Democratic Governance

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Democratic Governance

Yemen is transforming. As the country heals from conflicts of the past and looks to the future during this transitional period, the Government of Yemen seeks to address the challenges of the past while undertaking democratic reforms. These reforms, in the wake of massive people's protests, seek to capitalize on the hopes and visions of millions who desire a stable Yemen with responsive institutions that integrate their aspirations into decision-making processes.

Towards this end, UNDP supports Yemen's move to enhance democratic governance on an array of issues, including decentralization and local governance, promoting human rights and justice, enhancing women's empowerment and gender equality, strengthening anti-corruption efforts, supporting constitutional, legal and electoral reform and delivering fair and transparent elections at all governance levels. This includes developing national, regional, local and civil society capacities and ensuring that processes are more accessible to the greater public, particularly poor and disadvantaged groups, such as youth, women, rural populations, the disabled and people living with HIV and AIDS.

Yemen is currently implementing rigorous economic, administrative and judicial reforms, in recognition of its commitment to bridge existing gaps and address governance problems. As one of many nations currently embroiled in emerging and defining itself in the wake of the 'Arab Spring' of 2011, Yemen faces particular and protracted challenges, and the Democratic Governance Team is actively supporting the transitional phase in order to meet those challenges head-on with the right support and assistance.

It will be Yemen, and ultimately Yemenis, who define the shape, form and scope of their new government and society, and UNDP through its Democratic Governance Team will play a facilitating role to that extent. As the country marches toward free and fair presidential, parliamentary and local elections in order to match the aspirations of its people, Yemenis will be engaged in designing a new social and governmental contract through a Comprehensive National Dialogue slated to produce a new constitution while looking to find sustainable and viable solutions to the conflicts of the past and the challenges of the future.

The Comprehensive National Dialogue will seek to bridge divides across the nation as it attempts to heal from fissures caused by rampant violence and lack of responsive governance. During this phase, the government will undertake several complementary reform efforts that can be the first few pivotal steps to resolving many of the problems of the past.

It will undoubtedly be an exciting and difficult period for many of the country's citizens, but it is the hope of the current Transitional Government and the Governance Team at UNDP that a transformed Yemen will result in a responsive country with security, delivery of basic needs and services, as well as transparency, at the heart of its governing philosophy.