This Consultation is Now Closed.

Many thanks to all contributors for sharing your valuable knowledge, experience and perspectives in UNDP online consultation on ‘Shared development challenges and priorities in the Arab States region. The contributions from the participants will help to inform and sharpen UNDP RBAS Regional Programme Document for Arab states 2022-2025.  If you missed the opportunity, you can still participate by submitting your written contribution to [email protected] and [email protected] before October 4.

As a result, a summary report from the e-discussion and consultations has now been compiled and is available on this page. The report summarises key points raised by the consultation participants. The views and opinions in the report are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of UNDP.

Thank you to all contributors for your support. 

 

Welcome

UNDP regional programme responds to three main interrelated development challenges that hinder Arab countries’ achievement of the vision articulated in Agenda 2030, as they have emerged from the programme’s theory of change:

  1. Socio-economic vulnerability including rising poverty and inequalities of opportunities, as a result of low intraregional trade and a lack of economic diversification due to over-reliance of many Arab economies on oil and rents;
  2. Socio-political vulnerabilities and governance deficits, including broken social contract and weak legitimacy of state institutions and equality before the law, systemic corruption, and political instability;
  3. Environmental vulnerability and growing resource insecurity which further affect development trajectories in the region. 

The regional programme response for the next 4 years is framed through the following directions of change, aligned with UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and reflects solutions pathways identified in the theory of change:

  1. Structural transformation accelerated for sustainable development, particularly for green, inclusive and digital transitions
  2. Inclusive participation promoted and conflict prevention and resilience to shocks and crisis strengthened

Take a look at the background document (available in English, Arabic and French) for all details on the above-mentioned development challenges and the solution pathways identified by UNDP for the Regional Programme for Arab states 2022-2025. Then answer the questions below.

 

Please include the question numbers in your response.  Feel free to introduce yourself if you wish:
 
  1. Do you think the identified development challenges are the most relevant for the Arab region and the ones UNDP is well positioned to tackle?
     
  2. What key areas of work must a new UNDP Regional Programme for Arab States include to address complex challenges?
     
  3. How can we better leverage UNDP’s role as a driving force to promote regional public goods towards the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Comments (14)

Alessandra Muto
Alessandra Muto Moderator

Welcome everyone! My name is Alessandra Muto from the Regional Bureau for Arab States at UNDP Amman Regional Hub and I will be your moderator for the first week of this consultation.

We really appreciate your participation as it will help us better understand the development challenges Arab countries face and the priorities for the region to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030.

The consultation will end on July 30, 2021. It aims to inform UNDP agenda for the next 4 years and feed into UNDP Regional Programme Document for Arab states 2022-2025. Through the Regional Programme for Arab States, region-wide initiatives are carried out on several thematic areas including on human development, youth and women engagement and empowerment, regional economic integration and trade, anti-corruption and integrity, data and knowledge for the SDGs, climate and energy, and electoral support, among others.

Therefore, we are looking for the participation of key stakeholders in the region, including youth and women, civil society, regional and international organizations, academia and think tanks, etc. In this context, the questions that we would like you to discuss are the following:

  1. Do you think the identified development challenges are the most relevant for the Arab region and ones UNDP is well positioned to tackle?
  2. What key areas of work must a new UNDP Regional Programme for Arab States include to address complex challenges?
  3. How can we better leverage UNDP’s role as a driving force for promoting regional public goods towards the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Just a reminder that you can choose to participate in this discussion in your preferred language. To translate any page, select a language through the ‘Select your language’ tool at the top-right corner of the screen.

I will be looking forward to checking your comments!

Alessandra Muto
Alessandra Muto Moderator

Welcome Ingmar Weber and Dr. Mohamed Tolba and thank you for being the first to join this consultation. At UNDP we are interested to hear both your thoughts and insights on the guiding questions above as they relate to the formulation of our next Regional Programme for Arab States 2022-2025. Looking forward to reading your comments!

