Cover pageJournal nr.DepartmentDate:TitleCountry/RegionImplementing PartnersDanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs104.Arabiske Lande.6.MENAFebruary 2013Danish-Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP)Middle East and North Africa (MENA)Danish NGOs, MENA NGOs, multilateralorganisations, media institutions, special interestorganisations, educational institutions, independentinstitutions, municipalities, central governmentauthorities and agencies, etc.July 2013 - December 2016Annual allocations of DKK 275 million per year.1) To promote reform and democratisation processesin the Middle East and North Africa.2) To improve dialogue, understanding andcooperation between Denmark and the MENA-Region.Human Rights, Human Freedoms and GoodGovernanceWomen’s Empowerment and Gender EqualityKnowledge-Based SocietiesEconomic Growth and Job Creation

List of ContentsCover page ..................................................................................................................................................................... 2Abbreviations............................................................................................................................................................... 4Foreword ....................................................................................................................................................................... 512Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 61.1 Program Rationale................................................................................................................................................................. 6Context Analysis ............................................................................................................................................. 122.1 Re-politization and pressure for justice .................................................................................................................... 122.2 Women’s empowerment and gender equality ........................................................................................................ 132.3 Knowledge Society............................................................................................................................................................... 142.4 Dignity, growth and employment................................................................................................................................. 15Previous DAPP phases .................................................................................................................................... 93.1 Historical Development........................................................................................................................................................ 93.2 Lessons Learnt .......................................................................................................................................................................... 9Strategic Approach ........................................................................................................................................ 174.1 Guiding principles ................................................................................................................................................................ 174.2 From general themes to concrete activities and collaboration ..................................................................... 184.3 Dialogue as means and as end ....................................................................................................................................... 184.4 Geographic focus .................................................................................................................................................................. 19Strategic Objectives and Thematic Areas .............................................................................................. 215.1 Strategic Objective .............................................................................................................................................................. 215.2 Thematic Areas ..................................................................................................................................................................... 21Annex A: Risk Management ........................................................................................................................ 26Annex B: Indicators ....................................................................................................................................... 28

ForewordThe Danish Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP) has since its establishment in 2003 been acentral pillar in Danish foreign policy in relation to the MENA-region. The programme attendsto vital and strategic Danish interests by supporting the on-going development of democratic,prosperous and stable communities in North Africa and the Middle East.The DAPP also enhances mutual understanding and contributes to counter stereotypes asDanish and Arab partners engage in reciprocal and mutually beneficial and respectfulpartnerships that contribute to dialogue and mutual trust.From its outset, the programme has been designed to address complex reform-dynamics in aswift and flexible manner. This approach has proven its relevance during the popular uprisingsacross the Arab region. Due to its flexible and multidimensional approach, the DAPP has beeninstrumental in supporting dynamics of political reform throughout the region, wherenumerous local DAPP-partners have been and continue to be central players in ongoingprocesses of reform that among other things empower women, strengthen human rights andenhance the freedom of the media.In order to support the ongoing processes of democratic transition, the programme hasrecently been expanded both in volume and in terms of its content. It now includes directdemocracy support as well as support to economic development and job creation – vitalelements for successful democratic transitions in countries like Egypt and Tunisia.In order to address the opportunities and challenges present in a complex region in transition,the DAPP will over the coming years retain its flexible and multidimensional approaches tosupport ongoing processes of political reform with the aim of strengthening democraticprosperous and stable communities in the Middle East and North Africa while also continuingto nourish the vital dialogue between a broad range of partners from Denmark and the Arabregion.DAPP will continue to address key areas of mutual interest and further strengthen Denmark’sties with the MENA-region at a crucial time in history, where a number of Arab countries areundergoing major changes. This is an investment that has already benefitted the region as wellas Denmark and Europe. The lessons learnt and the strong partnerships already establishedform a solid foundation for the continuation of the work and the further efforts to improve theprogramme in this new phase covering the period until the end of 2016.

