity in wealth.
If the region's economic issues are given greater priority, then there can be greater room for optimism. The factors at play in this context are: the resources are there, the common denominators outweigh the differences among the member countries of the region and the region's strategic position geographically and its importance as a primary source of the energy that most of the economies of the world rely upon for their continued growth. The CEEFME sought to start the activation of these significant factors towards harnessing the potential possibilities of turning the Middle East and North Africa into a dynamic and prosperous economic bloc that presents vast opportunities for the people and the business enterprises of the region, as well as the international community.
The Conference was inaugurated by H. E. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar, who stressed the importance of the CEEFME in the speech he gave at the inauguration ceremonies.
The special guest speaker at the inauguration of the Conference was former President Bill Clinton of the United States, who spoke stressed the importance of the stability and peace in the region as an important prerogative before any successful reforms can be implemented. In addition, Mr. Clinton outlined a plan encompassing six points that included expanding infrastructural and capital investment in broad economic sectors; the development of regulatory structures to promote small business, job creation, economic diversity, and the strengthening of the middle class; a system of on-going investment in education to get more young people in school, increasing opportunities for university education, maximizing the intellectual capacity of the region, including getting more women into the workforce, especially in skilled jobs; guaranteeing more consumer capacity through the creation of minimum wage policies and unemployment insurance; and expanding the capacity of countries to offer business education.
Mr. Clinton also said: “Middle East countries need to diversify their economies and enhance productivity if they are to make optimum use of their resources and potential.
Many people in the West and elsewhere in the world believe the Middle East is the hotbed of politics and seat of instability”.
The Conference started with a reception and dinner on the eve of the inauguration of the CEEFME. After the inauguration ceremonies, speakers discussed the following topics:
1) Energy and the Dynamics of Regional Development :
Perspectives from Asia and the Middle East
2) The Middle East Energy Scene : Global Perspective
3) The Business Environment in the Middle East:
Managing Risk, Seizing Opportunities, Private Sector,
Investment, and Diversification
4) Doing Business in the Middle East: Creating Societies
Conducive to Development, Efficiency, and Productivity
5) The Iraqi Economy : An on the Scene Report
On the following day, the participants split into various specialist panels, to present recommendations for enhancing the development effort in the region and to improve the chances for the economic cohesion of the region: The panels were
1) The Middle East Energy Scene in Global Perspective
2) Doing Business in the Middle East: What Could Improve: Private Sector, Venture Capital, and Diversification.
3) Doing Business in the Middle East: Creating Societies Conducive to Development, Efficiency, and Productivity.
Ms. Bahiya Hariri, widow of the late Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafiq Al-Hariri spoke briefly on the prospects for business in the region.
The final plenary was aptly titled: Looking Ahead: Recommendations and Conclusions. In this session, the recommendations gathered by the specialty panels were summarized as follows (from the Burkle Center at UCLA website):
While affirming that all reform initiatives must be locally designed, and reflect local customs, traditions and circumstances, the conference addressed three key areas of reform: improving the business environment in the Middle East; creating societies conducive to development, efficiency and productivity; and optimizing the energy economy to promote sustainable regional economic growth.
On improving the environment for business creation and economic diversification in the Middle East, participants discussed the need to bring more practical solutions to address the regional deficits in three areas identified by the United Nations Development Program's recent report on regional development in the Middle East region: education and training; women's integration into the skilled workforce; and increasing freedom of expression, association and the press.
Among the initiatives discussed were encouraging governments and businesses in the region to create public/private sector partnerships to provide computers to each student in the region, and in the longer term to each person in the Arab world.
Participants also stressed the importance of enhancing opportunity for and economic empowerment of the region's women, and recommended the adoption of affirmative action programs for women's employment in government, as well as preferential contracts to promote women-owned businesses.
The promulgation of a national “Bills of Rights” elaborating specific freedoms, roles, rights and responsibilities of citizens in the Middle East also was recommend by conference participants.
To enhance international and regional cooperation, participants advocated more people to-people exchange programs, especially those that facilitate interaction among citizens from the Middle East and elsewhere who share common professional interests and activities.
Also recommended were the adoption in the broader Middle East region of binational research and investment projects, such as those established by the United States and Israel to promote technical research and development, as well as expanding the Seeds of Peace program of cross cultural youth exchanges across the region.
On energy, the creation of an International Energy Development Initiative was proposed, a coalition of governments, corporations and private individuals to address the future of energy resources on a worldwide basis. Such a forum would provide a practical and results-oriented mechanism for international coordination and risk mitigation, and promote international investment in research and development in new and alternative energy policies, technologies and services, as well as a platform for dialogue among energy producers, distributors and consumers. Conference participants reviewed proposals to enhance greater market stability through such initiatives as selling 20 percent of existing reserves to consumer states. More regional involvement in nuclear technologies also was recommended, in addition to other clean alternative energy sources such as solar and wind energy.
Finally, participants stressed the need to increase scientific and technological education and training throughout the region.
Increasing efforts to support education and training was viewed as one of the critical drivers of business growth in the region, as well as the need to create enduring and strong regulatory regimes to enable job growth, entrepreneurialism, access to risk capital and enhancement of property rights.
New policies and regulatory structures to promote the development of the middle class and small business, and efforts to facilitate greater transparency and good governance in both private and public sector activities through the region also were recommended.
Conference participants affirmed the importance of existing initiatives to establish a regional central bank to serve as a common forum and meeting place for the region's existing central banks, which would continue to have the same functions and accountabilities they now possess. The new regional central bank could be a venue where all central banks could meet and coordinate policies, especially as regional governments face large and growing surpluses.
Participants also discussed the need for a greater Asian role in the Middle East, necessitated by increasing energy demand, especially in India and China. As economic engagement and trade between the Middle East and Asia increases, so too should Asian governments and businesses play increasingly active roles in supporting economic development and assistance in the region.
The coordination for the Conference was undertaken by Felixia Associates of London, with the significant active efforts of Ms. Farida Hashem, Senior Consultant.
Participants from Yemen included:
1) Dr. Hussein Al-Amri UNESCO Yemen Board Associate, Member of Consultative Assembly
2) Dr. Rasheed Barabba'a, Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources
3) Hassan Al-Haifi, Senior Economic and Political Analyst for the Yemen Times
4) Mohammed Al-Baidhani, Deputy General Manager of Liquefied Natural Gas Company (YLNG) of Yemen.
5) Abdurrahman Hayel Sa'eed Ana'am, Deputy Chairman of Hayel Saeed Ana'am Group.
6) Abdul-Gabbar Hayel Saeed Ana'am, Director of HAS Group.
The report on the Yemeni participation in the Conference and the other aspects of the Doha visit shall be included in the following issue of YT.
——
[archive-e:920-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-02-13-p:report]