Moatasim Abed Ali
Moatasim Abed Ali

 
1-هل تعتقد أن تحديات التنمية التي تم تحديدها هي الأكثر صلة بالمنطقة العربية والتحديات التي يتمتع برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي بوضع جيد للتعامل معها؟


معتصم عبد علي من العراق 

برغم من التحديات التي تم تحديدها هي الاكثر صلة بالمنطقة العربية لكن يجب اخذ بعين الاعتبار جانب التعليم الجيد  والبحث  العلمي لدى الاطفال الذين تتراوح اعمارهم بين 6-13سنة.
حيث ام في عام 1990 عند انطلاق التقرير الاول لبرنامج الإنمائي التابع للأمم المتحدة كانت تركز على ثلاثة جوانب هي المستوى المعيشي ممثلاً بمتوسط الدخل الفردي، والعيش الآمن ممثلاً بالسكن، والحصول على المعرفة والتعليم، إضافة إلى مؤشرات أخرى وتتجلى قيمة وجودة البحث العلمي عبر ما يَنتج من أفكار وما يَطرح من آراء وما يَقدم من بيانات ومعلومات تخدم الدولة والمجتمع، تؤدي إلى خلق منتج معين جديد، او لتحسين نوعية منتج قائم في المنشآت الصناعية سواء في القطاع العام ام الخاص. 

او ان يؤدي هذا البحث الى إضافة معلومات جديدة بشأن الظواهر الاقتصادية أو الاجتماعية أو الثقافية تساعد صانع القرار في اتخاذ إجراءات عملية مدروسة تفضي الى تحقيق معدلات عالية في مؤشرات التنمية البشرية المستدامة. الا ان المشكلة في بلد كالعراق وربما حتى في العديد من البلدان العربية الأخرى ستظل يواجهها الباحثون تتمثل في عدم تمكين المؤسسات البحثية من نقل وجهة نظرها المدروسة الى صانعي القرار والوصول إلى مستوى المبادرة التي يقدمها المسؤولون عن إدارة الدولة لدعم نشاط الباحثين وتحفيزهم على بذل المزيد من الجهد في البحث والتطوير. وتشير التجارب بأن الدول التي تدعم المبادرين الأكفاء من ذوي الأفكار المبتكرة والذين يتمتعون بجرأة وشجاعة في تنفيذ أفكارهم، قد نمت اقتصاداتها وازدهرت خلال العقود السابقة بمعدلات متسارعة، على العكس من ذلك، فأن الدول التي تضع العوائق أمام نمو هذا النوع من المبادرات البحثية قد مُنيت بمستويات مرتفعة من الفقر.


ما هي مجالات العمل الرئيسية التي يجب أن يشملها 2-برنامج إقليمي جديد تابع لبرنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي للدول العربية لمواجهة التحديات المعقدة؟

تفعيل التعليم من أجل التنمية المستدامة بصورة اكبر

الاستدامة في منهج رياض الأطفال في ضوء الخبرات والتجارب الدولية المعاصرة، وفي إطار ما تطلق عليه اليونسکو "إعادة توجيه المنهج نحو الاستدامة".في مرحلة رياض الأطفال خارج إطار المنهج الرسمي/القومي، التجارب الدولية في مجال إعادة توجيه منهج الروضة نحو الاستدامة) الاطفال هم البذرة الاولى ويجب سقيها بصورة كاملة وصحيحة

وكذلك استهداف طلبة الجامعات وتفعيل هذا النظام لكن بصورة مختلفة لكي يتناسب مع متطلبات سوق العمل من خلال الدورات التطويرية والنشاطات المختلفة وتهيئتم لدخول عالم الاعمال كلاً حسب الخبرة التي يحتاجها لان الشباب العربي عموماً في العراق وسوريا ولبنان والسودان يعاني من نقص الخبرة في حالة تقدم كموظف لاي عمل في القطاع الخاص بسبب شبه انعدام الفرض والوظائف القطاع العام.


اما بالنسبة للجانب البيئي حسب رؤيتي المتواضعة يجب التركيز عليه بالفترة المقبلة بسبب التقلبات المناخية القائمة في العالم اجمع والتركيز حول اهمية المحافظة على المناخ قدر الامكان وزيادة التشجير واهميته خصوصاً المنطقة العربية تتسم بمناخ شديد الحرارة مع وجود مناطق صحراوية ورسوبية تتجمع فيها الاتربة بوجود اشعة الشمس الضارة بالبشرة UV.

الاهتمام بالمرأة بصورة اكبر  وتمكينها من الناحية توظيف فرص تدريبية اكثر تخصصاً لزجهن في سوق العمل.
الكثير الكثير النساء تعاني من ضغوط نفسية بسبب الجو العام والحالة المجتمع السائدة تجاههم 


اعداد برامج تأهيل للمتضررين من النزاعات والصراعات المسلحة في المناطق المتنازع عليها للنساء والاطفال ايضا وفق دراسات نفسية حديثة تتناسب مع الضرر النفسي الذي حل بهم.


