As successive Arab Human Development Reports since 2002 indicate, political reform and democratisation are essential for the future development of the Arab World.

The countries in the region area are currently engaged in a fragile process of transformation requiring legal, organisational and institutional reforms. There is growing recognition of the vital importance of key freedoms of expression and association; the need to end all forms of social discrimination; and the urgency of introducing the principles of transparency and accountability throughout the executive, legislative and judicial processes.

Often the strongest call for democratic development comes from the people themselves, and thus we are focusing our work on supporting and promoting civil society as one of the major forces for change in the region. Civil society organisations initiate and push forward the discourse on democracy and reform and bring relevant issues to the attention of a broad audience.