THE MULTILATERAL MIDDLE EAST PEACE TALKS
UPDATE FOLLOWING THE FIFTH ROUND
APRIL-JUNE 1994
I. The Water Resources Working Group
The function of this working group is to plan and execute workshops and
projects in the realms of water conservation, water-sector training,
desalination and enhancing water-data. It last met in Oman on April
17-19, 1994, the first multilateral working group to meet in a Gulf
State. Thus far some important achievements have been attained:
- In the Oman session, an Israeli proposal was endorsed for the first
time in any working group. The proposal is for a project to
rehabilitate and make more efficient water systems in small-sized
communities in the region.
- An Omani proposal to establish a desalination research and
technology center in Muscat was endorsed by the group. This center,
whose staff will include Israeli experts, will support regional
cooperation in desalination research among all interested parties.
- The US proposed to develop wastewater treatment and re-use
facilities for small communities at several sites throughout the
Middle East.
- A joint US/EU regional training program for water personnel was
implemented.
II. The Environment Working Group
The Environment Working Group endeavors to enhance the ability of the
regional parties to deal with maritime pollution, wastewater treatment,
environmental management and desertification. It met last on April 6-7,
1994 in the Hague. The working group has established several projects:
- Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba Pollution Project: Experts from Egypt, Jordan,
Israel and the EU met in Nuweiba Egypt in order to develop a proposal
for emergency preparedness for oil spills in the Upper Gulf of Aqaba.
The EC has agreed to forward 2.5 million ECU towards the building of
three centers, in Aqaba, Eilat, and Nuweiba which would stand ready
to protect these areas against oil spills and other catastrophes
relating to water.
- Environmental Management: Several activities are taking place in
the realm of environmental management. These include the
establishment of a Middle East Environmental Code of Conduct, a
workshop on environment monitoring and measurement, a mission to the
region to study environmental impact assessments, and the
establishment of an environmental data bank in the West Bank and
Gaza.
- Desertification: The World Bank is overseeing a project to address
natural resource degradation of arid lands in the Middle East, which
was discussed and launched at the last working group meeting in
Cairo. This project includes the establishment of grazing lands,
wildlife, forestation and planting of orchards, introducing varieties
of vegetation appropriate for arid climates, and the purification of
brackish water. It would be implemented through five local centers.
The participating nations include: Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Tunis.
III. The Arms Control and Regional Security Working Group
This group focuses on security confidence-building measures as well as
arms control issues, including information exchange and maritime
procedures. The last meeting took place in Doha, Qatar, in May 1994.
Among the issues discussed were the drafting of a declaration of
principles on regional disarmament, statements of intent on arms control
and regional security, security environment and regional threat
perception, and a model safeguards regime for a nuclear weapons-free
zone in the Middle East. Further agreements were reached as follows:
- It was suggested to establish a Crisis Prevention Center and a
Regional Security Center.
- Studies are to be carried out regarding the establishment of an
arms control data bank that would best serve the region.
- There will be a naval exercise on the Turkish coast and a meeting
of naval officers from throughout the region in Canada.
IV. The Refugee Working Group
This working group focuses on the sensitive issue of Middle East
refugees. Family reunification, training and job creation, public
health, child welfare and social and economic infrastructure are among
the subjects addressed by this forum. The underlying principle of this
group is to improve the living conditions for refugees in their present
location.
In the latest round, which took place in Cairo (10-12 May), more
concrete plans were developed to ensure a real and positive impact on
the lives of the refugees. A substantial portion of the World Bank's
emergency assistance program will be directed toward this effort. The
following activities were agreed upon:
- Human Resources and Development: Several countries including
Israel, the US, the Netherlands, Germany, Turkey and China will be
conducting courses for the refugees as follows: paramedic training, a
drylands agricultural seminar, a public sector management training
course, an animal health workshop, 'employment guaranteed' skills
training program (to develop small and medium scale enterprises in
Gaza and the West Bank), agricultural training, public health,
community planning and education.
- Child Welfare: Sweden has agreed to make available $2 million for
child welfare programs. A conference on assistance to Palestinian
children in the West Bank, Gaza and neighboring countries will also
be convened.
- Social and Economic Infrastructure: The U.S. is providing aid to
develop housing facilities and rehabilitation for refugees in Syria
and Lebanon.
- Public Health: A regional laboratory is to be established in one of
the West Bank cities in order to compliment a Medical center already
in place.
V. The Regional Economic Development Working Group
This group addresses the issues of infrastructure, training and tourism
development in the region, including the West Bank and Gaza. In November
1993, the working group adopted the Copenhagen Action Plan, comprising
35 projects in various fields: communications, transportation, energy,
tourism, agriculture, financial markets and investment, trade, training,
regional networks and bibliography.
The round of talks held at Rabat in June 1994 centered around two major
subjects: advancing the implementation of the Copenhagen Action Plan;
and establishing a Monitoring Committee as a tool to formulate a
regional agenda and set priorities for the working group.
The tasks of the Monitoring Committee were defined as follows:
- To monitor the implementation of the Copenhagen Action Plan.
- To organize expert meetings and subcommittees, as required, in the
various fields of regional economic cooperation.
- To identify and promote priority projects to be presented to the
working group.
It was agreed that the Monitoring Committee would strive:
- to encourage the free movement of people, goods, services, capital
and information among the partners in the region
- to stimulate economic development and to reduce regional economic
disparities.
- to promote the region's integration in global markets.
- to fully exploit respective advantages by promoting regional trade,
facilitating investment and developing infrastructure.
The Monitoring Committee represents a qualitative leap in the
institutionalization of the regional dialogue. With the establishment of
this committee, the principle of regional cooperation has been anchored
in specific subcommittees in the different fields of economic activity.
The working group heard progress reports on specific projects in the
areas of transportation (highway infrastructure, railways and ports,
motor transportation and civil aviation); energy (linking the
electricity grids of Israel, the autonomy, Egypt and Jordan, and the
alternatives of a Mediterranean-Dead Sea or Red Sea-Dead Sea
hydroelectric project); tourism (regional consultation, cooperation and
priorities); agriculture (veterinary services and plant protection);
finance (financial markets and stock exchanges, training of banking
personnel in the autonomy); regional trade; and training programs.
The following intersessional activities are scheduled:
- The establishment of a regional tourist center in Egypt, probably
in Ismaliya, this coming September.
- A business conference to be held in Marakesh in October/ November
1994.
- Meetings of tourist agents to be held in Cairo and Amman in October
and December 1994.
Parallel with these developments, the World Bank is considering holding
a regional workshop to study ways to integrate the private sector in
infrastructure projects.