ملاحظة مهمة / اود التنويه عنها يجب اختيار المنظمات المحلية بعناية شديدة وفق معاير اشد صرامة من الان بسبب كثرة تفشي الفساد الاداري والمالي بين العديد منهم والاستعانة بالفرق التطوعية وتمكينهم اذا كان بالامكان عمل ذلك وهنا اقصد المنظمات التي تعمل في العراق تحديداً


3-كيف يمكننا الاستفادة بشكل أفضل من دور برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي كقوة دافعة لتعزيز المنافع العامة الإقليمية من أجل تحقيق جدول أعمال 2030 وأهداف التنمية المستدامة (SDGs)؟


البحث والتنفیذ لخطط جذریة تمکن المجتمع من النجاح مع المنظومة الطبیعیة (حیویة أو غیر حیویة ) من خلال الإحتفاظ بمستوى معین یسمح باستردادهما " فهى عملیة متشعبة الجوانب تضمن للبیئة الطبیعیة  والنطام الإقتصادى وطبیعة الحیاة الإجتماعیة نظام آمن مستدام ورفاهیة الشعوب ، ولنجاحها لابد من تضافر الجهود فى کافة التخصصات للوصول إلى الاستدامة . الإستدامة : "هى إمکانیة إحداث التغییر والتنمیة المطلوبة التى تفى باحتیاجات المجتمع الحالى من خلال منظومة بیئیة ،إقتصادیة وإجتماعیة تضمن الحفاظ على مقومات المجتمع للأجیال الحالیة وکذلک المستقبلیة " وأنه من المهم أن یکون للإستدامة هویة عربیة من خلال ربط مصطلحاتها التى تعکس الثقافة والهویة وإعادة تفکیک وترکیب فکرة التنمیة المستدامة بما یجعلها أکثر إرتباطاً بالهویة ویتضمن ذلک کل جوانب التقدم.

Yasmine Koujou
Yasmine Koujou Moderator

شكراً معتصم على التعليق وسوف نأخذ مقترحاتك بعين الاعتبار. بالفعل إن جانب التعليم والبحث العلمي هو مهم خاصة لما له من دور في التقدم وتحقيق التنمية. أما بالنسبة إلى استهداف طلبة الجامعات لكي يتناسب مع متطلبات سوق العمل، فتجدر الإشارة هنا إلى أن البرنامج الإقليمي للدول العربية 2022 - 2025  سيتبنى تعزيز المهارات خاصة للشباب في الدول التي تعاني من الأزمات والشباب من ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة. وقد أشرت أيضاً إلى أهمية  إعداد برامج تأهيل للمتضررين من النزاعات والصراعات المسلحة، وهنا تجدر أهمية تعزيز جهود منع الازمات و أيضاً التعافي منها. tasnim_hemmadeh  ما رأيك بالجوانب التي اقترحها معتصم؟ وهل لديك مقترحات أخرى؟

Yasmine Koujou
Yasmine Koujou Moderator

Dear all! Welcome again to the second week of the consultation. My name is Yasmine Koujou from the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States and I’ll be your moderator for this week (14-21 July). We look forward for more contributions this week!

As a reminder, we are especially keen to hear both your thoughts and insights on the below questions as they relate to the formulation of our next Regional Programme for Arab States 2022-2025:

  1. Do you think the identified development challenges are the most relevant for the Arab region and ones UNDP is well positioned to tackle?
  2. What key areas of work must a new UNDP Regional Programme for Arab States include to address complex challenges?
  3. How can we better leverage UNDP’s role as a driving force for promoting regional public goods towards the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Please join the conversation and add your voice before July 30! We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Maya Abi-Zeid
Maya Abi-Zeid Moderator

Dear partners,

Eid Mubarak to all those who are celebrating! As we have reached the third and last week of the UNDP consultation on the Development challenges and priorities in the Arab States Region, we are even more eager to receiving you input.  

My name is Maya Abi-Zeid. As the Reporting and Knowledge Management Specialist at RBAS’ Regional Programme, I will be moderating the discussions through 30 July, in a follow-up to my predecessors Alessandra Muto  and Yasmine Koujou .

