With the aim of defining the challenges that Liberals in the Arab World are facing today and coming up with a common understanding how best to confront these challenges, members of liberal Arab parties convened in Casablanca, Morocco, from May 27-30, 2007. for an international conference.

The liberal Union Constitutionnelle hosted the event titled "Liberalism in the Arab World. Challenges and Chances Today" at their party headquarters in downtown Casablanca. Senior members from liberal parries from Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and host country Morocco attended the two-day event.

After assessing the political conditions in their respective countries and the region as a whole, the delegates stressed the importance of regional cooperation of the liberal Arab forces. This cooperation – they said – was needed to counter the political pressure from authoritarian regimes and fundamentalist forces.

One session of the conference dealt with organizational matters of the group. The delegates agreed to change the name to Network of Arab Liberals or NAL. Also, in void of an agreed upon constitution, the delegates elected a provisional Steering Committee which would operate as an interim leadership. The delegates decided that each of the geographical sub- regions and Egypt should be represented. The following individuals were elected:

- MP Mohammed Arslan, Jordan (representing Mashreq)

- Mr. Mohammed Tamaldou, Director of the Union Constitutionnelle (representing Maghreb)

- Mr. Sameh Makram Ebeid, Vice Secretary general, Wafd Party (representing Egypt)

Mr. Jochen De Groot, Program Officer of Liberal International, and Dr. Ronald Meinardus, Regional Director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation attended the conference as observers.