Forum Medays 2009
The main theme of the 2009 MEDays Forum was “responsible co-development”. For its second edition, MEDays gathered 174 speakers and 1300 participants. Ministers, high executives and civil society representatives from more than 70 different counties animated the discussions during those three days. Similarly to 2008, the forum architecture was composed of 6 plenary sessions and 20 simultaneous panels.
Participation and media coverage improved dramatically from one year to another, which confirmed MEDays as a valuable event especially considering the quality of speakers, the great freedom of speech and an outstanding logistic organization.
Success was proved by great interest in the chosen themes, the high standard of speakers and the innovative propositions put forward by speakers, an essential factor to have a impact on policy making in the region.
The Forum offered an honest discussion on the roots of global economic crisis and its impact on the region. The gathering of so many officials currently involved in framing their countries’ policy proved relevant and necessary to the organization of this event which seeks to foster an exchange of views as well as a direct and personal contact between participants.
Given all these developments, this explains why the MEDays Forum has become a valuable place to tackle issues pertaining to the South.
DEBATES THAT ARE BREAKING TABOOS
Restarting an Israeli-Palestinian dialogue in total crisis
Many observers were surprised by the achievement of the MEDays Forum which managed to bring together on the same panel the former Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni and Rafic Husseini who at the time was the director of the PA cabinet of the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. This is the first time that an Arab country gathers in an informal setting and in a visible manner official representatives from both parties.
Dealing with drug traffickers’ danger in Africa’s Sahel-Saharan zone
g trafficking. Cocaine from South America, bound for Europe, transits through the African continent where local conflicts, the absence of strong states, corruption and poverty facilitates this process. Heroin from Asia is traded for cocaine in a very porous Sahel-Saharan area based on « one for one », creating de facto a kind of new currency in the region. Drug trafficking evolving from caravan transport to super jumbo, is becoming stronger not just as a result of international organized crime but due to terrorists’ activities in the Sahel-Saharan region.
INNOVATIVE PROPOSALS
An observatory monitoring conflicts’ breakout in Africa
The MEDays Forum proposes an original architecture in terms of conflict prevention: the creation of an observatory monitoring conflicts breakout in Africa with regional antennas. The purpose of this observatory would be to launch alert messages on harmful political developments in any African country. Managed by African contingents under UN supervision, the observatory could take action by addressing a direct diplomatic message to authorities or different political parties from countries where the political situation is worsening.
A contribution on shipped merchandise in the Mediterranean
70% of boats crossing through the Mediterranean do not stop at harbors along the coast. They use the maritime space without contributing economically in the countries of the periphery and mobilize resources since they benefit from maritime security and other services, generating more costs for collectivities and greater risks of pollution. A contribution of 0,5€ per ton of shipped merchandise withdrawn at the Suez and Gibraltar Detroit would generate 500 millions € in its first year.
IMPACT RESULTING FROM THE MEDAYS RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations from the MEDays 2009, presented to the press and disseminated to all our high level speakers, had immediate repercussions on political actions.
Strengthening regional cooperation :
- 18th February 2010: At the last conference grouping Ministers of Foreign trade from countries part of the Agadir Agreement, high-level representatives called for greater regional integration in the Arab world.
Ensuring respect of migrants and refugees rights in Morocco :
- 12-13th February 2010: A roundtable was organized between the CCDH, the OMDH and the UNHCR with the participation of the Interior Ministry in Agadir in order to discuss the state of the Moroccan legislation regarding migrants.
Observatory for conflict prevention in Africa :
- January 2010: The Amadeus Institute was invited by the ONU to take part in a collective brainstorming regarding conflict resolutions in Africa and submit recommendations from experts who participated in our activities.
Mediterranean Investment Bank
The creation of a Mediterranean Investment Bank that could finance investments and cooperation projects in the Mediterranean region was at the heart of proposals presented at the MEDays 2008 and 2009.
- An agreement was reached between large financial institutions from Member countries of ‘The Union for the Mediterranean’ and a schedule and deadline were introduced for the creation of such a bank.
Charles Milhaud, present at the MEDays in 2009, was asked by Nicolas Sarkozy to work on the potential financing of Co-development within the UPM framework in order to define the possibility of creating the Mediterranean Investment Bank.