This Strategic Framework Document (SFD) is the main guiding policy framework forcollaboration and partnerships between Denmark and the MENA-region.The SFD outlines the overall objectives, rationale, context, strategic approach, thematic focusareas and risk-management of the Danish Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP) covering aperiod of three and a half years from July 2013 to December 2016. The SFD will be informedand adjusted through a midterm review planned for 2014.The SFD builds on an analysis of the evolving context in the MENA-region and on theexperiences and lessons learnt since the inception of the DAPP in 20031. It also reflects thepriorities of the new Danish Development Strategy: ‘The Right to a Better Life’2, including the‘human rights-based approach’. The SFD is guided by the Danida Guidelines for ProgrammeManagement, while taking into account that the DAPP is implemented in complex, high-riskand politicized contexts.The DAPP responds to the new possibilities for collaboration, which have arisen after the Arabuprisings. Results are not easily achieved, and a high level of risk-taking is necessary. Theprogramme is therefore designed as a high-risk endeavour in a dynamic and volatile context. Acontext also characterized by high levels of insecurity, deeply rooted antagonisms and in somecases dramatic political changes unfolding at an unprecedented pace.Consequently, the SFD needs to be highly flexible in order to be able to respond in an adequateand timely manner. The DAPP is therefore designed with carefully identified thematicintervention areas, knowing that it is difficult to foresee and predict all challenges andopportunities for impact in the coming years. This flexible approach enhances the likelihood ofsuccessful impact, as interventions can be refocused or redirected during implementation.1.1Program rationale

The DAPP has the following double strategic objective:To promote reform and democratisation processes in the Middle East and North Africa.To improve dialogue, understanding and cooperation between Denmark and the MENA-region.From the outset in 2003, the dialogue objective was integrated into all DAPP activities. Themain modality of the DAPP was direct collaboration between equal Arab-Danish partners,working together on reform–related issues of common interest, hence nourishing a dialoguebetween professional and equal peers.This SFD buildsinter aliaon the following reports: 1)Analyser af det Arabiske Initiativ of Anbefalinger til næster fase, Udenrigsministeriet,Maj 2006.2)Review af det Arabiske Initiativ,dansk syntese rapport, Skadkaer Consult, Juli 2009.3)Report to the Public AccountsCommittee on the Danish-Arab Partnership Programme, Rigsrevisionen, May 2010.4)Dialoguing Partnerships – An Analysis of the Dialogue-Assumptions of the Danish Partnership for Dialogue and Reform, DIIS Report, November 2010.5)Dansk-Arabiske Partnerskaber iMellemøsten og Nordafrika – Resultater af Partnerskab for Dialog og Reform 2009-2010, Udenrigsministeriet, Marts 2011.6)Pre-study –Evaluation of the Partnership for Dialogue and Reform Programme, Udenrigsministeriet, May 2011.12

Furthermore, a number of activities have had intercultural dialogue as their stated objective, bethat activities of the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI) or various partnershipactivities focusing on intercultural and/or interreligious dialogue.The dialogue objective has proven to be highly relevant, not least for ensuring a mutuallyrespectful and reciprocal approach and building long-lasting equal relationships between largenumbers of Arab-Danish partners3. It has also proved valuable in as far as it has been able toaddress stereotypes and challenges, e.g. during the ‘cartoon crises’4.With regard to the reform objective, the thematic focus of the DAPP has since the inception ofthe programme been framed by the 2002 UNDP Arab Human Development Report. Thisground-breaking report written by Arab scholars assessed the state of human developmentacross the region and offered concrete suggestions to accelerate progress. The report identifiedthree key challenges for human development in the region, namely the enhancement of:1. Human Rights, Human Freedoms and Good Governance2. Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality3. Knowledge-based Societies5.These challenges, identified a decade ago by Arab experts, remain highly relevant as they pointto some of the root causes of the Arab uprisings.Yet, an additional fourth challenge has in recent years proven to be important for thedevelopment in the MENA-region, namely the stagnating economies and high rates ofunemployment, not least among young people. The new democratic processes and institutionsare confronted with high popular expectations of dignity and social justice, social and economicimprovement and employment, as popular uprisings and ensuing political instability havefurther aggravated the economic stagnation. This is felt particularly by young people who facehigh levels of unemployment. With large youth populations entering the labour market in thecoming years the challenge will only grow bigger.In order for the processes of democratic transition to succeed, the new governments in Egyptand in Tunisia have highlighted the need to address the unemployment challenge in recentpolicy declarations and in their bilateral dialogue with Denmark. On this background, assistanceto halt the economic downturn and to spur economic growth and employment has sinceNovember 2011 been added as a fourth corner stone in meeting one of the overriding DAPPdevelopment objectives of promoting democratization and reforms. Therefore the fourthchallenge identified is: Economic Growth and Job Creation.The four challenges form the basis for the four thematic reform areas addressed by the DAPPfor 2013-2016 as illustrated below:

