G8 - Broader Middle East North Africa Initiative

Forum for the Future

Launched at the 2004 US-led Sea Island G8 Summit, the G8-Broader Middle East and North Africa (G8-BMENA) Initiative is a multilateral program which links the G8 with 19 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (including the Palestinian Authority and Iran, but not Israel), plus Afghanistan and Pakistan.  It is aimed at enhancing an open and inclusive dialogue between governments and civil society on issues of political and economic reform and human development in order to create partnerships which lead to concrete steps that advance the progress and development of the BMENA region.

The Forum for the Future is the ministerial framework of the G8-BMENA Initiative bringing together representatives of governments of the region and the G8, as well as civil society and the private sector.  This tripartite partnership is key to fulfilling G8-BMENA objectives.  The last Forum for the Future took place in November 2009 in Marrakech, Morocco.

As current chair of the G8, Canada and the host country, Qatar, will co-chair the Forum for the Future which will take place January 12-13, 2011 in Doha. Three civil society-led preparatory workshops preceded and will report to the Forum.  A Sub-ministerial planning meeting also took place in Ottawa on November 8.  Canada and Qatar have been working collaboratively and in consultation with the participating countries to develop this year’s G8-BMENA process.

From its launch in 2004, the G8-BMENA partnership has always included representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs) participating in the annual ministerial Forum meeting.  In years past, the CSOs met prior to the Forum to prepare a smaller delegation to present their views to ministers. Last year, co-chairs Italy and Morocco introduced CSO-led preparatory workshops in advance of the Forum, to broaden the government-civil society dialogue, and to generate specific recommendations for consideration by ministers.  Canada and Qatar maintained the workshop model this year, and have sought through their designated CSO Coordinators to re-structure this process to deepen the government-civil society dialogue.