Meeting on Democratic Transitions, Beirut, 15 January 2012
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Third, women must be at the centre of the region’s future. Women stood in the streets and squares demanding changes. They now have a right to sit at the table, real influence in decision-making and governance. Protection from violence, intimidation and abuse is a fundamental matter of human dignity and equality. Sexual violence, discrimination, violence against women are not acceptable. More, they are universal rights they are not, as some may claim, values that are imposed from outside. The deficit in women’s empowerment has held back the Arab region for too long. Change is not merely necessary, it is essential, and there must be changes. There can be no democracy worthy of the name without women. Fourth, we must heed the voices of the young. Arab countries need to create 50 million new jobs within the next decade to absorb young entrants to the workforce. This profound demographic pressure drove the Arab Spring. Faced with bleak prospects and unresponsive governments, young Arabs acted on their own to reclaim their future. They have not finished the job.
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et us recognize that dignity and justice are threatened not only by authoritarian rule, but also by conflict. The Israeli occupation of Arab and Palestinian territories must end. So must violence against civilians. Settlements, new and old, are illegal. They work against the emergence of a viable Palestinian state. A two-State solution is long overdue. The status quo offers only the guarantee of future conflict. We must all do our part to break the impasse and secure a lasting peace. Much depends on us. Much depends upon you. There can be no economic recovery and development without international support. And we all have much to offer in these delicate political transitions. Now is the moment to share best practices and lessons learned during similar transitions elsewhere. We thank the leaders from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America who are here to do just that. We must also move beyond the assumptions that have traditionally governed relationships between Arab countries and their partners. Among these is the dangerous idea that security is somehow more important than human rights. This has had the effect of keeping non-democratic states in power – with little to show for either security or people’s well-being or human rights. The United Nations also has a responsibility to update its approach to the region. Our Arab Human Development Reports broke new ground in frankly diagnosing the region’s problems, deficits in democracy, knowledge, women’s empowerment and human security. But those reports were not fully integrated into our work. Looking to the future, we know that business as usual, business as it has always been done, will no longer suffice. As I begin my second term as Secretary-General of the United Nations, I want to emphasize that the United Nations will be always here for you and with you. We are firmly committed to help Arab countries through this transition, by every means. Our assistance mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is supporting the interim authorities in three key priorities: elections, transitional justice and public security. In