The United Nations Arab Human Development Report (AHDR) released yesterday indicates that Arab countries have witnessed slow progress of political reforms and democracy despite their promises for fast democratic reform. The report, the third of a planned four-part series, says Arab countries have not taken any serious steps to end repression in the region and had are lagging in eliminating their regimes' "black holes" that could lead to internal upheavals. The 2004 in-depth study, written by a group of Arab scholars, media personnel, authors and political scientists, was scheduled for release in January but held after attempts by the US and Egyptian governments to alter its contents. "Egypt in particular was concerned with the part of the report that calls for total freedom of expression and association," said Nader Fergany who heads the AHDR team.
In 2003, the US cut its funding for UNDP by $12 million (down to $89 million) as a sign of their annoyance with the AHDR that pointed out that Arab extremism and anti-Americanism are often a consequence of American, Israeli and Arab government policies in the region. The 248-page report said the 22 Arab countries that are members of the Arab League failed to meet people's aspirations for development, security and liberation by 21st century standards. "There is a serious failing in the Arab world, and that this is located specifically in the political sphere ... and despite variations from country to country, rights and freedoms enjoyed in the Arab world remain poor," the report said.