الوثيقة الختامية.pdf

The Arab Civil Society's letters to the 2018 Arab Forum for Sustainable Development and the 2018 High-Level Political Forum emphasize several key priorities, including:

1. Achieving peace, security, and preserving national unity in the Arab region, in line with the UN's political declaration linking development and peace.
2. Providing services and protection to refugees in host countries and working to ensure their safe return to their homes in accordance with international law.
3. Respecting national policy space, including economic and social policies, as a component of the right to development.
4. Adopting a new development model based on a rights-based approach, transitioning from rentier economies to productive economies, and implementing policies to reduce inequality and social exclusion.
5. Establishing comprehensive social protection systems based on a rights-based approach, including refugees, displaced persons, and migrant workers.
6. Implementing national integrity systems to ensure good governance, combat corruption, and promote transparency and accountability.
7. Addressing the cultural roots of discrimination against women in Arab societies and protecting their rights, particularly in conflict situations.
8. Providing an enabling environment for civil society to operate freely and independently, and developing legislation to ensure their participation in national, regional, and international institutions.
9. Establishing an Arab fund for sustainable human development and exploring regional financing mechanisms, such as taxes on natural resource use.
10. Adopting an inclusive, non-discriminatory development framework based on human rights principles, particularly for persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups.
11. Committing to sustainability at the international, national, and regional levels, while respecting countries' sovereignty over their natural resources.
12. Developing binding human rights standards to hold the private sector accountable for their actions in development.
13. Implementing the recommendations of the 2016 Doha meeting and the 2017 Arab Forum for Sustainable Development to establish a priority agenda for development in the Arab region.

The regional meeting of civil society organizations on sustainable development in the Arab region highlighted the challenges facing the region, including:

The ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and its impact on regional stability and development.
The political and security setbacks in some countries that underwent transitions after 2011, resulting in humanitarian crises and devastating consequences for development.
The need to address the root causes of conflicts and wars in the region, including geostrategic and economic interests of major powers.
The importance of rethinking development models and governance structures in the Arab region to ensure sustainable development and human rights.