Policy paper

2010 to 2015 government policy: peace and stability in the Middle East and North Africa

Updated 8 May 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

This is a copy of a document that stated a policy of the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government. The previous URL of this page was https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/working-for-peace-and-long-term-stability-in-the-middle-east-and-north-africa. Current policies can be found at the GOV.UK policies list.

Issue

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is highly important to the UK. Since 2011, the region has experienced major changes, driven by the political and economic demands of citizens of the region for more inclusive, democratic societies with a fair prospect of employment. MENA is also home to some of the most long-running and high-profile foreign policy issues in the world, including the current Syria crisis. MENA matters for our prosperity, too. Trade between the UK and MENA exceeded £30 billion in 2011, and millions of British tourists visit the region each year.

Actions

Response to the Arab Spring: the Arab Partnership

Through the Arab Partnership (AP), a joint Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development (DFID) initiative, the government is supporting political and economic reform in the Middle East and North Africa region, to build a more inclusive, accountable MENA region. The AP includes diplomatic support for political reform, a £110 million bilateral fund to finance locally-led reform projects, and influencing work through multilateral organisations, including the European Union, World Bank and International Monetary Fund, to build support for the region. The AP is led by demands from the region and its approach varies significantly from country to country in line with individual country contexts.

Ongoing support in Libya

The UK supported the Libyan people as they sought greater freedom after 42 years of repression under the Qadhafi regime. At the beginning of the revolution in March 2011, the UK was at the forefront of pushing for two UN Security Council Resolutions to provide the international community with the legal mandate to take all necessary measures to protect civilians from the threat of attack and to enforce a no-fly zone.

Together with international partners, we are now providing a range of assistance to the new Libyan government. It faces significant challenges as it seeks to build a prosperous, open and democratic country which supports the rule of law and human rights. But the amount that has been achieved since the end of the conflict - most notably the successful national democratic elections held for the first time in nearly half a century - shows the determination of the Libyan people to rebuild their country after decades of misrule.

Finding an end to the crisis in Syria

The government is working with international partners to bring about an end to violence and achieve a managed political transition. We have already committed over £700 million to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis and help the Syrian people prepare economically and politically for a new government. More on the crisis in Syria.

Working to destroy the threat of ISIL

The government is working with international partners to dismantle and ultimately destroy the terrorist organisation ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant also known as Islamic State, Da’esh or ISIS). We are undertaking a wide range of political, humanitarian and military activity to stop ISIL and support Iraq and Syria. The UK is playing an active role with airstrikes and intelligence gathering as part of the wider international strategy against ISIL involving Arab, US, and European nations. Find out more about the UK government’s actions to counter ISIL.

The Middle East Peace Process

Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of our top foreign policy priorities. This conflict matters to British national security, and to the security of the entire region, and we will take every opportunity to help promote a peaceful 2-state solution.

Stabilising Yemen

The UK is providing Yemen with £196 million from 2012 to 2015. Most of this money will go to alleviate humanitarian suffering and to the Social Fund for Development to improve rural infrastructure and expand social protection. DFID is supporting Yemen’s long-term development, stability and security. More on Yemen.

Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative (BMENA)

The G8’s Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) initiative is an annual dialogue, run since 2004, between the governments and civil society representatives of the G8 and the BMENA countries and territories. In 2013 the UK, as the G8 Presidency, is co-chairing the BMENA initiative with the Egyptian government.

Background

The Arab Spring has shown that demands for political and economic freedom will spread widely by themselves, not because Western nations advocate these values, but because all people everywhere aspire to these freedoms.

In his speech to the National Assembly in Kuwait on 22 February 2011, the Prime Minister set out the UK’s approach to the Arab Spring, upholding universal values, rights and freedoms, with respect for the different cultures, histories and traditions of the countries in the region.

Appendix 1: reform in the Gulf states

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

The 6 states of the Gulf - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates - have the largest hydrocarbon reserves in the world, and are playing an increasingly important role in Middle Eastern politics.

Relations with the Gulf States are of huge significance to the UK. Over 160,000 British nationals live and work the Gulf, and we export around £15 billion worth of goods and services to the Gulf, which is on a par with China and India combined. But this is mutually beneficial: investment from the Gulf in the UK economy totalled around $2.25 billion in 2011.

The Arab Spring shows that long-term political and economic reform gives people a greater stake in their societies. The Gulf States have recognised this and the UK is working with them to support their own efforts and encouraging them to continue to play a positive role in the wider region.