At the end of 2011, in light of the Arab uprisings, the Danish Government decided to increasethe DAPP budget to DKK 275 Million annually, while also adding new modalities ofcollaboration, namely efforts to directly support democratisation processes and to promote jobcreation and economic growth in ‘transition’ countries. Yet, while expanding and adjusting tothe new transition dynamics, the DAPP continues its long-term efforts to promote reformprocesses and dialogue through equal partnership, also in countries of the regions wherepolitical changes have been less dramatic in recent years, such as Jordan and Morocco.Accordingly, the DAPP continues its previous geographic focus on a number of specificcountries, either drawing on year-long experiences of partnership and collaboration (in Jordan,Morocco and Yemen) or in order to also support on-going and highly challenging processes oftransition in other countries (these include Egypt, Syria, Tunisia plus Libya, where theinvolvement may be of a shorter term, due to GNI increases). Yet, to the extent possible, aregional approach is applied in order to promote synergies and exchanges of lessons learnedbetween countries.Finally, Denmark is but one of many countries with organizations collaborating with partnersto address the political, social and economic challenges in the MENA-region. Moreover, theamounts of financing which Denmark brings to the table are limited in a macro-economiccontext. This has a number of important implications. First, the thematic areas where Denmarkengages itself bilaterally have been carefully selected and based on detailed analyses ofcomparative advantages in each specific context. Secondly, an integrated element of the DAPPis to ensure that Danish partners also promote donor coordination to avoid duplication andenhance impact. Thirdly, an integral part of the DAPP is a very active multilateral engagementthrough the EU, the World Bank family, the UN and other multilateral agencies. Thisengagement involves a broad span of instruments from policy dialogue to secondment ofDanish experts to relevant EU-institutions and multilateral organizations.

DAPP was initiated in 2003 with the aim to create a platform for strengthened dialogue,understanding and cooperation between Denmark and the Arab world. From the outset, theDAPP has been characterized by reciprocity, mutual respect and partnership with a long-termperspective and a flexible framework.In November 2011, the Danish Government adopted a revised strategic framework for theDAPP. While continuing to use the UNDP Arab Human Development Report as theframework, the following three areas were identified for interventions:Danish-Arab cooperation on establishing democratic institutions with particular focuson North Africa, and increased collaboration with civil society and reform actorsthroughout the MENA region.Promotion of economic development and job creation.Strengthening of Danish efforts in the EU, in multilateral organizations andimprovement of coordination among the Nordic countries.Under each of these areas, a narrower set focus area was defined. Danish-Arab collaborationfocused onyouth, human rights, women and gender equality, media, labour market, academic collaboration,decentralisation and public participation.The cooperation under DAPP was mainly channelledthrough Danish Arab partnership programmes, but also through technical assistance directly tostate institutions. The cooperating partners have been Arab and Danish CSOs, mediaorganisations, political parties, parliaments and reform-actors within State Administration andlegislative bodies.Denmark furthermore promoted cooperation oneconomic developmentin the form ofcreating jobsfor unemployed youth. The cooperation has also aimed atcreating strong labour organisations andinspiring social dialogueon labour market issues. The activities under focus area have mainly beenimplemented through multilateral organisations and through cooperation with Danish labourmarket organisations.Finally, the collaboration aimed at ensuring coordination between donors as well as tostrengthen and align with EU initiatives in the MENA-region. A way of promoting this hasbeen to second Danish national experts to the EU to contribute with their expertise. Anotherway has been to encourage multilateral organisations such as the UN and the World Bank toplay a stronger strategic role in underpinning sustainable and democratic developments in theregion.2.2Lessons learnt

partners and donors in the region. The recommendations have subsequently been included inthe updated phases of the programme, with an increased focus on gender, as well as with anincreased participation in multilateral and bilateral forums.The results published in March 20117, covering the Programme period between 2009-2010,revealed that the DAPP has contributed to strengthening grassroots organisations and activists,strengthening youth and women’s participation in society and reform processes, and finally,been part of institutionalising specific reform processes or creating new organisations that workwith influencing reforms.A Comparative Study of the DAPP and other comparable programmes and initiatives carriedout by the German Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)concluded that DAPP’s comparative best practices were: 1) Long-term commitment; 2)Relatively clear-cut design not overloaded with too many policy goals; 3) “Modesty” of theapproach at various levels.The Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) carried out an ‘Analysis of the DialogueAssumptions’ of the DAPP in 20108. It found that mutual prejudices generally are dismantledin the partnerships and that social capital is built between Denmark and the Arab world.In 2012 an independent evaluation of the media interventions was launched. The results will bepublished in 2013 and guide the further development of the DAPP.Summing up, the overallkey lessonslearnt in relation to the partnership approach from thevarious studies and reports carried out on the DAPP are:A large number of civil society organisations, NGOs etc. are engaged under theProgramme. It should be explored how to focus on a more limited number of keypartners in order to enhance the cost-effectiveness and at the same time maintain thehigh quality of the program.Working with partnerships taking place between professional peers should bemaintained.Gender aspects should continue to be an essential focus area in the programme.Coordination and harmonisation with other relevant development partners in the regionshould continue to be practiced.The focus on long-term commitment should be maintained.DAPP’s principles guiding its work are suitable and should be maintained.These lessons learnt will contribute to shaping the current programme formulation for theperiod 2013-2016, ensuring continuity and the successful continuation of the Programme, and acontinued use of the successful partnership approach applied by the DAPP.