Allow me to reiterate the questions on the table:

  1. Do you think the identified development challenges are the most relevant for the Arab region and ones UNDP is well positioned to tackle?
  2. What key areas of work must a new UNDP Regional Programme for Arab States include to address complex challenges?
  3. How can we better leverage UNDP’s role as a driving force for promoting regional public goods towards the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Your feedback is of utmost importance to us. It will help define the programmatic offer in the new Regional Programme Document for the Arab states of the new cycle (2022-2025) to make sure no one will be left behind.

Don’t think twice before you add your say!!

 

 

Maya Abi-Zeid
Maya Abi-Zeid Moderator

tasnim_hemmadeh  what development challenges, in your opinion, are relevant to the Arab states region in addition to the children and youths' level of education  and scientific research capabilities, as suggested by Moatasim? Also, would you agree on the need for establishing rehabilitation programmes for conflict prevention and/or recovery with special focus on women and youths?  What other areas of work you believe the  new UNDP Regional Programme should adopt to address the ongoing challenges in the different Arab countries? 

Dr. Mostafa Attia
Dr. Mostafa Attia

Dear All, 

My Name is Mostafa Attia, disability activist and advocate. Through my consultancy work and personal engagement with various development programs, I am pleased to share my feedback

1. Do you think the identified development challenges are the most relevant for the Arab region and the ones UNDP is well positioned to tackle?

 

The move from the MDGs to SDGs brought great benefit to the arab world as the latter gave extra consideration to people who are facing marginalization due to acts violence, disease and disasters risks. SDGs also brought more than 300 targets and indicators which designed to monitor the implementation of the 2030 agenda, as a response development organizations at the national level supported the creation of strategies to ensure minority groups’ rights were mainstreamed, it is unfortunate that some of these rights were deprioritized over others, UNDP activities within the Arab gives more focus to disability and inclusion in relation to education and employment but related to climate change and disaster risk management, one example Covid-19 pandemic, when publication, best practices and data generated to bring disabled people voices and challenges within minority world and the opposite in the case in the Arab region as there is  still the scarcity of data to document disabled people practices and challenges faced that may be differ from the ones in the minority world. For sure there is a generality between the barriers both groups faced but for sure that absence of accessibility and lack of the internet connections in the slums as well as the absence of reasonable accommodation impacted disabled people more in the Arab world. 

The UNDP can expand its efforts and activities across the globe to transfer lessons learned and similar methods that were used with other countries to learn about the experience of disabled people during the pandemic times.

 

 

2.What key areas of work must a new UNDP Regional Programme for Arab States include to address complex challenges?

In addition to the UNDP successful efforts which were evident through their established new strategies, policies and development programs, the concept of participation to ensure having disabled people voices as well as equipping research participants with the necessary skills prior to involving them is the consultation process is an important need, supporting the solidity of disability movement across countries at both national and regional as well as building the financial, technical and administrative capacities of DBOs is a must to build a solid disability movement that can advocate and stand behind their population right. There is no doubt that the UNDP can play an integral role in this process given the unique opportunities and connections in the field. The UNDP can also utilize the 11 reference of the SGDs that mention the disability rights to ensure that education, employment and reproductive health that they are providing in the Arab region are disability friendly and ensuring that accommodations are provided to include people with disability as part of the beneficiaries 

 

Maya Abi-Zeid
Maya Abi-Zeid Moderator

Your point is well-taken Dr. Mostafa  noting that  your stance merges with UNDP’s disability inclusive development policy. Yes, people with disabilities remain vulnerable and economically isolated. Although countries in the  Arab region have increasingly been committed to realizing the rights of these groups, UNDP acknowledges that progress towards that end needs to be accelerated.

As you also pointed out, persons with disabilities remain disadvantaged in terms of literacy, education and employment, more during the COVID era. In order to address these challenges, UNDP is advancing the inclusion of vulnerable people, including those living with disabilities, by placing them at the core of the development framework. Capacity-building and the provision of the necessary equipment at the Arab regional and country level are key.The inclusion of these groups in the new Regional Programme is instrumental to make sure no one is left behind. 

