Qatar Fourth Annual Conference on Democracy and Free Trade

The Fourth Annual Qatar Conference on Democracy and Free Trade took place this year on April 4 th and 5 th at the Ritz-Carlton in Doha , Qatar . Over 460 delegates from 35 countries attended this year, including economists, businessmen, academics, and media. A significant number of British Members of Parliament and French National Assembly members (more so than have been present at the previous three conferences) as well as two U.S. Congressmen, James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Paul Ryan (R-WI) were in attendance. The conference was co-sponsored by the Islamic Free Market Institute Foundation, the Council on Foreign Relations, Qatar University, and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce.

The opening ceremony included a keynote speech by Qatar 's Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The Emir began his speech by pointing out that this year's conference was crucial to current events, as the problems facing coalition forces in the reconstruction of Iraq has made the world more aware of the issues Middle Eastern countries must address before pursuing democratization and free trade.

His Highness continued by stating that ‘one of the strategic constants (for Mid East countries) is to defend the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state that would regain all their legitimate rights', and cited ‘the failure to solve the Palestinian question' as being a factor hindering the development of a democratic process in the region.

The Emir went on to say that the Palestinian issue alone was not the only source of these feelings. His Highness presented the idea that the region was slow to democratize because they were still feeling the aftereffects of colonization by the Ottoman Empire and then by Western powers. His Highness argued against this, stating that “other countries and societies have suffered as we did from colonization, subordination, and protectorate status, yet they reformed themselves and set out steadily towards modernity and the rule of institutions”.

Informing the attendees that “Our country is constantly guided by aspects of its Arab and Islamic heritage which exalt the values of progress and modernization”, the Emir specifically called attention to the democratic changes that he has imparted within his country over the past decade.

His Highness concluded his speech by urging his regional compatriots to put aside suspicions about foreign intervention in the Middle East : “Our approach should be a balanced one which allows openness to the ideas presented by others. They should be carefully studied so that they are accepted with confidence or rejected on the basis of reasoning rather than imitation, and thinking rather than disaffection, and above all to distinguish between intentions and objectives.” Instead of automatically rejecting proposals put forth by foreigners, consider the positive and negative aspects, and see how the positive ones could be applied to suit their country's particular needs.

The Emir's opening of the conference was immediately followed by a speech from Qatar 's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani. The Minister gave a brief summary of the three previous conferences, stressing the specific issues that each one addressed. His Excellency went into great detail discussing the topics covered at last year's meeting, especially the concern many participants had over the neglect of certain educational principles elsewhere in the region as well as the atmosphere of suppression several countries has adopted in regards to their civilian population. His Excellency did not hesitate to discuss more positive aspects of last year's conference, including the achievements that women have made within many regional societies.

The Minister concluded his speech by informing the delegation that this conference was very important to Qatar and to its people, and that they are extremely proud of how far the conference has come from its ‘modest inception' four years ago.

Other speakers on the welcoming panel included the French National Assembly Deputy Pierre Joxe, Secretary General of the Islamic Conference Organization Abdelwahed Belkaziz, Pakistani information minister Mushahad Hussein Sayed, MP (House of Lords) Robert Redesdale, and U.S. Congressman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI). All discussed the great opportunities presented at this forum, especially at this crucial time in the modern history of the Middle East.

This year's conference hosted multiple panel discussions on several topics relevant to bringing democracy and free markets into the region. Panelists included a number of top legislators, educators, and professionals from all over the world.

One of the first panel discussions presented was organized by the Islamic Free Market Institute Foundation of Washington, DC, and was moderated by Khaled Saffuri. Distinguished panelists included: E. William Cattan Jr. of Latham & Watkins LLP; Doug Bandow, Senior Fellow at the CATO Institute; Richard Abdoo, Chairman of the Wisconsin Energy Corp; Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, and Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) of the House Ways and Means Committee.

The focus of the panel was to address how future advances in technology could affect the economies of Middle Eastern countries, most of which are reliant on their oil and natural gas reserves. Recent technological advances in the field of energy production could render the need for oil and natural gas obsolete in the future, and the economies of the Middle Eastern countries could suffer from this.

Some panelists, such as Mr. Cattan, believe that technological advances would mean more efficient energy that is cheaper to produce. Others, such as Mr. Bandow, believe that technological advances will allow the supply of fossil fuels last longer, thereby extending their use.