Prior to the popular uprisings in late 2010, although degrees of relative freedoms and pluralismvaried, the region was characterized by authoritarian governments, insufficient respect forhuman rights and very poor governance.Since late 2010, wide parts of the Arab world have undergone unprecedented popular uprisingsand a redynamization of politics. While these dynamics are still unfolding and vary considerablyfrom country to country; it is clear that they in most countries have spurred a new politizationof the public sphere and have opened new spaces for discussing and demanding human rights,freedoms and good governance. Furthermore, the uprisings have changed the narrative aboutthe region as a whole – while authoritarianism and fear still prevails in many countries,courageous people in Tunisia, Egypt and in several other countries have demonstrated that it ispossible to overcome the year-long barrier of fear and that political change is indeed possible.At present (early 2013) the situation in the different countries of the region varies considerablyboth with regard to political freedoms and human rights. In some countries, such as Egypt,Libya, Tunisia and Yemen, the populations have succeeded in changing their rulers and haveengaged in processes of democratic transition – the successes of which are, however, far fromguaranteed as new popularly elected governments face dire socio-economic challenges, deepideological cleavages and fragile democratic institutions in the making. Other countries, amongthem Bahrain and to an extreme degree Syria, have experienced violent regime repression ofpopular uprisings. Yet other countries have only seen limited popular demands – be that due totimid reforms introduced by the regimes in place (as in Algeria, Jordan and Morocco) or due toon-going internal conflicts (as in Lebanon and Palestine). Yet no country has been leftunchanged from the uprisings. It is still far too early to judge the effects of the multipledynamics offset by the uprisings, which are still unfolding in different ways throughout theregion.Despite the variations and changing configurations of political freedoms and human rights,people experience that change is in fact possible. A common characteristic is, however, distrustof nascent democratic institutions and political parties throughout the region. Even in countriesthat are currently undergoing democratic transition, the political scene is characterized bydistrust among both citizens and political actors demonstrating that it takes a long time toestablish mutual trust in democratic procedures.A divisive issue across the region is the role of religion in politics. Recent years havedemonstrated that wide groups of the populations (albeit far from all) place their trust inIslamist parties, when they are given the chance to express their political preferences in freeelections. Distrust exists between liberal/secular and faith-based political activists (as well as12

among many of these actors ‘internally’) – and increasing ideological divisions represent one ofthe most pressing challenges to the success of political transitions in countries like Egypt andTunisia.Enhancing dialogue and building of mutual trust and recognition between ideologicallyopposed political actors remains essential and is especially pronounced in countries, which haveengaged in processes of democratic transitions. One of the key issues pertaining to the successof these processes concern the ability of key political players to recognize and acknowledge thelegitimate participation of opponents despite differences in ideological background andreferences.This issue also pertains to civil society. Civil society organizations (CSOs) are in many casesrestricted due to a continued lack of freedom of association. After the popular uprisings -especially in the countries, where ruling elites were toppled – civil society has flourished andtakes up a far more active role than before the uprisings. New CSOs, including youth-ledassociations and movements, have been created and registered. New media organisations havealso been established, and newly elected governments have expressed their intentions ofincreasing the involvement of civil society in policy processes. However, new practices ofdialogue with civil society are only slowly being developed. Thus, many of the initiators ofchange, mainly younger men and women, feel discarded. Many organizations also continue tolack inclusiveness of youth and women.In addition, both among civil society and political parties, many lines of division exist, thepossibly most important one running along secular – religious lines. Another challengeconcerns outreach, as especially many of the central advocacy organizations are based in thebigger cities and in many cases have limited outreach to and impact in rural and remote areas.With regard to governance, the region also still faces challenges. While countries varysignificantly, political and economic corruption is still prevalent as well as a source offrustration. The power is centred on small elites and closed networks ruling the public andprivate spheres. Corruption has become endemic in large parts of the region and theTransparency International Corruption Perception Index for 2011 ranks relatively high for allcountries in the region9. The Arab uprisings, however, do provide possibilities to support somedevelopment towards a new practise.All in all, significant politization has occurred with the popular uprisings. Important new spacesfor and demands of human freedoms, human rights and good governance have beenarticulated. Some positive results have been reached and the possibilities for Denmark toengage and develop new partnerships have expanded considerably, while important challengesremain pressing throughout the region.3.2Women’sempowermentand gender equality

