On June 2, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee heard testimony on the Greater Middle East Initiative. The Middle East will be a focus of discussions this month at the 30th G8 Summit at Sea Island, Georgia.
Chair Richard Lugar (R-IN) said that Arab scholars and intellectuals have concluded that the Middle East “suffers from widespread illiteracy, economic stagnation, and isolation from other cultures,” adding, “These experts concluded that this backwardness results from three important deficits the lack of freedom, the lack of women’s empowerment, and the lack of knowledge, particularly with regard to science, technology, computers, and the Internet.”
Stating his belief that multilateral participation “is central to the success of any initiative to encourage economic and political reform in the Greater Middle East,” Sen. Lugar proposed the Greater Middle East 21st Century Trust. “Rather than a set of programs to be created and funded, the Greater Middle East 21st Century Trust would set broad goals and criteria. Specific programs would be developed and offered by the recipient countries themselves, and evaluated by the Trust based on the standards it sets. In this way, we can confer ownership of the reform process on the recipients.” Sen. Lugar explained that the trust would be “a vehicle for achieving economic reform goals” in the region, including productive labor markets, strong education systems, and new roles for women.
Ranking Member Joseph Biden (D-DE) said that there is a clash within the Arab and Islamic world that “pits the forces of reform, modernity, and tolerance against the forces of radical fundamentalism, regression, and violence.” He praised the chair’s proposal, stating, “Bringing women into the work place will boost Arab economies…just as women leaders past and present in Pakistan…in Bangladesh…in Turkey…and in Indonesia energized the Muslim world’s politics.”
Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs Alan Larson highlighted the administration’s Middle East Partnership Initiative, which supports political, social, and economic reform in the Middle East. “In recent years, gradual reforms have led to increased political and economic opportunities and improved living conditions for both women and men across the region,” he stated, adding, “Last year, the people of Qatar approved a new constitution by referendum, and just a few months ago Morocco adopted a new family code that protects the rights of women.” Mr. Larson said that at the Arab League Summit last month, Arab leaders “called on members to continue reform[s] to foster democratic practice, broaden participation in political and public life, strengthen the role of civil society, and ‘expand women’s participation in the political, economic, social, cultural and educational fields, [and] enhance their rights and status in society.’” Mr. Larson also noted that reformers in the region understand the need for microenterprise development assistance programs, which “will help cut unemployment, improve access to trade financing for small exporters and increase opportunities for women to pull themselves and their families out of poverty.” He said that the State Department is seeking ways to improve access to these programs and “to help local governments improve the policy and regulatory atmosphere and exchange best practices.”
Patrick Cronin of the Center for Strategic and International Studies expressed his belief that the Greater Middle East 21st Century Trust would be successful because “it could be international in scope and base grant decisions on the expert technical review of proposals emanating from each country. Like the Millennium Challenge Account, it could introduce a healthy domestic competition that leads to creative, homegrown solutions with clear benchmarks and a focus on closely monitoring results. Finally, the Trust could pool resources and provide a common mechanism for providing grant assistance to these countries, rather than adding confusion created by multiple donors imposing so many competing approaches to assistance.”