Appendix 2: supporting sustainable change in Libya

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

The UK, together with international partners including the UN and the EU, is providing a range of assistance to the new Libyan government and civil society in support of prosperity, security and human rights. This includes promoting political participation and public voice, providing advice and training in the security, justice and defence sectors, strengthening public financial management, and promoting private sector development.

In 2012/13 the UK spent approximately £9 million in Libya. In 2013/14 the UK intends to spend over £20m in support of local activity. The money is used to fund projects that, for example, promote the development of an inclusive constitution and the participation of young people, women and minorities in the political transition.

In addition, as the Prime Minister announced at the 2013 G8 Summit, the UK, US and other European partners have offered to train more than 7,000 Libyan troops to help the Libyan Government disarm and integrate militias and improve the security and stability of the country.

As part of this package, the UK has committed to train up to 2,000 Libyan Armed Forces personnel, in tranches, in basic infantry skills. The training will take place in Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire. We will also provide increased training for the Libyan police and further support to improve Libya’s border security through the EU Border Mission.

Appendix 3: political change in Yemen

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

Yemen is undergoing a period of political transition following the signature in November 2011 of a Gulf Cooperation Council-brokered Initiative and UN transition plan by former President Saleh and the leaders of the main political parties in Yemen. This brought an end to months of political turmoil and committed Yemen to a two-year period of political transition. Under the Initiative, former President Saleh resigned from office and was succeeded by Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi following interim Presidential elections in February 2012.

The process of political transition in Yemen is broadly on track but remains delicate and complex. Since his election President Hadi has demonstrated a commitment to tackling violent extremism in Yemen. In 2012 Yemeni security forces successfully regained territory held by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). AQAP represents a direct threat to the security of the United Kingdom and our interests overseas. We remain concerned about their continuing intent and capability to carry out attacks. We have seen a significant rise in the threat of kidnap, fuelled by successful ransom negotiations. An essential part of transition was start of the six-month National Dialogue Conference (NDC) on 18 March. The conference is paving the way for a new constitution. The final stage of transition will be full Presidential and Parliamentary elections in February 2014.

Despite some positive developments on the political side in Yemen, the humanitarian situation remains critical. Yemen has the highest poverty levels in the Middle East, and faces a range of development challenges, including significant corruption; food and water shortages; high population growth; and almost non-existent social service provision. Ongoing conflict in the north and the south of the country has displaced thousands of civilians and put some areas of the country beyond effective state control. The 2013 UN humanitarian appeal stands at $716m, a 22% increase from $585m in 2012. This prompted the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to classify Yemen as “one of the world’s major humanitarian crises”.

The UK has taken a leading role in coordinating international political support for President Hadi as he works to implement reform and to tackle instability in Yemen. The Friends of Yemen, suspended amidst the political chaos and violence of 2011, was restarted and re-energised with ministerial meetings in Riyadh and New York in 2012 and in London in March 2013. The United Kingdom co-chairs these meetings with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen. Saudi Arabia will host the forthcoming meeting in New York on 25 September.

The UK uses its membership of the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council to raise the profile of the challenges Yemen faces, to encourage urgent implementation of reform and to demonstrate international support for President Hadi. In January, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN jointly led the first visit by the UN Security Council to Yemen. Following the visit, the President of the Security Council issued a strong statement which made clear that former President Saleh and his former Vice President al-Beidh should not interfere with the political transition process or they could face further measures under Article 41 of the UN Charter. The UK is also playing a pivotal role within the EU-led civilian security sector and justice sector reform initiatives.

At the Donor Conference in Saudi Arabia in September 2012, representatives from Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the World Bank and others pledged $6.4 billion of aid.

The UK’s contributions of £196 million from 2012 to 2015 are helping to:

  • protect 2 million women and children from chronic malnutrition
  • provide 42,000 people per year with paid work such as farming and labouring
  • support successful constitutional and electoral reform, leading to and presidential and parliamentary elections in 2014
  • provide access to finance for 44,700 people (60% women) between 2012 and 2015 to help them work their way out of poverty by setting up or expanding small businesses
  • provide short-term humanitarian assistance (to 2013), providing 300,000 people with emergency food assistance and essential health services for 170,000 people.

Appendix 4: civil society / government workshops and the Forum for the Future

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

The G8’s Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) initiative is an annual dialogue, run since 2004, between the governments and civil society representatives of the G8 and the BMENA countries and territories. In 2013, the UK, as the G8 Presidency, co-chaired the BMENA initiative with the Egyptian government.

