Driving social and economic development in the MENA region: the role of international organizations - Stakeholders' engagement meeting report

On 15 November 2018, the Center for Public Policy and Democracy Studies (PODEM) hosted a stakeholders’ meeting in Istanbul with twenty-nine participants, including academics, experts, and representatives from civil society and international humanitarian and development organizations from Europe and the MENA region, as part of the Middle East North Africa Regional Architecture Project (MENARA). Through two panels of expert presentations and facilitated discussion, the participants addressed present challenges, ongoing transformations and future opportunities facing societies across the region, as well as the role of international organizations in addressing these challenges and opportunities. This report will summarize the discussion during that meeting in two broad parts, focusing on the region’s challenges and positive developments respectively and is further divided into sections by issue subject. Two sets of policy recommendations are provided at the end of the report.2018年11月15日，公共政策与民主研究中心（Center for Public Policy and Democracy Studies, PODEM）作为中东北非区域架构项目（Middle East North Africa Regional Architecture Project, MENARA）的组成部分，在伊斯坦布尔举办利益相关方会议，共有29名与会者，涵盖学者、专家以及来自欧洲与中东及北非（Middle East and North Africa, MENA）地区公民社会、国际人道主义与发展组织的代表。会议设置两场专家专题分享与引导式研讨环节，与会者围绕该区域各国社会当前面临的挑战、正在经历的转型与未来发展机遇，以及国际组织在应对此类挑战、把握相关机遇中可发挥的作用展开探讨。本报告将从两大板块对本次会议的讨论内容进行总结，分别聚焦该区域的挑战与积极发展态势，并进一步按议题主题划分为若干小节。报告末尾将提供两组政策建议。