VZCZCXYZ0022
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #5438 0952212
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 042206Z APR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0000
INFO RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0000

UNCLAS STATE 035438 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KDEM KMPI JA AE
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE:  CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION IN 2008 
BMENA EVENTS 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please handle accordingly. 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) Embassy is requested to meet with MFA Assistant U/S 
Haidan or other appropriate UAEG official to press the UAEG 
to include the same number of civil society representatives 
in G8-Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) events in 
2008 as were included in 2007 events, and to announce the 
2008 schedule as soon as possible. 
 
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Objectives 
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¶2. (SBU) Department requests that Embassy pursue the 
following objectives: 
 
--Inform the UAEG of the strong, positive tradition of civil 
society participation in BMENA events, including the Forum 
for the Future.  NGOs that participate want to forge 
constructive relationships with governments to promote 
reform, not to embarrass governments. 
 
--Urge the UAEG to invite at least the same number of civil 
society representatives in each event as were included in 
2007, drawing on the numbers in paragraph 6. 
 
--Note that civil society organizations are already 
organizing themselves for this year's events but they seek 
official notification as soon as possible from the UAE and 
Japan on the dates, locations, and numbers of participants. 
Inform the UAEG that civil society groups will likely 
organize the "parallel forum" a few days before the Forum in 
mid-October. 
 
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Reporting Deadline 
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¶3. (U) Embassy should report results of efforts by cable to 
NEA/PI Blake Thorkelson by April 9. 
 
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Background 
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¶4. (SBU) Since the inception of BMENA in 2004, civil society 
has been an important and growing element of the initiative. 
Among its objectives, BMENA seeks to support civil society 
activists in their efforts to promote democracy and reform, 
and to foster cooperative relationships with governments in 
achieving reform goals.  Civil society representatives 
participate in the annual Forum for the Future and the Forum 
Subministerial, making recommendations for action by civil 
society groups and governments.  While NGO participation can 
cause nervousness with some governments, BMENA events have 
not been used in the past as platforms to attack governments. 
 The NGOs that participate have consistently demonstrated 
their interest in working constructively with governments. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Civil society organizations are planning and 
implementing their activities for 2008 but need to know from 
this year's Forum co-hosts, the UAE and Japan, the schedule 
of events and how many of their representatives will be 
included.  This will only help to focus the constructive 
participation of civil society in these meetings.  Any 
backtracking on the numbers of participants would be taken as 
a negative signal from governments and negatively affect 
BMENA's atmosphere of cooperation. 
 
¶6. (SBU) For 2008, we recommend the following numbers of 
civil society participants: 
 
--Forum Subministerial:  25 (same as 2007 subministerial) 
--Fall planning meeting (if any):  4 
--Forum Ministerial:  60 (56 were invited to the 2007 Forum 
in Yemen, which was canceled, and 54 participated in Jordan 
in 2006) 
 
We understand from Japan that the UAE is agreeable to an 
NGO-organized "parallel civil society forum" as has taken 
place successfully the last three years.  The parallel forum 
has been an effective vehicle to expand the scope of civil 
society participation in the Forum process, outside of those 
leaders who can attend the official events.  This event, 
which involves hundreds of NGOs, does not fall under the 
auspices of the government but government officials are 
invited to participate.  For example, Yemeni FM Qirbi 
attended last year's Parallel Civil Society in Sanaa and 
expressed his support for the initiative, and was joined by 
other foreign governmental representatives.  Japan has 
informed us that the UAE is planning for a parallel forum in 
early June, but organizers likely will hold it in 
mid-October, a few days before the Forum. 
 
¶7. (SBU) BMENA events will occur in the coming few weeks. 
Japan will host a government planning meeting in Tokyo on 
April 24-25, and leaders of the NGO coordination group, the 
Democracy Assistance Dialogue (DAD), are planning a strategy 
meeting in Istanbul in early May.  It is critical that the 
UAEG officially announce dates for the Forum Subministerial 
and Ministerial, with numbers of civil society participants, 
as soon as possible to maintain momentum and ensure 
successful events this year.  We understand from Japan and 
the UAE that current planning is for a subministerial in 
Dubai on June 10 and the Forum ministerial on October 19. 
(Note:  Japan has already made the points in para 2 and has 
asked for our assistance in reinforcing them.  Japan also has 
encouraged the UAE to cooperate with us on BMENA civil 
society issues.  End note.) 
 
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Point of Contact 
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¶8. (U) Please contact NEA/PI Blake Thorkelson (776-8307) or 
Laura Schulz (776-8691) for additional information. 
RICE