Key themes

In 2013, the BMENA initiative focused on three themes:

  • Economic development;
  • Women’s empowerment;
  • Freedom of expression.

The co-chairs delivered a series of workshops in Amman, Jordan over 8-10 December 2013, drawing together Civil Society and Governments from G8 and BMENA members to discuss these themes. The workshops brought together 60 representatives of civil society to discuss and debate issues with representatives of BMENA and G8 Governments.

In recognition of the important role that young people will play in the development of new societies and in creating stability, a focus on youth ran across all three of the key themes. At the conclusion of these events, representatives of each of the working groups presented a set of recommendations to the workshops.

Primary Recommendations

Economic Development

  • Asset recovery: Civil society demands the recovery of assets of illicit origin to be expedited;
  • Encouraging entrepreneurialism: Establishing technology/business incubators that provide technical assistance and funding for students from the BMENA region to participate in training programmes between MENA and global institutions;
  • Supporting Small and Medium Size enterprises (SMEs): supporting SMEs to deliver growth in labour-intensive sectors through tax exemptions, industrial zones and modernising legislation to encourage investment and streamline bureaucracy.

Women’s Empowerment

  • Women’s economic empowerment: A joint government–civil society national consultative committee should be established to help women across the region become economically empowered;
  • Women’s security: A national strategy to combat violence against women should be adopted by governments in cooperation with the G8 and other international partners;
  • Women’s political participation: Establish a mechanism to coordinate at a national level each country’s civil society and government programmes for building women’s political capacity;

Freedom of Expression

  • Education: Government educational curricula should incorporate raising awareness of human rights and foster freedom of expression;
  • Implementing legislation: Governments should more consistently and impartially enforce existing international and national commitments to freedom of expression, specifically by integrating Articles 14 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and a non-discriminatory and consistent implementation of national laws by police and judiciary;
  • Access to information: Governments should make access to information a priority and pass and/or take steps to effectively implement appropriate legislation, which must take into account international standards as defined in the Additional Protocol to the ICCP;
The Forum for the Future

Following the workshops the tenth annual ‘Forum for the Future’ conference took place in Cairo on 17 December, co-chaired by Foreign Office Minister Hugh Robertson and Ambassador Hamdi Sanad Loza, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The event brought together ministers from the BMENA and G8 governments along with representatives from civil society and the private sector to reflect on the outcomes of the workshops, strengthen the BMENA initiative network and agree recommendations for further progress.

Outcomes of BMENA

The recommendations from the Civil Society/Government workshops will be shared with all BMENA and G8 governments and act as a point of reference for work in the area. For example, in response to a civil society call for additional support to help Arab women enter the workforce, in 2013 the UK committed £10M (matched by the Islamic Development Bank) to a new Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund. The British Government anticipates that the recommendations of BMENA 2013 will play a similar role in steering its strategy and future initiatives.

Summary of BMENA outcomes

Please see here for a full read out of the BMENA workshop recommendations.

A full record of the discussions at the workshops from Chatham House including Arabic and French translations of the summary is here:

BMENA in 2014

In 2014 the BMENA initiative will be co-chaired by the Governments of Russia and the United Arab Emirates. We look forward to working alongside the co-chairs, G8 counterparts, BMENA Governments and Civil Society on initiatives to promote economic development, empower women and broaden political participation in the MENA region in 2014 and beyond.

Archive of previous BMENA documents

An archive of recommendations, co-chairs’ summaries and declarations issued during the 10 years of BMENA can be found below.

2010 BMENA peaceful resolution of conflict recommendations

2011 BMENA final report

2012 BMENA recommendations

Appendix 5: making progress on the Middle East Peace Process

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

Gaza crisis

On 15 July, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond welcomed the Egyptian ceasefire initiative and urged parties in Gaza and Israel to take this opportunity to end hostilities.

The Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said:

I welcome Egypt’s ceasefire initiative. I pay tribute to the Egyptian government for their efforts and the leadership they have shown in attempting to broker a cessation of hostilities. I also welcome Israel’s acceptance in principle of the terms of the proposed ceasefire agreement, and the Palestinian Authority’s endorsement of the Egyptian initiative. I call on Hamas and all militant factions in Gaza to take this opportunity to cease hostilities, ending all rocket fire into Israel, so that the bloodshed on both sides can stop. A cessation of the violence will allow the opportunity to tackle the underlying causes of instability in the Gaza strip, without which the long-term security of both Israel and Gaza will not be secured.

