UNDP-POGAR: Programme on Governance in the Arab Region: Arab Governance: Annual Report 2004

UNDP-POGAR: Arab Governance News - Annual Report 2004 (Part One January-June 2004)

Note: News texts are in Arabic only
- Jordan: Gender, Judicial Reform
- Bahrain: Gender, Transparency & Accountability, Judicial Reform
- Tunisia: Transparency & Accountability
- Algeria: Elections, Gender
- Qatar: Judicial Reform
- Kuwait: Gender, Transparency & Accountability, Judicial Reform
- Lebanon: Elections, Transparency & Accountability
- Egypt: Elections, Gender, Transparency & Accountability, Judicial Reform
- Morocco: Gender, Transparency & Accountability, Judicial Reform
- Yemen: Gender, Transparency & Accountability

This semi-annual report of Arab governance news covers the countries of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia, and Yemen. The themes monitored in the report are: elections, women in public life, transparency and accountability, judicial and legal reform.

Elections: three elections were followed up, the elections to renew half of Egypt's consultative council held between May 23 and June 19, 2004, the municipal and mayors elections held in Lebanon in May 2004 and the presidential elections held in Algeria on April 8, 2004.

Women in public life: the report closely monitored laws that affect women and their participation in public life, in addition to monitoring the political, administrative and social leadership positions occupied by women during the covered period.

Transparency and accountability: the report monitored laws related to combating money laundering, cases involving various kinds of corruption, court trails of corrupt officials in public agencies, judicial sentences passed against persons involved in cases of corruption, bribery, squandering and theft of public funds, and the use of power and influence for personal ends.

Judicial and legal reform: the report monitored reforms introduced by amending existing legislation. The report also monitored new laws passed that accompanied the reform track and direction adopted by some Arab countries. The report highlighted the significance of the "reformative event" witnessed by the city of Alexandria, Egypt, namely convening a conference on "Arab Reform Issues---- Perception and Implementation".