VZCZCXYZ0032
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #0163 1072145
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 162139Z APR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0000
RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA PRIORITY 0000
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 0000
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0000
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0000

UNCLAS STATE 040163 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KDEM KMPI JO MO BA AE JA
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE:  APPROACHING THE UAE ON CIVIL SOCIETY 
PARTICIPATION IN 2008 BMENA EVENTS 
 
REF: STATE 035438 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please handle accordingly. 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) Embassy is requested to meet with an appropriate MFA 
official to request that host government engage the UAE 
government to (1) stress the importance of civil society 
participation in G8-Broader Middle East and North Africa 
(BMENA) events in 2008, (2) note the past practice of peer 
selection of civil society participants, and (3) press the 
UAEG to focus on reform-related BMENA themes this year. 
 
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Objectives 
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¶2. (SBU) Department requests that the Embassy pursue the 
following objectives: 
 
--Request host government to 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. 
 
--Request that host government stress to the UAE that civil 
society representatives to BMENA events should be 
peer-selected, not chosen by governments. 
 
--Request host government to encourage the UAEG to adopt 
reform-related themes for BMENA events this year. 
 
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Reporting Deadline 
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¶3. (U) Embassies should report results of efforts by cable to 
NEA/PI Blake Thorkelson by April 23. 
 
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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) The UAEG has agreed to include 25 civil society 
participants in the Forum Subministerial (scheduled for June 
9-10 in Dubai) and 56-60 in the Forum Ministerial (scheduled 
for October 18-19 in Abu Dhabi).  However, the UAEG wishes to 
select these representatives, contrary to the practice of the 
last four years.  Since the beginning of the initiative, the 
participation of civil society has premised on the notion 
that civil society leaders themselves develop the criteria 
and select their representatives.  These groups have valued 
their participation and select peers who reflect the 
diversity of civil society and can best take advantage of the 
meetings.  If this practice were to change and BMENA 
government hosts were to select civil society 
representatives, we expect a negative reaction from civil 
society that will negatively affect cooperation in this 
year's meetings. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The UAE is considering several unsuitable themes for 
the Forum for the Future, including environment and 
alternative energy, cultural globalization and national 
identity, international development assistance, and 
unemployment.  These topics are addressed in other fora and 
are not in keeping with the Forum's traditional focus on 
political, economic, and social reform.  Embassy Abu Dhabi 
reports that the UAEG may propose some refinements to these 
topics, including focusing on education for employment, 
female political participation, and press freedom, which are 
reform-related themes we could support. 
 
¶7. (U)  MFA senior officials who have been closely involved 
with the BMENA initiative include the following: 
 
--Morocco:  MFA Director-General of Bilateral Relations 
Youssef Amrani 
--Bahrain:  MFA Director of Bilateral Relations Dr. Dhafer 
Alumran 
--Jordan:  MFA Director of Negotiations Nawaf Tell 
 
Amrani and Alumran will attend the Forum for the Future 
planning meeting in Tokyo on April 24-25. 
RICE