The United States ' need for fossil fuels was a hotly debated issue. Mr. Cattan projected that the US will become self-reliant with regards to oil production in the next thirty years. Others, such as Rep. Ryan, stated that they believed the US would remain a major buyer of fossil fuels in the future. Mr. Bandow stressed that the US is currently looking for alternate sources of energy that would make less of an impact on the environment, such as biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, and hydrogen fuel. Mr. Norquist brought attention to the fact that the upcoming Presidential election in the US may have an impact on the direction that the United States would take with regards to its fuel consumption.

On a broader note, Mr. Abdoo introduced the issue that the world in general has been unable to agree on the specifics of a global policy towards the production of energy, and until it decides what exactly that policy will be, it is be extremely difficult to predict the future of both fossil fuels and the new alternate sources.

Another topic that the panelists discussed was the threat of terrorist attacks on the oil and natural gas supplies. People's concern over the safety of the supplies from terrorist organizations plays a major part in people's opinions to nuclear power, Mr. Bandow pointed out. If Al-Qaeda managed to get a hold of the fuel supplies, there is a chance that the supply would end, thereby destroying both US and Middle Eastern economies, Mr. Cattan pointed out.

The general advice that the panel offered representatives from Middle Eastern countries was to diversify their economies. Two major issues are looming in the future: the life of the fossil fuel supply and the creation of cheaper, ‘greener' fuel technologies. Both could significantly impact the world's consumption of fossil fuels. Diversifying their economies will allow them to reap the financial benefits of being the leading suppliers of fossil fuels, but at the same time letting other industries develop within their countries.

Another panel discussion, entitled: “Shaping Public Opinion and Democratization: The role of the Arab Media”, was organized by the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations. Speakers on this panel included M.C. Andrews, Director of the White House Office of Global Communications; Mourad Chebine, Chief Editor of Abu Dhabi TV; Bechara El Bonn, Director of Radio Monte Carlo; Christopher Isham, Chief of Investigative Projects for ABC News; Ghassan Moukahal of Al Arabia TV, Waddah Aref Khanfar, Director of Al Jazeera Channel, and Martin Walker, Editor-in-Chief of United Press International. Some of the topics they discussed included problems in receiving funding, the effects of reporting false information, and working around governmental policies of censorship.

“Education and its role in Promoting the Democratic Process” was organized by Qatar University , and was mediated by Hassan Al-Ansari, Director of the Gulf Studies Center of Qatar University. Speakers included Abdel Hamed Al Ansari of Qatar University; Shikha Al Gefery, Member of the Central Municipal Council in Doha; Ahmed Bishara, Secretary General of the Kuwait Democratic National Union; Yussef El Hassan, General Director of Emirates Diplomatic Institute in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs U.A.E., and Ibrahem Arafat, an academic expert in politics.

The panel was in agreement that dramatic reforms must take place in Arab education systems. Mr. al Ansari and Mr. Bishara were proponents of installing democratic ideas in children from the beginning of their education. Ms. al Gefery would like to see Arab schools back away from ‘traditional' teaching and focus on involving parents, teachers, and students more. Others, such as Mr. Arafat, were concerned about the effects of outside pressures forcing Arabs to modernize too quickly. Another topic discussed by panel members was ending the segregation and discrimination of women in education. They believed that it would be hard to teach children about democratic ideals if they were kept segregated from the opposite gender.

“How Economic Development Promotes Democratization”, was another panel organized by the Council on Foreign Relations and was mediated by Judith Kipper. This panel discussed the role of free trade and economic development in promoting the democratic process. Panelists included Odeh Aburdene, Managing Director of C.T. Capital International; Isobel Coleman of the Council on Foreign Relations' New York office; Randa Fahmy Hudome, President of Fahmy Hudome International, and Elliot Schrage, Adjunct Senior Fellow of the CFL's San Francisco office.

The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Egypt presented “The Change towards Democracy in the Arab World – Cases and Issues”. Mediated by Mohammad Fayek, the General Secretary of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, panelists included Ibrahem Al Haydous, President of the Central Municipal Council of Doha; Nasser Aruri, Chancellor Professor Emeritus of the University of Massachusetts; Mohsen Awad, Assistant Secretary of the Arab Organization for Human Rights; Burhan Ghalioun, the Director of the Center for Modern Middle East Studies, and Alain Marsaud, Deputy of the Assemblée Nationale in Paris.

