The Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) is a regional network, working in 12 Arab countries with nine national networks (with an extended membership of 250 CSOs from different backgrounds) and 23 NGO members. ANND was established in 1997 and its headquarters is located in Beirut, Lebanon since 2000.
ANND aims at strengthening the role of civil society, enhancing the values of democracy, respect of human rights and sustainable development in the region. ANND advocates for more sound and effective socio-economic reforms in the region, which integrate the concepts of sustainable development, gender justice, and the rights-based approach.
The network programs cover three main areas:
1. Development Policies in the region
2. Social and economic reform agendas and the role of international and regional organizations.
3. Economic and trade liberalization policies and its social and economic implications
On a horizontal level, ANND addresses issues of peace and security in the region.
The objectives of the program interventions are:
1. Enhancing and strengthening civil society advocacy on social and economic policy-making processed
2. Opening channels of influence for civil society organizations in the Arab region in policy-making processes, on the national, regional and global levels.
3 .Enhancing the availability and production of indigenous resource material and research related to the role of CSOs in the Arab region.
ANND’s program tools and strategies include: networking, capacity building and information and experience sharing, provision of resources including research and information materials, advocacy strengthening, coalition building, monitoring, evaluation, and engagement with policy-making processes and related institutions among civil society groups.
Mission
The Arab NGOs Network for Development is an independent, democratic, and civic organization that aims at strengthening civil society and enhancing the values of democracy and respect of Human Rights and sustainable development in the Arab region. It works towards its aim through programs of advocacy and lobbying on regional and national policy-making in three main areas; development, trade, and democracy, while being committed to the international convention on Human Rights, freedom, respect of the individual, respect of diversity, equality of resource division, and the protection of cultural heritage in the Region and the implementing the developmental priorities of the local societies.
Vision
The Arab NGOs Network envisions democratic, active, and effective civil societies in the Arab Region. These societies would be able to affect public policies, and would be open and interactive with other cultures and societies. These societies respects and protects the dignity and freedom of the individual and their political, social, economic, civic, and cultural rights, within a state of law and institutions, where peace, security, and stability are prosperous.
The internal vision of the Network is based on responding to the challenges and changes on the regional and global levels, whereby it aims at establishing a special presence and effective and active positions regarding the decision-making locally, regionally, and globally. ANND works to preserve a democratic, flexible, growing, and developing body that encompasses Arab non-governmental organizations working in the fields of social and human development, democracy, human rights, and the environment. ANND is committed towards implementing the values of good governance and the development of best-practices models for capacity building and institutional structuring.