For further information on the UK’s response to the Gaza crisis, see the following statements:

Middle East Peace Process

The search for Middle East Peace continues to be an urgent priority in 2014. This conflict matters to British national security, and to the security of the entire region, and we will take every opportunity to help promote a peaceful two-state solution.

We want to see a stable, prosperous Middle East with a sovereign and viable Palestinian State living in peace alongside a secure Israel at the heart of it.

Our goal is a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, resulting in a secure and universally recognised Israel living alongside a sovereign and viable Palestinian state, based on the borders of 1967, with Jerusalem the future capital of both states, and a just, fair and agreed solution for refugees.

The UK will continue to do all it can to support and advance efforts for peace, including by working with the EU to support the parties in taking the difficult decisions necessary to resume serious dialogue. We do not underestimate the challenges but firmly believe that if both parties show bold leadership, peace is possible.

Settlements

We are concerned by developments that threaten the viability of the two-state solution. Changing circumstances, in particular the construction of settlements on occupied land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, mean that the two-state solution is slipping away.

Our position on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and make a two-state solution harder to achieve. We consistently urge the Israeli authorities, including at the highest levels, to cease all settlement building, revoke previous announcements and to remove illegal outposts, as required under international law.

Supporting development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs)

The Department for International Development (DFID) is helping to build Palestinian institutions and promote economic growth, so that any future state will be prosperous and an effective partner for peace.

For further information on DFID’s work in the OPTs, see World Priority: Supporting development in the OPTs.

International law obligations

We believe that Israel has legal obligations as an occupying power with respect to the Occupied Palestinian Territories under applicable international law and international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention.

We have a regular dialogue with the Government of Israel about the implementation of those obligations and raise our serious concerns regarding such issues as treatment of Palestinian prisoners, including children, demolitions of Palestinian property, restrictions on movement and access. More details can be found in the FCO’s annual human rights and democracy report.

Appendix 6: the crisis in Syria

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

The Syrian uprising began in March 2011 with national protests against the ruling Ba’ath Party calling for the resignation of President Assad and demanding legitimate rights. Over 150,000 people have been killed since March 2011 and more are dying each week, mostly at the hands of the Assad regime and extremist groups such as ISIL.

To date, the UK has committed over £700 million in aid in response to the humanitarian situation. Over 12 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, 3 million of whom have been forced to become refugees in neighbouring countries.

We believe that the crisis in Syria can only be ended through a negotiated political settlement as set out in the Geneva Communiqué agreed in June 2012 by the UN Security Council’s five permanent members and the League of Arab States. Elections held by the regime on the 3rd June 2014, at the height of a civil war, can only be seen as a cruel farce and lack any credibility, given that millions of Syrians living outside regime areas or as refugees in neighbouring countries could not vote and any real opposition to Bashar al-Assad is prohibited from taking part. The Geneva Communiqué is clear that elections can only come at the end of the transition process.

In parallel, on the humanitarian track, UN Security Council Resolution 2139, which demands that the Syrian regime lift its sieges, end the abhorrent and indiscriminate use of barrel bombs in populated areas, and allow the UN and its partners to deliver aid across borders has produced little real improvement for the 9.3 million people in dire need of humanitarian aid. The regime has continued its arbitrary denial of humanitarian access to the Syrians it continues to besiege.

We have made concerted efforts to address this iniquity on the UN Security Council and create the conditions necessary for the regime to return to the negotiating table and take part in serious discussions to bring about a political solution. In support of this objective, the UK is focusing its efforts on three key areas:

  • Strengthening an inclusive opposition, increasing pressure on the regime politically and economically through EU sanctions and isolating Assad while working for a political resolution with international support;

  • Managing the humanitarian, human rights and wider impact on Syria/region, pushing for a new, stronger humanitarian resolution on the UN Security Council and increasing funding for cross-border aid deliveries to a total of £76 million; and

  • Limiting the terrorist and wider extremist threat to the UK, and chemical/biological weapon use/ proliferation.

On 20 November 2012 the Foreign Secretary set out to Parliament that the UK had decided to recognise the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people as it has a democratic and pluralist vision for Syria.