Dr. Mohamed Tolba
Dr. Mohamed Tolba

1. What key areas of work must a new UNDP Regional Programme for Arab States include to address complex challenges?

UNDP should consider how it can support the region in relieving the negative impact of COVID-19, through trade and customs development programs. UNDP can play an important role to respond in particular to the economic medium- and long-term effects through trade and customs policies development targets a group of countries as a pilot project ( ex: North Africa countries, Agadir agreement member countries….etc.).  

Maya Abi-Zeid
Maya Abi-Zeid Moderator

Point well-taken Mr. Tolba; I understand you are an active player in the Agadir customs work. UNDP will continue its existing course of action in its trade and customs during the COVID era within the sub-regions; add to it the prospects of forging partnerships with the private sector for trade facilitation. 

Dr. Wagdy Sawahel
Dr. Wagdy Sawahel

In Arab countries, Coronavirus pandemic has challenged the higher education sector in many new and unexpected ways because of the prolonged universities closures combined with wide-spread socio-economic hardship and digital inequalities which has adversely affected the sector and its stakeholders – particularly, students and faculty staff.

 

Also, coronavirus pandemic poses financial challenges to universities and higher education institutions which affected its missions in teaching, learning, research and community services.

 

As universities and higher education institutions in the Arab region adapt to the  ‘new normal’ while implementing rapid changes to meet changing government regulations and recommendations, they must forge new paths in crisis management which necessitate envisaging practical solutions to face the shortage of fund as well as laying the foundations for a sustainable higher education funding landscape.is

 

To face COVID-19 impact on universities located in Arab countries, the following urgent initiatives must be looked at in an attempt for joining forces among higher education institutions in the region.  

 

 

  • Arab countries COVID-19 higher education policy tracker

 

Given the question marks that have been raised about the real epidemiological situation and financial challenges facing universities in some Arab countries, universities should establish their own virtual COVID-19 tracking systems. .

The policy tracker system should have COVID-19 modelling tools aimed at helping Arab countries to evaluate the potential magnitude of COVID-19 in their countries and make decisions on responses to mitigate associated risks which is likely to fill local data and knowledge gaps and enhance research opportunities and capacity at universities.

 

These locally generated data could be used by Arab countries' food security researchers, economic consultants, nutrition experts, social scientists, technical and scientific experts, and, health professionals at universities for developing innovative models to detect, project, and combat COVID-19 as well as preparing mitigation strategies and action plans for the threat.

 

COVID-19 modelling tools will also help universities in conducting research and generating much-needed context specific data and modelling on various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, from transmission patterns to contact tracing and capacities to manage the crisis for more informed public policy responses and interventions

 

COVID-19 modelling tools should cooperate with other modelling groups and technical and research partners including the COVID-19 International Modelling Consortium and COVID-19 Multi-Model Comparison Consortium, in order to address questions emerging from Arab countries, and support preparedness and response plans

 

The policy tracker system should provide a selection of practicable strategies to help universities to respond appropriately to the pandemic as well as a guide for regional and international education trackers to learn from best-practices and see how other countries are managing the higher education sector under different conditions.

This guide could include the Center for Global Development, COVID-19 Education Policy Tracking, IIEP Repository of National Education, Response Strategies to COVID-19,  Global Education Cluster Dashboards and COVID-19 Global Education Recovery Tracker.


The proposed tracking system should also include an e-library to collect studies dealing with higher education-related pandemic responses and impacts, as well as future crisis-preparedness strategies.

 

This initiative can be establishment by philanthropic funding and could be placed under the administrative supervision of a regional or international educational organization.

A campaign must be organized for promoting philanthropic funding as well as establishing a conducive environment for giving through calling upon  governments to look at tax structures and offer incentives to donors along with building a culture of trust, encourage patriotism, and design tax systems that encourage giving.

 

The philanthropic funding could be an appropriate approach for such initiative as 2017 report entitled "Family Legacies: Wealth and philanthropy in the Arab World" reveals that the education sector in North Africa is one of the popular causes for ‘strategic philanthropy’.

 

According to the 2019 Africa Wealth Report  , Africa has approximately 140,000 high net worth individuals with combined wealth holdings of approximately US$920 billion. The South-Med countries  with the highest number of wealthiest individuals are Algeria, Egypt and Morocco

 

But how close are we to have equivalent of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation focused on funding COVID-19 higher education policy tracker in South-Med countries  ?..... A question waiting for answer.!