uprisings, women have to a large degree been left out of transitional institutions in Egypt,Libya, Tunisia and Yemen.This development reflects the continued importance of patriarchal traditions in the region.Female labour market participation reaches an average of around 25% and the occupancy offemale seats in parliament is similarly low. Deeply entrenched societal norms, combined withconservative interpretations of Islamic law, continue to relegate women to a subordinate status.Perhaps most visibly, women face gender-based discrimination in personal-status laws, whichregulate marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance, and other aspects of family life; andviolence against women is still only rarely an issue that comes to the forefront of public debatedespite the prevalence and impact of the problem.Yet, big variations can be noticed – both within and between countries. According to TheGender Inequality Index (GII), the region ranges from a top rank of 45 out of 183 countriesfor Tunisia to 146 for Yemen10. Furthermore, the region includes a wide range of skilled andmotivated women’s activists, who from various backgrounds work tirelessly to enhancewomen’s situation and possibilities in their societies. They hold important potentials in terms ofpaving the way for reforms towards greater gender equality that are based on local outlooks andexperiences.3.3Knowledge society

The Arab uprisings have also shed light on yet another challenge in the region – the necessityof building a knowledge society based on free and quality media; independent and qualityacademic institutions and a knowledge-based intercultural dialogue.The popular uprisings demonstrate the increasing importance and use of social media in termsof sharing information, documentation, mobilization and networking across the region.Freedom of media in especially Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen experienced substantialimprovements immediately following the uprisings as media freedoms were increased and newmedia organisations were established.Yet, these gains are not yet secured and broad spectrums of substantial reforms continue to beneeded to ensure the durability and development of recent improvements in the transitioncountries. In other countries, the uprisings have led to considerable deterioration of mediafreedom in recent years. This holds true for especially Syria, where popular uprisings have ledto increasing regime crackdowns on the media in order to contain protest movements.Furthermore, social media remain accessible only to limited parts of the populations in theregion; they in many cases remain subject to restrictions, and they have their limitations, notleast with regard to reliability and quality assurance. All in all, challenges pertaining to mediafreedom in the region remain very serious11.http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2011_EN_Table4.pdfFreedom House (2012)Freedom of the Press in 2012: Breakthroughs and pushback in the Middle East(http://www.freedomhouse.org/article/freedom-press-2012-breakthroughs-and-pushback-middle-east). Itshould be noted that Freedom House includes non-Arab countries like Iran in its ratings.1011

In addition, besides legislative challenges, the development of quality and reliable media remaina salient issue as does the development of higher professional and ethical standards. This hasbeen clearly demonstrated in the transition countries. While many new media have beenestablished and previously existing ones have been reinvigorated, much improvement is neededwith regard to critical, in-depth, investigative and ethical reporting. Another concern is theoften limited access to quality data and to unbiased, methodologically consistent andempirically based analyses and reporting.This latter issue is intimately linked with and reflects another key challenge: the strengtheningof critical, independent and quality academic research and teaching. The ranking and level ofacademia varies considerably in the region and within countries. Yet a number of importantchallenges are common to many institutions of higher learning. Especially the social sciencesare faced with multiple challenges with regard to producing quality, reliable and independentresearch and of delivering strong methodological and theoretical tools to the increasing numberof university students. Yet the sector holds important reform potentials. Meeting the increasingnumber of young Arab students with independent and critical research and education are bothvital prerequisites for political reform and enhance the chances of successful and consolidatedprocesses of reform and democratization.Finally a central challenge also pertains to the strong and increasing needs to establishknowledge-based intercultural and interreligious dialogue in the Arab region. Especially but farfrom limited to the countries undergoing processes of democratic transition, increasingideological segmentation and religious sectarianism can be witnessed. Increasing mutualknowledge is vital for ensuring inclusive processes of democratic change, that reach out to andencompass various and legitimate demands for cultural and religious recognition.3.4Dignity, growth and employment