Since the start of the revolution, the UK has been at the forefront of providing the moderate opposition with practical and political support. This year we have provided more than £20 million in support to save lives and provide services to the Syrian population. This support includes training and equipping civil defence teams to carry out fire fighting and search and rescue; training over 300 Syrian journalists and activists helping to develop an independent Syrian media; funding local level peace-building projects within Syria and between communities in neighbouring countries where refugees are based.

The government is also responding to serious human rights concerns in Syria. In partnership with other donor countries, we have funded the collection of documentary evidence of Human Rights abuses and funded Law of Armed Conflict training to help armed groups understand their responsibilities and obligations under international law and international Human Rights standards. Most recently we have started funding a multi-donor project to support the Free Syrian Police, who are responsible for providing basic civilian policing in large areas of opposition controlled territory.

We have also played an important role in UN Human Rights Council discussions on the escalating human rights violations and deteriorating humanitarian situation, and in resolutions adopted by the Council on 1 and 23 March 2012 condemning these human rights violations. On 28 November 2012, the United Nations General Assembly also adopted an Arab-led resolution on the human rights situation in Syria condemning the widespread and systematic human rights violations being committed by the Syrian regime and its militia.

For the latest updates on the UK’s humanitarian response to the crisis in Syria, please visit: http://www.gov.uk/uk-aid-syria.

Appendix 7: supporting reform and tackling conflict in the Middle East and North Africa

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

UK support to countries in the Middle East & North Africa continues to evolve in response to developments in the region. We continue to build upon on the Arab Partnership Initiative, which was set up in October 2010 and formally launched in 2011 following the momentous changes brought about by the Arab uprisings.

Our approach means we work in partnership with people across the region on three main areas:

  • tackling the risk of conflict and responding to it;
  • building capable, legitimate and inclusive institutions;
  • enabling inclusive and sustainable economic growth and recovery.

We help deliver our political objectives with targeted technical assistance through the Arab Partnership Fund, the MENA Conflict Pool, and the expertise of the MENA Strategic Communications Team.

Policy

We support reform and stability in the Middle East and North Africa in several ways. In conjunction with our Embassies, we ensure that conflict and reform issues remain key themes in UK dialogue with foreign governments.

We also work within multilateral organisations to further our objectives. For example, we work with our partners to ensure that EU resources and support are correctly targeted. For example, we make sure that the approach agreed in 2012 - whereby countries making the most progress receiving additional technical support and funding – is being implemented. We are also working with EU colleagues on the current review of the European Neighbourhood Policy, to make sure EU assistance is able to be even more responsive to the situation and EU interests and values in each country.

We also work with our G7 partners, International Financial Institutions and regional partners through the Deauville Partnership. The Partnership, founded in 2011, supports reform in the region by providing access to a multi-million pound Transition Fund, supporting access to funding from International Financial Institutions and encouraging public-private sector cooperation. For reference, we maintain information on the UK’s 2013 Chairmanship of the Deauville Partnership and on 2013 events promoting the role of civil society.

Programme

We deliver UK bilateral funds through the Arab Partnership Fund and the MENA Conflict Pool to resolve conflict and stimulate economic and political development across the region.

The UK Government’s Arab Partnership (AP) supports the development of legitimate and inclusive institutions to improve governance and enable inclusive economic growth and reform. The total allocation for the Arab Partnership Fund for 2011-2015 is £166m. This includes £10 million for FY 14/15 for political reform through the Arab Partnership Participation Fund (APPF), managed by the FCO. This fund supports the development of stronger civil society, parliaments, media and judiciaries. £40 million for FY 14/15 is provided through the DFID-run Arab Partnership Economic Facility (APEF), and supports reforms that deliver jobs, boost economic growth and create effective and accountable institutions

For example:

  • With AP support, Morocco’s first MP constituency offices have been opened and a Council of Youth has been established to increase participation of civil associations and young people in political processes.

  • In Egypt, working with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, we have trained over 300 Egyptian journalists in balanced and accurate reporting and provided them with a space to publish stories anonymously.

  • Through AP regional programmes, supporting scholarships for outstanding individuals engaged in work to promote the rule of law in their country so they are able to improve the effectiveness and accountability of institutions, access to justice and freedom of expression.

  • AP regional programmes have also formed strong networks of women leaders who are able to share experiences and best practice.

Together with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Department for International Development (DFID), we run the MENA Conflict Pool, which has £70 million for FY 2014/15 to tackle conflict in the region. We invest in conflict prevention and early warning systems to reduce the effect of conflict on countries in the region. We also support the longer-term strengthening of security and justice institutions to increase the capacity of the local populations to resolve the conflicts which affect them.

