UN denies Washington's interference in the Arab development report, to be published in the first half of 2005
Regional-UN, Politics, 12/24/2004

The director of the UNDP Marc Maluk Brown said that the Human development report for 2004 involved with the question of reforms in the Arab states will be issued in the first half of 2005. He denied that the Bush administration to have had practiced any sort of monitoring of its content.

The UN official denied demands made by any American official from the UNDP not to issue the report or Washington's looming to withdraw its finance or reducing it because of this year's report.

This came, in reply to what was attributed to the chairman of the team responsible for preparing the report, Nader Farajani, that he does not expect the report to be published under the name of the UNDP because of the threats by the USA to deprive the UN from financing.

Brown said that the new report will be strong and he attributed the reasons behind postponing its issuance to the need of reviewing its drafts, adding that the report will be completely in compliance with the two previous reports and " will call things as they are." The report will also deal with the Arab view points concerning the Palestinian- Israeli conflict and the US practices in Iraq.

A statement issued by the UNDP said that any report issued by the UNDP should meet "neutral criterion expected from one of the UN commissions." However, UNDP officials said that the USA and Egypt criticized various parts of the report but the US Department Of State denied practicing any pressure.

The program also announced that it will discuss the possibilities of establishing a new independent center to prepare these reports, but this matter is still in the phase of consultations.

The series of annual reports are called human development reports in the Arab world which are drawn by independent specialists, who are sociologists and development experts and reformers at the finance of the UN and under its own emblem.

The two earlier reports raised vast controversy as they said that the Arab states suffer the absence of freedom, repressing women and isolation from the world, situations which obstruct political reforms and economic growth.

Previous Stories:
  After American and Egyptian obstacles, the Arab development report issued in the names of its authors   (12/23/2004)
  Gulf summit in Manama: Bahrain King stresses importance of reforms in the region   (12/21/2004)
  Moussa: Mubarak's warning on attacking Iran reflects strategic vision   (12/20/2004)
  Annan says UN is best placed to tackle global ills   (12/18/2004)

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