The MENA-region is characterised by large GDP disparities between the poorest and richestcountries, with the wealth of the latter largely explained by access to vast incomes generated bynatural resources in the rentier economies of Algeria, Libya and the Gulf states. Yet, despitethese differences, noticeable similarities exist throughout the region with regard to a wide rangeof socio-economic factors, among them inequality of wealth and opportunities, large groups ofunemployed young people and limited participation of women in the formal labour market.Furthermore, all countries in the region have seen their economies affected by the globalfinancial crises, although again the degree of effects vary along with dependence on incomefrom sources such as migrant remittances and tourism.Looking specifically at the countries undergoing processes of democratic transition in general,the instability that has accompanied changes towards more just and democratic societiescontribute to a slow-down in economic activity in the short term, with rising unemployment asa direct consequence. The new governments have inherited economic systems that requiresignificant and painful reforms in order to pave the way for growth and job creation. Thesereforms, such as cutting subsidies and labour market reforms, are on the one hand needed forbalancing of public finances as well as for stimulating private sector driven growth but aredifficult to implement as they, in the short term, may hurt the less well of part of thepopulation, and thereby require a lot of political determination and broad legitimacy around the15

A broad strategic approach is needed to accommodate this complex and political programme.Overall the programme development is guided by Denmark’s general foreign policy objectivesand the Strategy for Denmark’s Development Cooperation,The Right to a Better Life.The concrete DAPP-activities to be carried out during the period 2013 -2016 will be based on ahuman rights-based approach (HRBA) to development cooperation. This phase of the DAPPwill be an opportunity to more systematically learn and develop new interventions based onHRBA in a middle income context. “HRBA implemented in practice” will be one of thethemes for a review planned for 2014.Previous DAPP- interventions have not consciously been developed with HRBA in mind.However, in hindsight it is evident that indeed many interventions have actually been identifiedand implemented with an “HRBA-mindset” to development cooperation. It seems clear thatHRBA is relevant to all of the four DAPP-thematic areas. In HRBA a distinction is madebetween rights-holders and their entitlements and duty-bearers and their obligations. Theaspiration in DAPP is to strengthen both the capacities of rights-holders to make their claimsand duty-bearers to meet their obligations. Focus is on empowering people to exercise theirrights. The DAPP aspires to empower people to gain power and control over decisions andresources which determine their quality of life. This is relevant in transition countries, wherenew power structures and institutionalized practices of accountability are developed. Duty-bearers are also target of activities in particularly transition countries. In e.g. Tunisia thecollaboration with the administration has developed rapidly in the past two years with inclusionof several ministries in concrete activities.4.1Guiding principles

DAPP will promote the fundamental principles derived from international human rightstreaties of non-discrimination, participation and inclusion, transparency and accountability.Below are the overall principles guiding the DAPP:“Nosize fits all”.Reform processes will develop according to the specific political andsocietal considerations in each country. Context analyses are important.The interventions have to be ‘demanddriven’.The activities within the programmereflect the wishes of, are formulated by and implemented in close cooperation betweenArab and Danish partners.The interventions arelocally embeddedand carried out with a strong local ownership.Most activities are based on ‘equalpartnerships’with a particular focus onprofessional collaboration and exchange of experience and knowledge between partners.Creating real partnerships and mutual trust takes time. The Programme therefore seeksto establish partnerships with a ‘robustand long-term cooperation’in mind.Reform processes are only sustainable if they are built on a ‘broadinclusion andinvolvement’of societal actors involved in democratic transitioning. Activities in theProgramme aim at including partners from both civil society and government interestedin reform and dialogue. Denmark should also have a dialogue with popular movements,even if they may be working from a different value-set.17

As above mentioned, the 2002 UNDP Arab Human Development Report provided theframework for the original three thematic reform areas of the DAPP, to which a fourth focuson economic growth and job creation was added in 2011.The operationalization of the reform objective within each of these four overall thematicreform areas into concrete activities of collaboration is based on iterative and consultativeprocesses that systematically analyse the overall reform dynamics and potentials in each specificfocus country; identify specific focus areas and partners with relevance, comparative advantagesand potential; and reviews of previous activities. The final identification and formulation ofspecific concrete areas of collaboration is done directly by Arab and Danish partners in closecollaboration based on identified areas of mutual interest and competence. To the extentpossible, a regional approach is applied to promote synergies and exchanges of lessons learnedbetween countries.Whereas the DAPP has historically involved a very wide group of Danish partners, theprogramme will henceforth focus on a more limited number of strategic partnershiporganizations engaged in a longer term perspective. These strategic partnership organizationswill be selected based on among other things their relevance vis-à-vis the overall thematic focusareas, their administrative capacity, their contextual knowledge of the MENA-region and thestrength and reciprocity of their partnerships with local partners from the MENA-region.4.3Dialogue as means and as end