For example:

  • In Bahrain, we have supported the establishment of the first independent police ombudsman in the Gulf, providing essential independent oversight of the police force.

  • Border watchtowers we built for the Lebanese Armed Forces were instrumental in helping the LAF deter an ISIL breakout into Christian and Shia villages in the Beka’a valley during fighting in August this year.

  • We are helping to reduce tensions between Syrian refugees and their host communities in Jordan and Lebanon through projects which deliver better educational and health facility capacity.

  • We are providing counter-IED (Improvised Explosive Device) training to the Iraqi security forces and the Peshmerga in the Kurdistan region in order to increase the rate of detection and making safe of explosive devices and to reduce the number of civilian and military casualties.

  • In Jerusalem we are funding the Jerusalem Community Advocacy Network (JCAN), which assists and empowers Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem to attain their legal, economic and social rights.

From April 2015, the Government’s £1bn Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), overseen by the National Security Council will replace the Conflict Pool. Under the CSSF, we will continue to address the short term effects of conflict whilst also patiently continuing our work to build the political, economic and security institutions that will bring enduring stability and ultimately prevent conflict re-occurring.

Latest News

Read the 2013/14 annual report updating members of the Foreign Affairs Committee on the UK’s continuing efforts to support reform in the Middle East and North Africa.

2013/14 annual report

Appendix 8: the Deauville Partnership with Arab countries in transition

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

The UK is a member of the Deauville Partnership, which provides support for political and economic transitions in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Jordan and Yemen.

Following the G7 suspension of collaboration with Russia, Germany has taken over the Chairmanship of the Deauville Partnership. Read further information on 2014-15 activity. The UK will work closely with the German chairs, using the Partnership to continue to support countries’ own efforts to make reforms.

For reference purposes, we have retained here information on what was achieved under the UK’s Chairmanship of the Deauville Partnership in 2013, and documentation from the ‘Forum for the Future’ meetings with civil society that took place in 2013.

The Partnership includes the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States), the EU and regional partners (Kuwait, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) and international financial institutions and organisations (the Islamic Development Bank, the African Development Bank, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the Arab Monetary Fund, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation, the International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank, the OPEC Fund for International Development, and the World Bank).

There are several other organisations that have been supportive of the Deauville Partnership, including the Arab League, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United Nations organisations.

Foreign Ministers of the Partnership met in New York September to review progress over the year and discuss priorities for 2014 and beyond. Finance Ministers met in October 2013

The UK’s Presidency of the Deauville Partnership 2013

Work took place under eight priority areas chosen to align with our vision of open economies and inclusive growth:

Read our pamphlet Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in transition also available in Arabic

Deauville Partnership events

G8 Deauville Partnership Forsa SME Mentoring Scheme

The UK launched a new mentoring initiative called Forsa in June 2013 to support SME Development in the Arab Countries in Transition.

Arab Women’s Conference in London – 25-26 June

Under the UK’s presidency of the G8 and chairmanship of the Deauville Partnership, the British Government held a two-day conference in partnership with Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, Chairman of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce.

G8 Deauville Partnership Investment conference

On 16 September, the UK hosted the G8 Deauville Partnership Investment Conference in London focused on the six Arab countries in transition (Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen). The event provided a forum for those nations to highlight opportunities and explain the steps they are taking to improve the environment for investment in their countries. It covered issues such as financial risk mitigation instruments, access local labour and supply chains and specific opportunities and challenges in key sectors. Senior representatives from business and government from the transition countries, the G8, regional partners and the International Financial Institutions participated.

G8 Deauville Partnership Investment Conference programme

Meeting of Deauville Foreign Ministers

The UK hosted a meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Partnership in September 2013 to review progress over the year and discuss priorities for 2014 and beyond.

Deauville Partnership Progress report

The UK, as Chairman of the Deauville Partnership, released the Deauville Partnership Progress Report. It detailed progress has been made with the Deauville Partnership under the UK’s G8 Presidency.

Meeting of Deauville finance ministers

Finance ministers and international financial institutions of the Deauville Partnership for Arab Countries in Transition met in Washington on in October 2014 to re-affirm their commitment to support Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen in undertaking economic reforms that will lead to more stable, open and inclusive economies.

The Statement from 2013:

Deauville Partnership finance ministers meeting: Chair’s statement