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Beirut, 14 July 2003 (United Nations Information Service)--The
meeting on "Iraq and the Region after the War", organized by the
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
(ESCWA) in cooperation with the World Bank, the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) and the Lebanese Centre for Policy
Studies (LCPS), concluded Friday at the United Nations House, Riad
Solh Square, Beirut by reaching consensus on four comprehensive
recommendations. An extensive report on the meeting will be issued
later this month.
Participants in the meeting considered that the role of the United
Nations should not be limited to the humanitarian sphere, noting
that due to its wide international experience an active
participation of the international organization in the political
as well as the socio-economic sphere would provide a valuable
contribution to the process of the rehabilitation of Iraq.
Participants also encouraged Arab states, international
organizations such ESCWA, the World Bank, UNDP, as well as
regional organizations such as the League of Arab States (LAS) and
the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to play a role in the
reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts.
It was agreed that Iraqi human resources should be fully involved
in the reconstruction of Iraq, both on the levels of planning and
implementation of the reconstruction plans. It was also agreed
that rehabilitation and reform should not be limited to the
administrative and governmental structures in Iraq but should
encompass Iraqi society at the grass root level, and in
cooperation with the representatives of civil society and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
"Rebuilding Iraq: Strategies of Development under Crises
Conditions", and "What Possible Role for the United Nations in
Iraq" were two subjects discussed respectively by Mr. Atef Kubursi,
Chief Economic Analysis Division at ESCWA, and Mr. Nawwaf Salam,
Lawyer, during the morning session, which was held before
announcing the recommendations.
In his statement, Mr. Kubursi said, "Iraq, unlike the Gulf States
and Arab oil producers has the potential to build a diversified
economic base. There is a great potential for efficient
agricultural activities once agricultural land could be reclaimed
and rehabilitated and water rights secured." Kubursi also pointed
that given the talents of the Iraqis, there were strong arguments
for moving into the new economy and into the information
communication technology activities.
Mr. Salam, who reviewed the the UN former experiences in Cambodia,
Kosovo, East Timor and Afghanistan, said, "the words of Lakhdar
Brahimi that the main lesson to learn from previous UN peace
operations was that each operation was unique, is of paramount
importance." Salam considered that each mission had its own
specific conditions and any UN intervention should take specific
cultural, political, historical and institutional context into
account.
The call for this unprecedented three-day meeting in the Arab
region, was an ESCWA initiative to respond to other international
initiatives concerning various schemes and methodologies for the
reconstruction of Iraq, after many wars and long years of embargo
and isolation; most of these initiatives were neglecting the
regional perspective and the views of experts from Iraq and the
region.
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