 

  • Arab countries universities’ alliance

 

This proposed universities alliance could be an important stimulating tool for facing the impact of COVID-19 on university education by allowing direct knowledge and technology transfer in order to face the common problems imposed by COVID-19 more efficiently and with long-lasting effects.

 

The proposed alliance would promote higher education to help achieve sustainable development goals as regional universities could also set up a new model for virtual and physical inter-university campuses. This would make it possible to pool their expertise, platforms and resources for integration of sustainable development goals in academic and professional development and deliver joint curricula or modules covering various sustainability science disciplines.

The proposed alliance would help to transform higher education sectors in the region through multidisciplinary education, research and entrepreneurship for providing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values for a new generation of graduates.
 

Practically, Arab countries universities’ alliance could be based on setting up a North-South network including EU countries where universities pool their resources through digital platform.

 

This Alliance could be put under the umbrella of the UNDP with possible financial support from regional donors including ALECSO and ISESCO. The Netherlands-based Association of Arab and European Universities, Ghana-based African universities association and Jordan-based Arab universities association along with the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World could be part of the cooperation plan.

 

 

 

Dr. Wagdy Sawahel
Dr. Wagdy Sawahel

 

 

Proposed initiatives for promoting knowledge economy development in the Arab world… transforming UNDP vision into action

 

Dr. Wagdy Sawahel

Senior Lead Consultant in Higher Education, Sci., Tech., Innovation & Knowledge economy. Biotechnology expert

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wagdy-sawahel-b9944363/

 

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Science, technology and innovation (STI) are continuously recognised as strategic drivers of economic growth. With the right tools and convenient environment, innovators and the business community can tap on the potential of STI to develop innovation solutions for the development issues facing their communities, through boosting skills, sourcing ideas and knowledge transfer.

 

Thus, UNDP must focuses on promoting knowledge economy development through launching the followings initiatives that aims at enhancing research and development in innovation, capacity building and knowledge sharing.

 

  • UNDP Virtual center for development of digital economy with motto "Transforming the Arab  countries into a leading digital economy"

 

The proposed center is extremely important to design educational, training, research and applications strategy for digital economy based on the concepts of fourth industrial revolution and  entrepreneurship as IsDB member countries lag far behind benchmark countries (Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) in business digitization.

 

While consumers are primed and ready to lead digitally enhanced lives, businesses and governments in Arab countries have not fully adapted to digital. 

 

Studies indicated that some  Arab countries have the chance to transform itself into a leading digital economy—and to realize significant economic benefits—if it can bring stakeholders together to focus on developing the region’s governance, business, funding, and talent.

 

This is what the proposed center will try to do through getting all stakeholders, from government leaders and individual agencies to the private sector and civil society together along with generating and disseminating knowledge that help them to leverage the possibilities enabled by emerging digital technologies.

 

Given the accelerating pace of digital economy and its potential to continually shape lifestyles, business practices, and governing for many years to come, now is the time to act.

 

  1. Science-policy making community

 

  • UNDP virtual observatory for knowledge economy
  • UNDP science center for parliamentarians
  • UNDP center for knowledge diplomacy for promoting cooperation

 

  1. Business & academy community

 

  • UNDP intelligence system for promoting partnership & alliance between industry and science-based private sector
  • UNDP intelligence system for promoting S&T investment for poverty reduction and job creation

 

  1. Youth community

 

  • UNDP virtual academy for producing employment- ready graduate
  • UNDP digital forum for Arab women scientists.

 

  1.  Communication center (Outreaching activities) for all the proposed initiatives, including the followings:

 

  • TV Channel
  • Social media platforms: Facebook & Twitter.
  • Physical and virtual conferences, symposium, workshops, and seminars.
  • Publications of reports in ways for using STI for sustainable development in Arab member countries. 

 

Note: Outline about all the proposed initiatives can  be presented

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yusser Qazwini
Yusser Qazwini

1. هل تعتقد أن تحديات التنمية التي تم تحديدها هي الأكثر صلة بالمنطقة العربية والتي يتمتع برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي بوضع جيد للتعامل معها؟

أتفق مع التحديات المذكورة وأهمها انعدام الأمان بسبب الصراعات وسيطرة الميليشيات، والمشاكل الاقتصادية والتي تفاقمت بسبب الصراعات سواء الصراعات المستمرة في دول أفريقية عديدة أو في المنطقة العربية ومؤخراً وباء كورونا. بالإضافة إلى عدم تساوي الفرص فهناك تهميش لفئات عديدة وانتشار الفساد المالي، والتغير المناخي المتسارع والخطورة التي سيشكلها في السنوات القادمة.
 

