Document: Alexandria Declaration: Reform in the Arab World

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Participants at the Conference on Arab Reform organised by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in collaboration with civil society institutions in the Arab world met from 12 to 14 March 2004 to discuss the framework for reform in the Arab world.

Emphasising that reform is both necessary and urgent, that it stems from within Arab societies and that it should address the aspirations of the Arab peoples, the participants discussed the political, economic, social and cultural dimensions of the needed reform, noting the necessity of addressing the specificity of each Arab country, while at the same time accommodating common Arab denominators, and thus laying the foundations for inter-Arab cooperation.

Country reform, the participants noted, should not be at the expense of pressing regional issues. At the forefront of these issues is a just solution to the Palestinian question in accordance with international resolutions stipulating the establishment of two independent, sovereign states, the liberation of all occupied Arab territories and the recognition of the independence and territorial integrity of Iraq.

The Middle East, the participants further noted, must be declared a region free of weapons of mass destruction, while all inter-regional conflicts must be resolved by peaceful means without foreign intervention.

Noting that the Arab region is the cradle of ancient civilisations, the participants stressed the necessity of combating terrorism and religious fanaticism in every form, as well as enhancing the values of tolerance and cross-cultural cooperation.

The participants outlined the following list of priorities:

Political reform

Reform, whether direct or indirect, the participants noted, is a responsibility that must be shouldered by governments, civil society institutions and the private sector, its aim being the realisation of real and authentic democratic systems in the Arab world.

As representatives of civil society institutions in the Arab world, the participants noted that by democratic systems they mean full, integrated democracy, the essence of which is the same everywhere, though its implementation may vary according to each country's cultural and historical specificity. Democracy, as defined by the participants, is the political system according to which the value of freedom reigns supreme, thus guaranteeing real sovereignty and the rule of the people by the people based on political pluralism, the rotation of power and respect of citizens' rights.

These rights include the right to freedom of thought, organisation and expression for all, exercised under the umbrella of competent political systems led by elected legislative institutions, an independent judiciary, a government that is subject to both constitutional and public accountability, as well as by political parties that are representative of all intellectual and ideological orientations.

There can be no true democracy, the participants noted, without freedom of expression in all its forms, topmost among which is freedom of the press and all forms of the media. They also stressed the necessity of free, regular national and local elections to guarantee the rotation of power, and the importance of decentralisation on the local level, thus enhancing self- expression and unleashing culturally specific creative potential among local communities.

The participants further stressed the close link between the utmost transparency in public life, the elimination of corruption and the establishment of good governance based on respect for human rights enshrined in the international conventions safeguarding the rights of women, children and minorities, and protecting the basic rights of defendants before the courts, as well as all the democratic norms practiced by democratically advanced societies.

On the level of political reform, the participants discussed the following ideas, stressing the necessity of translating these into tangible policies to be adopted within the framework of a partnership between governments and civil society institutions:

1- Since all legislation is based on the constitution, constitution articles should not be inconsistent with true democracy. They should also be consistent with the international conventions on human rights, reflecting the changes and developments that have taken place within any given society. Arab countries not possessing a modern constitution should immediately engage in drafting one. All Arab constitutions should guarantee the following:

a) The clear-cut separation of the legislative and executive powers;

b) A willingness to undertake political reform in accordance with the specific needs of each country, in order to guarantee the regular and peaceful rotation of government, as there can be no modern state without clearly written laws and well-defined institutions;

c) The holding of free and regular elections to safeguard democratic practices and prevent the monopoly of power by placing a time limit on the rule of heads of state;

d) The ending of the arrest or detention of prisoners of conscience in all Arab countries and the release of political prisoners held without trial.

2- A democratic system is closely linked to the presence of strong institutions incorporating the three recognised branches of government -- the executive, the legislative and the judiciary -- in addition to the press, the media and civil society associations. These institutions should be routinely scrutinised to guarantee sound democratic practices. This requires full transparency, the selection of effective leadership with a defined term of office, and the effective enforcement of the principle of the rule of law with no exceptions and irrespective of any further justifications or requirements.

3- The representatives of civil society institutions at this conference affirmed the need for the abolition of the extra-judicial and emergency laws and extraordinary courts in any form and under any name that currently exist in many Arab countries, since these undermine the democratic nature of political systems. There is no need for extraordinary laws, since the ordinary law should be able adequately to address all offences. This is a fundamental requirement for democratic legislative reform. The drawing-up of effective legislation to deal with terrorism without compromising civil liberties and political rights is an integral part of this requirement.

4- The freedom to establish political parties under the umbrella of the law and the constitution, in order to provide forums for all intellectual trends and civil political forces to present their programmes in a free, honest and equal competition for governing, should be guaranteed within the liberties provided for in international agreements.

5- All Arab countries must be signatories to the following set of international and Arab agreements:

- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;

- The Modernisation of the Arab Charter for Human Rights Project, as drafted by a team of Arab experts (December, 2003);

- All international conventions on the rights of women, providing for the abolition of all forms of discrimination;

- The International Convention on the Rights of the Child, providing for a better life for Arab children.

6- Freeing the press and media from all forms of state influence and hegemony. A free press is a pillar of the democratic system and is a clear embodiment of the freedom of expression and transparency. This can be achieved by developing the media and the laws regulating the publication of newspapers and the establishment of broadcasting stations and television channels. Such a press should also be based on independent ownership and management and transparency of finance, as well as on the ability of media groups to organise and conduct their affairs without state intervention.

7- The establishment of civil society institutions should be allowed for by amending restrictive laws regulating the founding of societies, syndicates and non-profit organisations, regardless of the nature of their activities, whether political, social, cultural or economic, in order to guarantee freedom of funding and mobility.

The scrutinising of foreign funding should follow the means applied in democratically advanced societies. Amending the legal framework regulating the activities of civil society institutions should be given priority in the consideration of issues relevant to the democratic development of society. Such amendments are also related to activating the means of political participation, as well as combating the sense of apathy and marginalisation felt by the great majority of ordinary Arab citizens. These amendments should guarantee the effective contribution of civil society in issues that require teamwork and voluntary initiatives.

8- Public opinion polls, free of bureaucratic obstacles, should be conducted regularly, and the formation of inter-Arab institutions and research centres capable of measuring Arab public opinion should be encouraged. Such polls should be in all areas, whether political, social or economic, thus making accurate data available for decision-makers and social planners.

The above is an abridged version -- prepared by Al-Ahram Weekly -- of the political section of the Alexandria Arab Reform Conference, inaugurated by President Mubarak on 12 March and hosted by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.