Promoting dialogue, understanding and cooperation is one of the strategic objectives of theDAPP, and is a central aspect of all the interventions. The success of the programme has partlybeen due to the consistent efforts to establish and engage in dialogue both as a means and as anend.DAPP not only encourages direct Arab-Danish dialogue. It also strives to further inter-regionaldialogue, where Danish partners engage in and facilitate sharing of experiences and synergiesbetween partners from different parts of the region within a specific reform-field of commoninterest. In addition, it also aims at enhancing inter-religious and inter-ideological dialogue,where Danish partners engage in and facilitate sharing of experiences and points of viewbetween different partners from the same Arab country, who do not share the same religiousand/ideological outlook. The ability to tolerate, listen to, respect and learn from divergingviews is highly relevant not least in the countries currently undergoing processes of democratic18

transition. The building of trust in democratic institutions and procedures risks beingundermined by increasing sectarianism and ideological segmentation.In practice, dialogue takes place at three different levels.First and foremost, the programme aims at promotingArab-Danish dialoguewhich is seen as animportant means of overcoming mutual knowledge-gaps and of creating trust andunderstanding. The main means of engaging in Arab-Danish dialogue has from the outset beenvia Arab-Danish partnerships focusing on a specific reform related issue identified in commonas an area of mutual interest and benefit. In addition, the Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Institute(DEDI) has since 2006 worked as a platform for exchanges between Arab and Danish partnersengaging in dialogue while also striving to become a center of excellence on interculturaldialogue.Secondly, the DAPP promotesRegional dialogueby bringing together partners from differentareas of the Arab region with Danish partners as well as to collaborate and/or share specificreform related experiences and insights, hence both creating synergies from preexisting bilateralArab-Danish collaboration and nurturing regional network and sharing of knowledge andexperiences within the Arab region.Thirdly, the DAPP may also increasingly facilitate dialogue including ideologically and/orreligiously different actors. This type of dialogue is relevant in the current context, where manyareas are characterized by increasing sectarianism and ideological segmentation, not least in thecountries that have recently engaged in processes of democratic transition. Besides contributingto local ‘bridge building’, Danish partners profit from facilitating such internal dialogue bygaining a broader outreach and more nuanced insight into the variety of local voices,perspectives and aspirations.4.4Geographic focus

The DAPP covers cooperation between Denmark and in principle all Arab countries.Collaboration covering the three original thematic areas may involve cooperation with stateactors and civil society actors from across the region, hence promoting synergies and exchangesof lessons learned between countries.Yet, in order to ensure a certain solidity of partnerships, a number of Arab countries have beenidentified as key focus countries of the DAPP. Based on identification missions and dialoguewith civil society and national stakeholders, it was originally decided in 2004 to focus countryspecific interventions in Jordan, Morocco and Yemen. Separate Government to Governmentagreements were made to define the parameters of the partnerships and the collaboration. Inaddition to these three countries, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Tunisia have been added as focuscountries following the Arab uprisings.Whereas partnership collaboration within the three original thematic areas can potentially takeplace within one or several of all the seven DAPP focus countries, collaboration aiming atenhancing economic growth and employment is focused on the countries that are currentlyundergoing processes of democratic transition, as enhancing growth and employment are seenas vital for securing the success of these difficult on-going processes. Furthermore, as this type19

of collaboration requires a certain financial volume and insight, it has been decided toconcentrate these efforts for time being in Egypt and Tunisia.Recognizing the long-term perspective of the DAPP and the commitments and trust beingbuilt in the concrete partnerships developed over the years, the DAPP continues with anengagement in all the seven countries. Although the results on progress and reform is mixedand varies from country to country it is the assessment that a reform potential exists in allcountries. Activities in Libya may however be of a shorter timeframe if the country experiencesconsiderable GNI growth.When country-specific interventions have been implemented, attempts have been made toinvolve regional networks and international actors as far as possible. Such an approach fostersthe creation of broad networks where not only knowledge is exchanged between a specificArab country and Denmark, but also across the Arab region where lessons learnt can be used.

