The State of Reform in the Arab World 2008 (Annual Report)
Sep 25, 2008
“Democratic Transition is still at the embryonic stage and is more visible in countries that are keen to project a positive image of modernization. Progress achieved in constitutional, administrative and other kinds of formal steps to reform remains unmatched by practices and progress on the ground”: this represents one of the key conclusions of the recently launched State of Reform in the Arab World 2008.
Authored and released by the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), the report provides a detailed overview and analysis of the status of reform in 8 selected Arab countries (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Yemen). The readings of the indicators were both quantitative and qualitative, and cover three different dimensions: the constitutional or legal angle, public opinion and impressions, and the actual behaviour patters of regimes in power, based on their performance on the ground. By annually collecting empirical data on these indicators, the Index will be able to assess the extent and depth of progress made in the democratic transformation process in the countries involved.
The first of its kind to be developed and implemented by an intra-Arab collaborative initiative, ARI’s report reflects the insights of practitioners from the region on reform related successes and shortcomings. It also examines the many levels at which challenges to reform persist by monitoring and analyzing, not just declared and hypothetical steps to reform, but also the extent to which they have been implemented in practice.
The report’s merit lies primarily in the process of collaboration, capacity building, and streamlining of methodologies that data collection and opinion survey has entailed for participating institutions and their teams of scholars, fieldworkers, statisticians, and polling experts across the region.
Complementing the comparative data, the report also highlights the main findings with qualitative analysis that focuses on issues such as major reform trends and lessons, dynamics and drivers for change and strategies for reform in each region. It also makes specific recommendations for policy and decision makers in the region. The primary goal of this report is to contribute to a much needed public sphere and debate on reform in the region, build capacity and expertise in the area of policy research. It also contributes to the struggle of civil society towards free access to information for Arab citizens, a key focus of ARI’s work.
To read the full report please follow the link below.