For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 9, 2004
Broader Middle East/N. Africa Partnership
Partnership for Progress and a Common Future with the Region of the Broader Middle East and North Africa
Sea Island
Georgia
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1. We the leaders of the G8 are mindful that peace, political,
economic and social development, prosperity and stability in the
countries of the Broader Middle East and North Africa represent a
challenge which concerns us and the international community as a
whole. Therefore, we declare our support for democratic, social and
economic reform emanating from that region.
2. The peoples of the Broader Middle East and North Africa have a
rich tradition and culture of accomplishment in government, trade,
science, the arts, and more. They have made many lasting contributions
to human civilization. We welcome recent statements on the need for
reform from leaders in the region, especially the latest statement
issued at the Arab League Summit in Tunis, in which Arab leaders
expressed their determination "to firmly establish the basis for
democracy." Likewise, we welcome the reform declarations of
representatives of business and civil society, including those of
Alexandria and the Dead Sea, Sana'a and Aqaba. As the leaders of the
major industrialized democracies in the world, we recognize our special
responsibility to support freedom and reform, and pledge our continuing
efforts in this great task.
3. Therefore, we commit ourselves today to a Partnership for Progress and a Common Future with the governments and peoples of the Broader Middle East and North Africa. This partnership will be based on genuine cooperation with the region's governments, as well as business and civil society representatives to strengthen freedom,
democracy, and prosperity for all.
4. The values embodied in the Partnership we propose are
universal. Human dignity, freedom, democracy, rule of law, economic
opportunity, and social justice are universal aspirations and are
reflected in relevant international documents, such as the Universal
Declaration on Human Rights.
5. In launching this Partnership, we adhere to the following
principles:
5.1. Strengthening the commitment of the International Community to
peace and stability in the region of Broader Middle East and North
Africa is essential.
5.2. The resolution of long-lasting, often bitter, disputes,
especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is an important element of
progress in the region.
5.3. At the same time, regional conflicts must not be an obstacle
for reforms. Indeed, reforms may make a significant contribution
toward resolving them.
5.4. The restoration of peace and stability in Iraq is critical to
the well-being of millions of Iraqis and the security of the region.
5.5. Successful reform depends on the countries in the region, and
change should not and cannot be imposed from outside.
5.6. Each country is unique and their diversity should be
respected. Our engagement must respond to local conditions and be
based on local ownership. Each society will reach its own conclusions
about the pace and scope of change. Yet distinctiveness, important as
it is, must not be exploited to prevent reform.
5.7. Our support for reform will involve governments, business
leaders and civil societies from the region as full partners in our
common effort.
5.8. Supporting reform in the region, for the benefit of all its
citizens, is a long-term effort, and requires the G-8 and the region to
make a generational commitment.
6. Our support for reform in the region will go hand in hand with
our support for a just, comprehensive, and lasting settlement to the
Arab- Israeli conflict, based upon U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338. We
fully endorse the Quartet's Statement of May 4, 2004 and join the
Quartet in its "common vision of two states, Israel and a viable,
democratic, sovereign and contiguous Palestine, living side by side in
peace and security." We support the work of the International Task
Force on Palestinian Reform and the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee and urge
all states to consider the assistance they may provide to their work.
We welcome the establishment of the World Bank's Trust Fund and urge
donors to contribute to this important initiative. We join in the
Quartet's call for "both parties to take steps to fulfill their
obligations under the roadmap as called for in U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1515 and previous Quartet statements, and to meet the
commitments they made at the Red Sea Summits in Aqaba and Sharm el
Sheikh." We reaffirm that a just, comprehensive, and lasting
settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict, including with respect to
Syria and Lebanon, must comply with the relevant U.N. Security Council
resolutions, including Resolution 425, which "Calls for strict respect
for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence
of Lebanon within its internationally recognized boundaries."