Contextual

Political disagreements betweendiffering political groupings turn violentand increases break down of law andorderReform activists (including HumanRights and democratisation activists)targetedPolitical & SocialConstitutional and legal reforms stallSecurity & SafetyPromotions of reforms becomes difficultand partnerships inhibitedWeakened promotion of human rightsand democratizationSet-back for all reformsMedium toHighLow toMediumMedium toHighMedium toHighMediumHighPreventive efforts of intercultural, -religiousand -ideological dialogue.Promote conflict resolution and internationalmediation through Arab League and/or UN.Preventive efforts of intercultural, -religiousand -ideological dialogue.International pressure to support victimsPreventive efforts of intercultural, -religiousand -ideological dialogue.Support to advocacy for constitutionalreformsSupport to human rights activists.Pressure on duty bearers in bilateral andmultilateral fora.Support for economic development andemployment, especially of young people.

Programmatic

Security & SafetyReduced security and lack of rule of law Implementation slows down, projectedLow toincreasesresults not achieved, partnerships become MediumdifficultMENA DAPP partners harassedPolitical & SocialRepressive political forces (re)gainpowerIncreasing strains and limitations onwomen's public participationsPartnerships and dialogue becomes verydifficultWork to promote reforms anddemocratization meets stumbling blocsWomen's engagement in DAPP activitiesbecome difficultLowMediumLowMediumOngoing monitoring via representations, localpartners and multilateral agencies.Reassess and adjust plansPartners meet outside of region and throughother means e.g. Skype.Continue direct and indirect support topartners to extent possibleContinue dialogue with all partners to ensurethat women's empowerment and genderequality are mainstreamed and prioritised.Possibly reassess plansProvide in-kind support, regional partnershipsand reassess planningPartners meet outside of region and throughother means e.g. Skype.Risk Management Strategy

A “DAPP Status and Results Report” is prepared every second year. The report includes theresults achieved and reported from interventions and it will provide both quantifiable resultsand narrative reports about concrete results.All recipients of DAPP funds will, as a minimum, need to include and report on a set ofquantifiable and qualitative indicators to enable tracking of concrete results of theinterventions. Some of the core indicators are as follows:Core Indicators12:Democratisation: Percentage of elections supported, which are democratically carried outaccording to EU election monitoring standards.Human Rights and Combatting Torture: Number of new partnership established in the areaof human rights and combatting torture and thereby enhancing the capacity of humanrights organisations as well as duty bearers within the area.Youth Participation: Number of youth organisation in the MENA-region and Denmarkattains practical experience with dialogue and cooperation across political, cultural,geographical and other divides.Gender Friendly Legislation: Barriers limiting women’s access to the justice system areaddressed and legal framework, which reflects greater gender equality, is enhanced.Women’s Participation: Number of partnerships with women’s organisations and networksestablished and maintained, thereby enhancing their capacity to address and furtherwomen’s participation in political processes in the MENA-region.Fighting Violence against Women: Establishment of a number of national networks and aregional network of shelter organisations, and an enhanced sharing of knowledge, researchand documentation of gender-based violence.Media and Press Freedom: Number of networking, partnerships and exchange visits forinternational exposure of media workers contributing to public debate, promotion ofdiversity and enhancement of responsible media.Independent Quality Academia: Number of academic institutions in the MENA-region andDenmark that engage in academic cooperation and exchange within areas relevant fordemocratic transition and reform.Interreligious and intercultural Dialogue: Number of dialogue initiative facilitated in areas inparticular need of enhanced interreligious and intercultural understanding.Job Creation: Number of jobs created through labour demanding programmes.oNumber of jobs for women created.Entrepreneurship: Number of micro – and small private enterprises (MSMEs) established.

Core Indicators: Partnerships and DialogueAs a general requirement in each partnership agreement, partners are also requested to measureresults in relation to dialog/partnerships. The following parameters are always measures inrelation to partnerships:Number of professional partnerships established and maintained with participation fromopinion makers in media, interest organisations and civil society.o% of participants expressing better understanding of “the other partner”.o% of participants expressing intent to continue partnership beyond DAPP-funding.Number of short-term partnerships/events, incl. conferences, festivals etc.o% of participants expressing better understanding of “the other partner”.o% of participants expressing intent to continue partnership beyond DAPP-funding.Increase in participation of faith-based organisations.Increase in activities outside capitals.Increase in outreach and communication activities measured by number of media reportsresulting from partnerships, e.g. in TV, Radio, newspapers and the internet.

Contextual

Programmatic

Institutional