Annual Conference of Euro-Mediterranean Research Centers
16-17 October 2008
Amman - Jordan
The Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan hosted the fourth conference of Euro-Mediterranean Research Centers (EuroMeSCo) in Amman from 16-17 October 2008, in cooperation with the EuroMeSCo. The conference was attended by numerous experts in the area of Euro–Mediterranean cooperation.
Participants discussed relations and cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region following the Barcelona declaration and French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s proposal to establish a Mediterranean union. Participants also addressed regional initiatives and underlined the success of these initiatives in bringing together the northern and southern Mediterranean countries.
In the opening session, the project manager for the EuroMeSCo network, H.E Ambassador Jones Gomes, spoke about the network’s ability to build connections between research centers in order to create a common understanding of issues relating to the northern and southern Mediterranean.
The director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan, Dr. Nawaf Tell, stressed his support for the network and keenness in participating in activities and conferences convened to develop cooperation in different fields across the region. He noted that the Center for Strategic Studies has established a new "Euro-Mediterranean Studies Unit," which aims to broaden the base of common interests between Mediterranean countries in various sectors.
The ambassador of the European Commission to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, H.E Ambassador Patrick Renauld, spoke about the importance of the EuroMeSCo in improving communication between the northern and southern Mediterranean nations. He called for a movement to foster a culture of cooperation through public opinion. Furthermore, he noted that public opinion surveys should not be restricted to the service of the scientific community alone, but should also contribute to greater communication among Mediterranean countries. He spoke about the political climate in the region and called for European, North African and Middle Eastern states to work together towards a just solution to the Palestinian problem in order to achieve a just peace in the Middle East.
Initial discussions addressed the need of the Euro-Mediterranean initiative to build a stronger partnership with the European Union in order to strengthen partnerships and foster public debate. Later, the focus shifted to discussions by politicians, civic leaders and academics from various countries regarding Euro-Mediterranean relations and social movements in the region. The speakers touched on the Barcelona process and the need for new space to create integrated partnerships for economic development and security, and the development of a peaceful Mediterranean community.
Participants presented a vision of a regional dialogue that would address public needs and expand local and global cooperation in line with popular interests. An important aspect of the discussions was the need for regional integration in order to increase the efficacy of cooperative Mediterranean efforts. Speakers recognized the many difficulties in undertaking regional initiatives, but pointed to the Barcelona Process as the first step. Participants noted that economic and social crises add to the challenges, but also make it more important to involve all regional states equally, rather than dividing them between north and south.
The discussions traced the problems in the European economy to the credit and housing crises in the United States. Participants noted that the availability of funding in light of these developments but noted that without effective action, the problems will spread. Therefore, the role of the EU in examining risk and confronting the economic crisis needs to be promoted, as should the role of its various institutions in fostering confidence and peace in the entire Arab world.
The discussion addressed the need for a greater focus on the southern Mediterranean in terms of political development, human rights, and democracy. It was stated that improvements in these areas will increase security, while continued violations will promote instability. Furthermore, participants emphasized the need for partnership between European and Arab countries, such as Palestine, Egypt and Morocco, in the fields of education, agriculture and labor. It was stressed that cooperation must extend to the community level, in spite of the challenges this could entail.
In terms of Mediterranean countries’ relations with Israel, many participants voiced opposition to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and wondered when and how a solution will be found.
Participants spoke about the popular desire for a European role in addressing problems in the Middle East, particularly the Palestinian issue. It was stated that Europe is hesitant to take a more active role, and that generally speaking, European countries have been insufficiently active in the peace process. One expert noted that a solution should not come from the United States, but from within the region itself where there is a greater understanding of the situation.
Swedish participants stressed that greater involvement of the civil society and youth organizations is necessary to face challenges. The Swedish government is focusing on a dialogue about culture, democracy and civil rights, and hopes to draw the support of youth to sustain these ideas and build faith in the capability of solving conflicts.
Experts pointed out that there is still hope for cooperation despite differences between the northern and southern Mediterranean countries. They pointed to the Barcelona Process and noted that some of its failures arose from poor implementation and internal disputes. Given this situation, experts suggested promoting strong political support and multilateral input at all levels of the decision-making process to solve these differences. Furthermore, participants called for a focus on economic and development projects, and the need to sustain these projects through active civil society participation.
In regard to the Palestinian issue, which is of global importance, it was noticed that negotiations and agreements continue, but they fail to signal meaningful progress towards a durable solution. The issues in this case are interrelated; there is no military solution to this issue. A solution, according to participants in the conference, must involve negotiations, confidence building and an evaluation of the situation on the ground.