7. We stand together united in our support for the Iraqi people and
the fully sovereign Iraqi Interim Government as they seek to rebuild
their nation. Iraq needs the strong support of the international
community in order to realize its potential to be a free, democratic,
and prosperous country, at peace with itself, its neighbors, and with
the wider world. We welcome the unanimous approval of United Nations
Security Council Resolution 1546 on Iraq, and we join in supporting the
continued, expansive engagement of the United Nations in Iraq after the
transfer of sovereignty, as circumstances permit. We pledge to provide
support and assistance for the electoral process leading to national
elections for the Transitional National Assembly no later than January
31, 2005. We are united in our desire to see the Multinational Force
for Iraq, in accordance with the UNSCR 1546, succeed in its mission to
help restore and maintain security, including protection of the United
Nations presence, and to support humanitarian and reconstruction
efforts. We express our shared commitment, and urge others, to support
the economic revitalization of Iraq, focusing on priority projects
identified by the Interim Government. We welcome the success of the
recent International Reconstruction Fund Facility donors' conference in
Doha, and commit to meeting before the next conference in Tokyo later
this year to identify how each of us can contribute to the
reconstruction of Iraq. Debt reduction is critical if the Iraqi people
are to have the opportunity to build a free and prosperous nation. The
reduction should be provided in connection with an IMF program, and
sufficient to ensure sustainability taking into account the recent IMF
analysis. We will work with each other, within the Paris Club, and
with non-Paris Club creditors, to achieve that objective in 2004. To
help reestablish the ties that link Iraq to the world, we will explore
ways of reaching out directly to the Iraqi people - to individuals,
schools, and cities - as they emerge from decades of dictatorship and
deprivation to launch the political, social, and economic rebirth of
their nation.
8. The Partnership we launch today builds on years of support for
reform efforts in the region through bilateral and multilateral
cooperation programs. The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership ("Barcelona
Process"), the U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative, and the
Japan-Arab Dialogue Initiative are examples of our strong commitment to
supporting democratic and economic development. We are similarly
committed to such progress in Afghanistan and Iraq through our
multilateral reconstruction efforts. The Partnership we propose will
build on our on-going engagement in the region.
9. The magnitude of the challenges facing the region requires a
renewed commitment to reform and cooperation. Only by combining our
efforts can we bring about lasting democratic progress. We welcome and
support the work of other governments, institutions, and multilateral
agencies that aim to assist the region's development.
10. Central to this new Partnership will be a "Forum for the Future," which will root our efforts in an open and enduring dialogue. The Forum will provide a framework at ministerial level, bringing together G-8 and regional Foreign, Economic, and other Ministers in an ongoing discussion on reform, with business and civil society leaders
participating in parallel dialogues. The Forum will serve as a vehicle
for listening to the needs of the region, and ensuring that the efforts
we make collectively respond to those concerns.
11. Our efforts in the Partnership we commit to today focus on
three areas:
11.1. In the political sphere, progress toward democracy and the rule of law entails instituting effective guarantees in the areas of human rights and fundamental freedoms, which notably imply respect for diversity and pluralism. This will result in cooperation, the free
exchange of ideas, and the peaceful resolution of differences. State
reform, good governance, and modernization are also necessary
ingredients for building democracy.
11.2. In the social and cultural sphere, education for all, freedom
of expression, equality between men and women as well as access to
global information technology are crucial to modernization and
prosperity. A better-educated workforce is a key to active
participation in a globalized world. We will focus our efforts to
reduce illiteracy and increase access to education, especially for
girls and women.
11.3. In the economic sphere, creating jobs is the number one
priority of many countries in the region. To expand opportunity, and
promote conditions in which the private sector can create jobs, we will
work with governments and business leaders to promote entrepreneurship,
expand trade and investment, increase access to capital, support
financial reforms, secure property rights, promote transparency and
fight corruption. Promotion of intra-regional trade will be a priority
for economic development of the Broader Middle East and North Africa.
12. The Partnership for Progress and a Common Future offers an
impulse to our relationship with the Broader Middle East and North
Africa region. As an expression of our commitment, we issue today an
initial Plan of Support for Reform outlining current and planned
activities to give life to this Partnership.
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