The Studies and Research Center for the Arab and Mediterranean World in Geneva brought together a distinguished panel to discuss “Free Trade and Democratization in the Arab World: The Role of Good Governance and Civil Society. Mediated by Hasni Abidi, the Director of CERMAM, the panelists discussed issues central to the implementation of free trade and democracies, stressing that the call for democratic reform must come from the people who want it. In their opinion, free trade plays a large part in bringing people together, and the Arab world would benefit from taking steps to integrate their economies, much like the EU has done in Europe .

Panelists in this discussion included Ali Benouari, Former Minister of Algiers and President of Ecofinance; Mohamed Bouacha, Professor of International Relations at the University of Algiers; Victoria C. Price, Former Director of the European Institute and Professor of Economics at the University of Geneva; Professor Luis Martinez of the Institute for Political Studies and Center for International Studies in Paris; Professor Antoine Maurice of the Universities of Geneva and Neuchatel, Switzerland; Charles F. Nothomb, State Minister of Belgium and President of MEDEA, and Charles Zorgbibe, the Chief Education Officer and Head of International Political Centre at the Sorbonne University.

“The Role of Europe in Promoting Democracy in the Arab World”, was presented by the International and Strategic Institute of France and mediated by Pascal Boniface, Director of the International and Strategic Relations Institute of Paris. Distinguished panelists included Marwan Bishara, an editorialist and lecturer in International relations; Baudouin Bollaert, Chief Editor of Le Figaro; Pierre Joxe, Former Minister and Member of the Council on Constitutional Affairs; Mohamed Makhlouf, a journalist and writer from Paris, and Alain Marleix, a Deputy from the Assemblée Nationale in Paris.

The dialogue organized by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, UK , entitled “ Iraq : Is Foreign Intervention a Catalyst or an Impediment to Democracy in the Middle East ?” had the highest attendance rate of any other dialogue at the conference. This panel covered a vast array of issues and perspectives on the current situation in Iraq . Some panelists felt that for the democratic initiative to fail in Iraq would worsen the situations for those Arab states wishing to implement democratic reforms. All agreed that the Iraq situation is confusing, unorganized, and lacks clear planning, but, as one panelist stated, the ‘regional order is shattered, and Iraq will never be the same again'.

Panelists included Saad Djebbar, Deputy Director of the Centre of North African studies at Cambridge University; Soli Ozel, Associate Fellow RIIA and Lecturer at Bilgi University, Turkey; Claire Spenser, Associate Fellow RIIA and Director of Christian Aid in the Middle East; Paul Stevens, Professor of Petroleum Policy and Economy from the University of Dundee, and Phyllis Starkey, Member of Parliament from the UK. The panel was mediated by Rosemary Hollis, the Head of the Middle East Programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

A panel discussion organized by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, UK , focused on “The Impact of Crises and Instability on Democratic Development in the Middle East ”. Mediated by Stone of Blackheath from the House of Lords, UK , the panelists examined the definition of ‘crises' and both the positive and negative factors that come with it. Many panelists believed that true democracy is born out of necessity, and crises show how necessary democratic reforms are. Panelists included David French, Chief Executive of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy; E.G.H. Joffe, a professor at King's College in London ; Daniel Nee, head of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at RUSI; Sheila Page, Research Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute; and Lord Rupert Redesdale, a member of the House of Lords.

The Arab Press Club of France presented a panel on “the Role of Culture in Economic Development and Democratic Awareness”. Led by Ghassan Abdulkhalek, the Director of the Arab Press Club, speakers included Walid Chmait, a journalist and writer from Paris ; Khamal Hamdan, Former Minister and Economic researcher at the American University of Beirut ; Mona Makram-Ebeid, a professor of Political Sciences at A.U.C., and journalist Marc Yared.

The Qatar Fourth Annual Conference on Democracy and Free Trade took place this year at a very auspicious time for the Middle Eastern region. The topics that were covered in this panel seemed singularly appropriate in that they created a forum for Americans, Europeans, Arabs and Muslims to come together and discuss the merits and impediments of democracy in the Middle East . The overlying theme of this years' conference was that democracy could and would happen in the Middle East – it just had to come to the region on its own terms. Democracy needs to come from within, and cannot exist if it is imposed upon a people unready for it. The panel discussions were aimed at showing attendees how to better understand the opportunities waiting within the region. Perhaps in the next ten years, there will be no need for a conference on democracy and free trade.