#Med2021

Programme 2021

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MED Fora

Forum Cooperation

Shaping the Future Mediterranean: Education, Technical and Vocational Training for Sustainable Development On the occasion of the 7th edition of the “ROME MED – Mediterranean Dialogues”, the Italian Ministry of

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MED Fora

Forum Migration

Even in the post-pandemic era, global migration will not “disappear”. There are now an estimated 281 million migrants worldwide, around a third of which live either in the EU27 or in

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MED Fora

Think Thanks and Civil Society Forum

In loving memory of James G. McGann   For the 7° edition of the Rome MED Dialogues, to be held on 2-4 December 2021, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and

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MED Fora

Forum Youth

Since its first edition in 2015, the Rome MED Conference has promoted a Youth Forum with the purpose to gather young promising leaders distinguished for their innovative ideas and projects.

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MED Fora

Women’s Forum

in loving memory of Tosca Barucco   PROGRAMME   15.00 – 15.10 | OPENING REMARKS  Marina Sereni, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italy   15.10 – 16.00 THE MEDITERRANEAN

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MED Fora

Parlamentary Forum

Over the course of this year, the broader Mediterranean region has witnessed several developments and progress alongside numerous challenges. These have in part included the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the fragile

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MED Panels

OPENING CEREMONY

MED – MEDITERRANEAN DIALOGUES is the annual high-level initiative promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ISPI (Italian Institute for International Political Studies) in Rome with the

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MED Panels

BRINGING MULTILATERALISM BACK IN: RENEWED AMBITIONS FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION

“] Multilateralism has been one of the key pillars of the global institutional architecture since the end of WWII and has played a central role in the promotion and sustainment

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MED Panels

CIRCULAR APPROACHES FOR THE MIDDLE EAST SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

As the world confronts the dire consequences of climate change, policy makers have started to recognize the importance of the idea of a circular economy. Far from regarding only certain countries, economic circularity is

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MED Panels

SEEDS OF HOPE AGAINST PROPHETS OF DOOM: RELIGION-GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS FOR A NEW POLICY OF MEDITERRANEAN UNITY

Recent events like the international community withdrawal from Afghanistan, the 9/11 20th anniversary of as well as the sight of the end of the pandemic, seems to signal the twilight of an era of twenty years crisis which has

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MED Panels

THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE MENA REGION AND THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN ENGAGEMENT

The end of the NATO mission to Afghanistan has determined a significant turning point in Allied as well as Washington’s political and military engagement in Central Asia and the Middle East. In the aftermath of the 2011 Arab Springs, America refocused its resources and engagement abroad, raising questions about the

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MED Dialogues

SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH AYMAN SAFADI

Over the past year, Jordan has faced several challenges while also simultaneously seizing new opportunities having arisen from the transforming international and regional environment. While still hosting some 670,000 registered Syrian refugees, the country has suffered from the dire economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. The economic recovery has become

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MED Conversations

CONVERSATION ON THE FUTURE OF YEMEN

After six years of uninterrupted conflict, Yemen is still deeply suffering from an indefinite state of war with no clear way on to move forward. Against this backdrop, the continuation

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MED Dialogues

SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH OLIVIER VARHELY

The Southern Neighbourhood has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the European Union, which continues to be the most important economic partner for the Mediterranean region. The 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process in 2020 provided the opportunity to restate that strengthening the Euro-Mediterranean partnership remains

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MED Panels

THE ROAD AHEAD: DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF MIDDLE EAST ECONOMIES

As the world starts to gradually recover from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic diversification is proving to be both a challenge and an opportunity for Middle East countries. In a world threatened by climate change and in constant technological evolution, it becomes necessary

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MED Panels

DEALING WITH MIGRATION: REVITALIZING PARTNERSHIPS IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD

Despite the fact that the pandemic has plunged the global economy into a severe recession and forced  most of the world into lockdowns over the past two years, migration across the Mediterranean region has not “disappeared” and is not

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MED Panels

CLEAN ENERGY FOR ALL: OPPORTUNITIES FOR COOPERATION IN THE MENA REGION

The Middle East and North Africa is amongst the world’s most vulnerable regions in regard to climate change. Challenged by increasing temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, water stress and projected sea level rise,

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MED Panels

PUBLIC DEBT AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN THE MENA REGION

The MENA region has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, also in economic terms. With a view to reduce the sever health and social impact, governments of the area have further increased their public debt: the average debt level in the region has grown from 46% to 54% of GDP. Combined with a decline in

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MED Dialogues

SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH RIYAD AL MALKI

The past year has seen several relevant developments for the Palestinian territories. On the international level, the inauguration of the Biden presidency and the restoration of US funds to UNRWA have contributed to the improvement

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MED Panels

ACROSS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ: TOWARDS A NEW REGIONAL COOPERATION ARCHITECTURE?

