SANA'A, Dec. 03 (Saba) - The Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Forum parallel to the 4th Future Forum has approved, in his conclusion in Sana'a, in its concluding statement a new mechanism to
enhance the CSOs' partnership in the Future Forum to be held on January and strengthening their roles in carrying out the democratic reforms in the Arab region.

The three-day Forum, which has been assembled with 300 participants from the middle east and north Africa states, Turkey, Azerbaijan and the eight industrialized countries, has also approved a report on the freedom of opinion, expression and legal environment for the CSOs in the middle east and north Africa.

The participants called, in their conclusion recommendations, for speeding up the implementation of the democratic reforms in the region's states to tackle problems they suffer from and to maintain
their stability, noting that boosting such reforms is every body's responsibility, CSOs, the region's governments and the friendly governments supporting the democratic process, thus all have to work
carefully to achieve the common goals.

They indicated that the absence of a real partnership between governments and the CSOs is the key reason for instability and it hinders the development process in the region countries as well.

They demanded Arab governments to enable women to take part in the political action and to improve their election experiences, calling for stopping all violations of the freedom of opinion and expression
and respecting human rights.

The participants announced their unlimited sodality with victims of opinion and expression inside jails, calling governments for releasing them immediately and without conditions as well as allowing them to work safely and freely.

The Forum has discussed a report on the freedom of expression, legislative structure of civil society, empowering women and other issues concerning education, labor market and youth and political work as well as the private sector's role in democratic reforms.

The participants came out with an executive action plan for 2008 and a proposal for regulating the activities of the CSOs Forum for boosting the civil society partnership in the Future Forum at the official and parallel levels.

FR/AF

Saba