Jobs are crucial for individual well-being. They provide a livelihood and;; equally important;; a sense of dignity. They are also crucial for collective well-being and economic growth. However;; the rules and the incentives that govern labor markets in MENA countries have led to inefficient and inequitable outcomes on the personal and collective standpoint. Several underlying distortions prevent a more productive use of human capital and have led to a widespread sense of unfairness and exclusion;; of which the Arab Spring was a powerful expression.

This 23rd annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide in 2012. It reflects extensive investigative work that Human Rights Watch staff has undertaken during the year;; often in close partnership with domestic human rights activists.