Since the beginning of 2021, the Gulf region has undergone significant diplomatic re-openings as well as attempts to appease relations among countries, including the Al-Ula agreement, the 2021 Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and

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MED Panels

HOW YOUNG GENERATIONS CAN SHAPE A GREENER FUTURE

In 2021, the world was still deeply crippled by the long-lasting socio-economic consequences of the pandemic which affected every aspect of the lives of societies across the entire Mediterranean. Specifically, this has posed several important challenges for the youth globally in relation

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MED Conversations

CONVERSATION ON THE FUTURE OF SYRIA

Ten years after the outbreak of the civil war, a political solution for the Syrian conflict appears to still be far away. In October, the drafting process of the Constitutional

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MED Panels

“MEDITERRANEAN COMMON GOODS”: A POSITIVE AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE FOR THE BROADER MEDITERRANEAN

Confronted by unprecedented challenges, the Broader Mediterranean needs a new approach to defend common interests and values as well as developing shared ambitions. Socio-political and economic cleavages have overshadowed the potential of the region as “common good”. In order to address the shared challenges currently being experienced by the two shores and 

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MED Panels

CONNECTING THE BROADER MEDITERRANEAN: ENHANCING INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

Connectivity is the backbone of the MENA region’s economic prosperity and is crucial to relaunch growth in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Enhancing connectivity and strengthening participation in global value chains is key for many economies of the region, as they claim to play an increasing role

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MED Panels

NORTH AFRICAN STORM: THE INFLUENCE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON STABILITY AND SECURITY

in collaboration with Atlantic Council   Ten years after the Arab uprisings, many of the socio-political and economic challenges which fueled demonstrations in North of Africa still need to be addressed. The Covid-19 pandemic has

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MED Panels

EU-SAHEL RENEWED COOPERATION: PROSPECTS FOR THE STABILIZATION OF THE REGION

  The Sahel is a crucial area where European and African interests largely converge. Since 2012, the region has been confronted with growing security challenges – including jihadist terrorism, illicit trafficking, and human smuggling – that have all negatively impacted

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MED Panels

BUILDING UP SUPPLY CHAINS’ RESILIENCY IN A POST PANDEMIC MEDITERRANEAN: REGIONAL TRADE, DIGITALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

  in collaboration with PMI   As the pandemic now appears to be on a slowly subsiding trajectory, its impact on international trade will be long-lasting. The closure of borders

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MED Dialogues

SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH PAOLO GENTILONI

  The European Union was severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic but it proved to be capable of effectively tackling its socio-economic consequences. In March 2020, EU leaders suspended the

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MED Panels

LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND: RE-SHAPING SOCIAL CONTRACT FOR AN INCLUSIVE POST-COVID 19 RECOVERY

The MENA region is facing a number of socio-economic challenges, which the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to amplify, including increasingly high rates of youth unemployment, disruption in core health services, drops in household

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MED Panels

LIBYA AT THE CROSSROADS. WHAT EUROPE AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CAN DO

  in collaboration with ECFR and KAS   Despite the progress made since the October 2020 ceasefire agreement, in Libya authorities face a myriad of challenges as they try to

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MED Conversations

DECARBONISING ENERGY FACILITIES IN THE BROADER MEDITERRANEAN

Energy transition has become a political and economic imperative. It implies, however, a long-lasting effort of adaption and several fundamental challenges: the MENA region and especially oil and gas producing countries will be drastically transformed by the systemic changes induced by decarbonization policies and

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MED Panels

GOVERNANCE IN CRISIS: WHAT FUTURE FOR SECURITY SECTOR INSTITUTIONS IN THE MENA REGION?

  This panel will provide the opportunity to discuss the main challenges and prospects regarding security sector governance in the MENA region by drawing upon the key findings of the

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MED Dialogues

SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH JOSEP BORRELL

  Five years after the launch of its Global Strategy, the European Union faces increasing complexities in its neighborhood and at the global level. In its pursuit to expand its global role, the EU has embraced a more autonomous

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MED Dialogues

SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL-THANI

Over the past year, Qatar has continued to carry out a mediation-oriented foreign policy to affirm its role in international diplomacy. This has been particularly evident considering recent developments in

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MED Dialogues

SPECIAL DIALOGUE WITH ABDALLAH BOU HABIB

  Over the last two years, Lebanon has faced multiple and intertwined challenges within a political, economic and financial crisis further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Beirut Port explosion. Liquidity problems, poor energy and

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MED Panels

CLOSING CEREMONY

  Welcome to the closing session of Rome MED 2021 MED – MEDITERRANEAN DIALOGUES is the annual high-level initiative promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ISPI (Italian Institute