Lebanon Program

The case for COVID-19 public inquiries for the Arab world

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a number of weaknesses in government response, including a fragmentation of the decision-making process, inadequate consultation with experts, opacity of epidemiological data, as well as a lack of health care capacity, collective action, and general preparedness. Perhaps above all though, the pandemic has highlighted the inadequacy of communication with the public and their lack of involvement in the decision-making process. While the novel coronavirus caught all governments by surprise, some governments, especially those that enjoy high levels of trust (and not necessarily the wealthiest ones), have fared better than others. This has prompted some countries to hold public hearings to gain more insight into decision-making during the pandemic and rebuild trust in institutions. Strikingly but unsurprisingly, no country in the Arab world has yet called for a public inquiry into COVID-19. While this is even more relevant for countries that have traditionally enjoyed democratic governance and for countries that have suffered disproportionately rom the pandemic, this exercise could be useful for all Arab countries in regaining the trust needed to better respond to future crises.