International IDEA is implementing a project funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) to assess the State of Local Democracy in four Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Yemen. The aim is to influence the national agenda for democratic reform on the basis of the findings, both at the local level, and by extension, at the national level.
International IDEA implements the project in partnership with local organizations. A number of municipalities have been selected and in each country a local team of five experts undertake field assessment work.
A three-day training workshop was held in each country for the local assessment teams to expose these experts to International IDEA’s assessment methodology. The local teams were given four months (from August to November 2008) to complete their work and produce a municipal report on the state of democracy in their area.
The municipal reports have now been completed. These will be compiled into a single national report which will provide the basis for further discussion on the reform agenda in each country.
Eventually, the four national reports will be consolidated into a regional report that will be presented at a region-wide workshop, due to be held by June 2009.
For further information, please contact the “State of Local Democracy in the Arab world” project coordinator, Ayman Ayoub at a.ayoub@idea.int.
