Tunisian Civil Society Representatives Meet with World Bank President

This post is also available in: Arabic

This post is also available in: French.

In late March 2016, the World Bank Group’s (WBG) President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, along with the UN Secretary General, paid a visit to Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Tunisia. The trip’s purpose was to reiterate the commitment of multilateral institutions to stability in the MENA region. Tunisia was the final destination on the WBG president’s itinerary. During his stay in the Tunisian capital, the president met with government officials, the quartet and most notably, civil society organization (CSO) representatives.

Dr. Kim’s meeting with Tunisian CSOs was an hour long reception organized by the Bank’s in-country office on March 28, 2016. The purpose of this reception was stated to be an opportunity for the president to understand how to engage Tunisian civil society in the implementation of the country’s new social contract.

Representatives from the following CSOs were in attendance: Enda Inter-Arabe, Al Bawsala, Forum de Carthage, Tunisian Development Law Association, Tunisian Association for Minorities Support, Tunisian Association for Transparency in Energy and Mines, Tunisian Institute for Democracy and Development, I Watch Tunisia and Touensa.

Moreover, several high ranking WBG officials accompanied the president at the CSO reception among them: Hafez Ghanem, Vice President for the MENA region; Mahmoud Mohieldin, Senior Vice President for 2030 Development Agenda, UN Relations and Partnerships; Sheila Redzepi, Vice President for External and Corporate Relations; Marie Françoise Marie Nelly, Country Director for the Maghreb; Eileen Murray, Country Manager for Tunisia; and Antoine Courcelle-Labrousse, IFC Resident Representative for Tunisia.

The reception commenced with Dr.Kim welcoming the CSO representatives and expressing his deep appreciation for the critical role they have and continue to play in Tunisia’s transition. Shortly thereafter, CSO representatives presented their respective asks with regard to the WBG’s reforms and initiatives in Tunisia. The overarching theme was that in order for the WBG to achieve its’ twin goals in Tunisia, they must hold their client, the Tunisian government, accountable to reform economic, social and political institutions. The CSO representatives proposed some actions that need to be taken by the Bank to achieve this goal it. Moreover, they also handed Dr. Kim their joint statement on WBG’s Country Partnership Framework for Tunisia for the period of 2016-2020 that details the reasoning behind these proposed actions.

The following action items were presented by CSO representatives during the meeting: 1) alleviating economic restrictions, 2) increasing access to information and transparency, 3) improving governance, 4) upholding the rights of disenfranchised populations, and finally 5) involving CSOs in evaluating the programs funded by development policy loans (DPLs).

With regard to alleviating economic restrictions, CSO representatives emphasized that greater access to micro-financing/low financing options and modifying legislation on e-commerce and e-payments will help lessen the unemployment rate. Dr. Kim responded to this proposition saying that he has already spoken with Tunisian parliament members about instituting a timeline for such economic reforms. Moreover, on the lack of access to information and transparency in the extractive sector, Ms. Marie Nelly promised to follow up with the Tunisian PWYP (Publish What You Pay) coalition on implementing international standards such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). On governance, Dr. Kim agreed with CSOs that there is a lack of trust between the citizens and government but it is a delicate issue that needs time to be fully address. When asked about pushing to reform the penal code to better protect minorities’ basic rights, Dr. Kim responded saying that it is unconstitutional for the WBG to get involved in this issue but the UN can definitely lobby for this cause. Finally, Mr.Ghanem mentioned that the WBG will engage with CSOs for more transparency and accountability in Tunisia and the MENA region as this is essential to guarantee democracy, economic development and governance.