Context
Economic and political cooperation and integration between the states of the Middle East could have a strong positive impact on the region. Regional cooperation provides societies that have many features in common with a forum for sharing information on best practices as they face up to similar challenges. Such cooperation can also help solve problems with a cross-border dimension for which unilateral efforts are not enough. Effective cross-border cooperation strengthens mutual trust and interdependence between the partners, promoting constructive approach to the transformation of conflicts.
Objective
Through cross-border cooperation, selected institutional actors are increasing their contributions to inclusive and peaceful socioeconomic development for their countries and the wider Middle East region.
Approach
The project is identifying and initiating cooperation measures with relevance for development, which it then further elaborates in cooperation with its partners. Financial support is then sought from the Open Regional Fund for each project. A flexible commissioning procedure allows the adaptation of individual projects to actual political events in the region, in a conflict-sensitive way.
Staff of the Open Regional Fund (ORF) provide advice and ongoing support to the multinational working groups, committees and other partners that are managing the separate projects. This support encompasses studies and training activities, and sometimes involves the assignment of specialist consultants. Through this, our partners gain the capacity to plan, steer and implement cooperation projects, according to specific objectives and in a gender-sensitive manner.
Results achieved so far
The results of the Open Regional Fund are exemplified in the following examples of targeted, cross-border cooperation projects.
• Telemedicine –Palestinian Territories, Jordan: A customised online application for telemedicine allows Palestinian doctors to seek second opinions in consultation with their Jordanian colleagues. This means it is easier to make diagnoses and facilities patient transfers. Beit Jala hospital and King Hussein Cancer Center now regularly exchange information in this way. In particular, this is benefiting children with cancer for whom appropriate medical specialists are rare in the Palestinian Territories.
• Radio programme for the Jordan Valley – Palestinian Territories, Jordan: Cooperation between two radio stations, one Jordanian and one Palestinian, means the people of the Jordan Valley now have their own tailored radio programme. The broadcast offers local people a platform on which to share ideas on the challenges they face and the best practices learned in their communities. The radio programme ensures these people’s voices are heard by policymakers. In some cases, extensive coverage has prompted the authorities to act, for example, by repairing roads or closing a factory that was polluting the environment.
• Middle East Network on Innovative Teaching and Learning (MENIT) – Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon: This network supports education experts from all the countries involved, in their reform efforts. In regional and thematic working groups, they share and develop their approaches to promote innovation and creativity in the educational institutions of the Middle East. The presence at the most recent regional conferences of high-level representatives of the member states shows that the network’s recommendations are also of interest for national reform processes.