The Backwardness of Arab Countries - UN Report Notes Striking Deficits

NZZ Online ^ | 12-26-03 | Victor Kocher

[veronica]

A report prepared by Arab scholars at the behest of the United Nations Development Program shows that the social, economic and political development among Arab societies in recent years has steadily fallen further behind that in other parts of the world.

In a document titled the "Arab Human Development Report," the UN Development Program has radically punctured the balloon of prettified self-representation by Arab regimes. The briefest possible summation of the report's conclusions - though nowhere stated in these terms - would be: "Arab governments are bad, and their people are not doing much to improve them." Despite considerable progress in education and public health care, the group of 22 Arab states ranks near the very bottom in the world (in some instances even behind sub-Saharan Africa) when it comes to civil and economic freedoms, women's participation in public life and production, and the acquisition of new knowledge and skills. As to the much-lauded Arab cooperation, the report consigns it entirely to the realm of empty rhetoric. And in the economic realm the document concludes that, despite all the oil wealth, the aggregate revenues output of all Arabs (530 billion dollars in the year 1999) is no greater than that of a single European country such as Spain.

Activating the Voice of the People

The authors of the study are Arab politicians and highly reputed scholars and academics, people such as the former Jordanian planning minister, Ms. Rima Khalaf, the Arab League's former UN ambassador, Clovis Maqsoud, Lebanon's ex-finance minister, Georges Corm, and the Franco-Maghrebi sociologist Burhan Ghalioun. The Arab Human Development Report is couched entirely in nonpolitical, technocratic language and avoids naming names in citing negative examples - yet it could serve as an indictment before any tribunal against hundreds of Arab rulers and politicians.

Especially interesting are the explanations given for the massive failure of Arab states and societies to live up to the stipulations of the Declaration of Human Rights, or to the standards of civil rights and good governance. These explanations are hidden in recommendations for a thorough reform of government structures in order to refocus them on institutions of popular representation and legislation. First and foremost is a call for "free, honest, effective and regular elections." According to the authors of the report, Arab governments should provide public services, work out and enforce agreements and treaties, operate with efficiency and transparency, but not try to themselves operate the means of production. The rule of law should be the foundation of all institutions; legal codes and administrative procedures should protect civil rights for all, especially freedom of opinion and assembly. Above all, it is necessary to activate the voice of the Arab people through such measures as empowering local government authorities and the organs of civil society, and by means of free media.

Elites Set a Bad Example

The report also calls for a rethinking of social values and models in Arab societies, to achieve those which encourage development rather than undermining it. It notes that, as long as dominant groups which strive only for power, influence and material wealth serve as the most praiseworthy models, Arab citizens will not be much encouraged to pursue the individual and social ideals of freedom, a solid work ethic, knowledge and cooperation. Only a deepening of genuine democracy, and the attendant changes in the prevailing structures of government, can promote the desired alterations. But active change is also one of the most important tasks of leadership at all levels of society. The Arab elites, the report concludes, must formulate and demonstrate desirable modes of human behavior in a system of "good governance." Some positive examples cited are Qatar and Morocco, which have been encouraging more public participation, as well as Bahrain and Oman, which are planning to hold legislative elections soon. But declining voter participation in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen and Morocco raises questions about the abuse of the ballot box by those in power. Arab women's organizations are named as new, effective lobbying groups for previously neglected causes. Kuwait is seen as something of a model because of its elected legislature, but, without being specifically named, is criticized for refusing women the vote.

Arab Culture a "Special Case"?

The Arab authors of the UN report are noteworthy for the fact that, essentially, they advocate typical Western recommendations for liberal democracy, the promotion of a free market economy and an opening to modernity and globalization. At the same time, they sovereignly shrug off the usual protestations of Arab rulers about the "special nature" of their peoples and cultures, such as the requirements of Islamic rule. The negative impact of the long years of Israeli occupation in Palestine and of the sanctions against Iraq are acknowledged, but the report makes those factors seem secondary next to the need for the structural reforms which Arab rulers have neglected out of their own self-interest. Moreover, the sobering comparison with other developing regions, such as Southeast Asia, Latin America and Black Africa, comes as a terrific blow, because Arab and Islamist politicians always focus their development debate on the industrialized West, which they conveniently blame for whatever is wrong in their own lands.

The UNDP report makes it very clear that the Arabs' level of development lags markedly behind their relative prosperity and that their societies are generally poor in abilities and possibilities. At half a percent per year, the increase in per capita income among the Arab states is roughly equal to that in sub-Saharan Africa, and their industrial productivity has declined massively in the last few decades, standing at just 19 percent of the North American standard in 1990. Accordingly, a survey of young people in a dozen Arab countries revealed that their chief concern is a job and day-to-day economic survival, and that some 51 percent of them are actively thinking about emigrating.

The Myth of Arab Cooperation

Cooperation among the Arab states is described as a noble goal. As to the actual situation today, the document states that the Arab region is - on paper - one of the most cooperative and best integrated in the world, whether in defense, culture, the economy, freedom of movement for capital, goods or people. But in reality, the report notes, few of these paper agreements are actually implemented, or even ratified. Despite all the treaties and pacts, inter-Arab trade in the past 50 years has amounted to only between 7 percent and 10 percent of total Arab trade. And Arab investment capital tends to flow not to the domestic market or other Arab countries, but to the industrialized world.

The Arab Human Development Report is available at the following Internet address: www.undp.org/rbas/ahdr.

[King Prout]

Accordingly, a survey of young people in a dozen Arab countries revealed that their chief concern is a job and day-to-day economic survival, and that some 51 percent of them are actively thinking about emigrating

Typical... instead of standing and fighting, they run.
The question becomes: does any sane land want to allow people with such a cultural heritage to immigrate?

[Joe Boucher]

What do you expect when you close life to half of your citizens?
In Arab and Muslim countries they take half of their populations, females, and refuse to let them contribute to society.
close their minds and soceties to the modern world.
Believe in staying in the 13th centuary. Then we should feel sorry for and maybe subsidize these lackies?

[tessalu]

Islam keeps people in superstition and the dark ages.

[68skylark]

Islam keeps people in superstition and the dark ages.

Christianity used to do that too, and it evolved. Let's hope Islam can evolve. (It can if the people want it to.)

[The Great RJ]

Islamic theocracies in the 21st century can only be continued by repression. Most people don't want to live in the 13th century.

The great irony is that in 15th century Spain under Moorish rule there was a cultural flowering. However, the Muslim Moors were generally tolerant of other religions, particularly the Jews, and allowed artistic and scientific free expression.

[edger]

What Islam needs is a Martin Luther, someone to teach them that the individual has worth.

And as multi-culturists gain ground in the US, we, too, will need another Luther pretty soon.

[Cobra64]

"the United Nations Development Program shows that the social, economic and political development among Arab societies in recent years has steadily fallen further behind that in other parts of the world.

Cause they keep blowing things up?

[XBob]

Islam teaches its people to NOT think, but accept, as everything that happens is due to the will of Allah, and an individual cannot change that, nor is he responsible for it.

In short, if you don't perform well, it is Allah's will that you don't perform well, and therefore, improving your performance is actually against Allah's will.