2. ما هي مجالات العمل الرئيسية التي يجب أن يشملها برنامج إقليمي جديد تابع لبرنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي للدول العربية لمواجهة التحديات المعقدة؟
أرى من الضروري جدا إشراك الفئات المتضررة في صناعة القرار فهناك تهميش لفئات عديدة مثل فئة النَوَر الذين يعيشون بدون أبسط مقومات الحياة، يعيشون بلا هوية أي يعني وجودهم أو عدمه بلا أهمية وهذه أكبر كارثة انسانية! أو النازحين في المخيمات.

 كما لا أرى ان مقياس الفقر المدقع ملائما للجميع فلا يمكن لانسان أن يعيش حتى بثلاثة أضعاف هذا المقياس في كاليفورنيا مثلاً ولذلك نرى أعدادا خيالية من المشردين ولاسيما بعد انتشار وباء كورونا. وفي الحديث عن توفير تعليم ابتدائي وثانوي مجاني لجميع الفتيان والفتيات، هل ذلك يشمل فئة الأطفال النازحين في المخيمات أو أطفال النور أو أطفال الشوارع. 

نتحدث كثيرا عن إنهاء التمييز والعنف ضد المرأة ولكن كيف لذلك أن يتحقق وتشريعات الدول العربية جميعها عدا تونس مبنية على الدين وفيها تمييز كبير في الحقوق وإباحة للعنف؟ لذلك نحن بحاجة إلى تغيير حقيقي على هذا الصعيد.

ومشكلة مهمة جدا وهي مشكلة الطاقة الكهربائية والتي تقف عائقاً أمام التطوير الاقتصادي والعلمي في بلدان عديدة مثل العراق، لبنان، سوريا، ليبيا، وكل من يعاني من هذه المشكلة. كيف لا يمكننا توفير الطاقة لجميع البشر بشكل متساوي لغاية الآن، لا بد أن نجد حلاً. أما مياه الشرب، فهناك قرى كثيرة لا تتوفر فيها مياه صالحة للشرب، أرى ذلك من ضمن خطط العمل ونتمنى أن نرى تقدما في هذا المجال.

بالنسبة للأسعار المناسبة للأدوية، نلاحظ مثلاً تزايد في حالات مرض الضمور العضلي عند الأطفال وسعر الدواء يزيد عن اثنين مليون دولار...نعم رقم خيالي لا يقدر عليه إلا فئة محدودة من الأغنياء. كيف نوفر هذا الدواء بسعر معقول لكل البشرية؟ هو حق من حقوق الانسان. حتى لقاح كوفيد لم يتوفر للجميع بنسب متساوية ولذلك نشهد اليوم تردي كبير في دول العالم الثالث.

ونحن بحاجة إلى خطط فعالة للحد من الرشوة والفساد والتي تقف عائقا أمام أي تقدم حقيقي في بلد مثل العراق أو لبنان أو غيرها من دول العالم الثالث. إذا لم تكن هناك رقابة حقيقية على كل شيء وخاصة إدارة المشاريع وعلى من يمسك بزمام الأمور كوننا نعلم ان الغالبية مرتشون.

رغم دعم الأمم المتحدة للمجتمعات الفقيرة لكن للأسف هناك استغلال كبير لتلك الموارد. أي يعني ما يصل للفئات المتضررة هو جزء بسيط جدا من المبالغ الحقيقية. ويتكرر ذلك في كل المنظمات تقريباً. لذلك نحن بحاجة ماسة إلى رقابة حقيقية وإلا فسيستمر هدر الموارد ولن نقضي على الفقر.


وأخيراً أعتقد ان الخطط لم تتضمن شيئا بخصوص سجناء الرأي وضحايا المظاهرات، على سبيل المثال مئات القتلى في تظاهرات تشرين في العراق. هل الدول ملزمة بتحقيقات في هذه الجرائم؟ متى يسترد الانسان حقه. إذا لم يشعر المواطن العربي بالأمان في بلده سيفقد الأمل ويفكر بالهجرة وستترتب على ذلك العديد من النتائج السلبية التي تحاولون الحد منها.