Participants also discussed problems related to migrants and refugees. Jordan is currently hosting many Iraqis and Palestinians despite an absence of infrastructure to accommodate a growing refugee population. Furthermore, the Kingdom must deal with the refugee issue while attempting to allocate distribute its scarce resources to raise the general standard of living of its population.
Jordan remains enthusiastic about the Barcelona Process, yet the country continues to face challenges posed by an eventual Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty due to its large Palestinian population. Jordan is working hard on the Palestinian issue and aims to see the creation of an independent Palestinian state that is internationally recognized and in line with the principles of international law. The Kingdom hopes for assistance from Europe in dealing with the refugees, in terms of border security and humanitarian needs.
Experts discussed the need for institutional support for political, economic and humanitarian issues. This support is especially important vis-à-vis illegal immigration, particularly into Spain and Italy, which has been receiving a growing amount of world attention.
The main ideas discussed at the workshops are:
Group I:
The group discussed the past ten years of British and French initiatives in the Mediterranean region. Discussion included French President Sarkozy’s vision of a unified Mediterranean and how this idea is different from past trends.
The group found that policies formed without clear partnerships between governments weaken common interests. Thus, the group recommended a move towards a clear European policy that takes into account European domestic politics while strengthening European foreign interests. It also stressed that this development should not neglect the role of civil society.
Group II :
The group focused on the importance of timing in launching new initiatives and providing incentives for fair competition and the development of relations between individuals and groups in order to eliminate conflict. The group focused on the need to strengthen Euro-Mediterranean relations, to strengthen cultural and economic ties and improve the environment.
Group III:
The coordinator of the conference, Dr. Mahjoob Zweiri, discussed the energy and food crises and their effect on Mediterranean countries. Furthermore, he addressed the need to understand the role of religious movements and the proliferation of nuclear energy projects in a number of Mediterranean countries. Additionally, Dr. Zweiri discussed reform and its relationship to security in the Mediterranean region. Issues related to human rights and the war on terrorism, as well as new models of migration were addressed as well. The dialogue and analysis made clear that there are common concepts that must be addressed for political development and stability in the region. These concepts are related to threats to security and border control. Problems in this regard arise from differing perceptions of the engines driving these threats.
The group also looked at the U.S. influence in the region. There were debates, discussions and exchanges of views on the restructuring of immigration controls resulting from America’s security concerns. Group members concluded that the EU is not a barrier to U.S. influence, and debated the restrictions European countries must put in place in order to ensure future security.
The group felt that it is time to limit American influence as it has had little ability to solve regional issues.
GroupIV:
The group discussed the food shortage in Algeria and found that this problem is driven by heavy reliance on a low agricultural production. The group called for greater oversight of privatization and financial cooperation.
GroupV:
Members of this group discussed terrorism. They concluded that Islamist movements should not be conflated with terrorist groups, and must be brought in as a vital component of political dialogue. The group noted that Islamic thinkers have been instrumental in humanitarian and scientific advances in a number of fields. Group members stated that confronting the threat of terrorism is a vital task, which can be aided through transparent economic structures and political dialogue.
This group did not find the Barcelona Process to be entirely positive. It discussed the importance of human rights, democracy and political action. Group members stressed that political dialogue will help the EU stay on a productive course in terms of these issues.
GroupVI:
The group discussed nuclear programs in Iran, Israel and Syria. Group members concluded that Iran is attempting to advance its political influence in the region. They observed that Israel is denying the existence of its own nuclear arsenal and is trying to stay ahead of the regional arms race.
Group members addressed the need for measures to confront nuclear proliferation in Israel, Iran and Syria. They maintained that there is a nuclear “renaissance” of sorts and that everyone will pay the price for the illicit spread of nuclear materials.
Participants discussed the idea of establishing a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. In light of this, the group spoke about uranium enrichment in Iran, the fear of Iran, and political action to control technical aspects of nuclear programs.
The conference concluded with a call stressing the importance of common forums for discussion. Furthermore, speakers stressed the need for discussion to transcend traditional networks in order to develop and strengthen the Euro-Mediterranean region. Participants agreed about the desire to build a secure society based on cooperative projects that will lead to cooperative solutions.
At the end of the meeting, it was announced that Dr. Mahjoob Zweiri, a researcher at the University of Jordan’s Center for Strategic Studies, was elected to a two-year term as president of the Euro-Mediterranean Study Centers association. Dr. Zweiri has conducted a great deal of research on the Arab world and Iran.
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