{"id":110395,"date":"2020-11-23T13:38:35","date_gmt":"2020-11-23T12:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/\/med-voices-moratinos\/"},"modified":"2020-11-23T13:53:50","modified_gmt":"2020-11-23T12:53:50","slug":"med-voices-moratinos","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/med-voices-moratinos\/","title":{"rendered":"Tribune Miguel \u00c1ngel Moratinos"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Miguel \u00c1ngel Moratinos<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n25 years later ” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:42|text_align:left|line_height:44px” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”h2especial” css=”.vc_custom_1606134684101{margin-bottom: 40px !important;}”][vc_column_text font_size=”24px” line_height=”28″ el_class=”pespecial”]<\/p>\n

November 28th, 1995 marks one of the most important milestones in Spanish and European diplomacy; it was the day the Barcelona Declaration was signed. The initiative was revolutionary in both form and content and allowed the nations of the North, South, East, and West of the Mare Nostrum to make a historic commitment to working towards establishing a peaceful and prosperous region.<\/h3>\n

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At the time, the diplomats in charge of leading the project described the end result as a process; the Barcelona Process. We designed a new way of addressing the problems that were influencing instability in the region. We came to the conclusion, which at the time was groundbreaking, that the only way to establish a space in which all could co-exist would be to actively work together to help the region progress politically, economically, financially, culturally, and in terms of security.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Barcelona Declaration was signed, there were favourable geopolitical conditions. We lived in hope that lasting peace in the Middle East would be possible. The Madrid Conference of 1991 had taken place, and the subsequent historic Oslo agreements signed. There was a general willingness on all fronts and, despite the severity of some approaches and the difficulties of wording almost irreconcilable positions in the texts, \u201cdiplomatic wisdom\u201d prevailed when it came to the final draft of the document, which received unanimous support from all delegations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Twenty-five years on, the process has seen highs and lows. Societies in both the north and the south began to learn more about each other; progress was initially made in the commercial and economic fields, and renewed Euro-Mediterranean policies were adopted. But, the stagnation of the peace process in the Middle East and the lack of political and social reforms in Southern countries slowed the pace of change and development throughout the Mediterranean region. <\/span><\/p>\n

At that point, a leap of faith was made as the nations established an even more demanding union with greater political commitments. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) was founded in July 2008. The General Secretariat of the UfM was established in Barcelona, to ensure that progress was monitored.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, the UfM General Secretariat has had to deal with existential upheaval. Paradoxically, the more political mobilisation was needed, the more it stagnated with the events of the Arab Spring. Conflict and crises multiplied, and cooperation was impeded to the point that it was impossible to implement joint projects. <\/span><\/p>\n

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It is now up to us to take stock and consider the future, especially given the challenges and the need for cooperation that the current context demands when it comes to recovering from the pandemic. Covid-19 calls for greater Euro-Mediterranean cooperation than ever before. What\u2019s more, with the current situation, we are forced to act urgently to tackle the rising military tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as the open conflicts in Libya, Syria, etc. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is much to be learned from this situation. The first lesson is both the simplest and most essential: political will. Is there enough political will today to shape a shared future? I am convinced that there is, but we must take certain actions to achieve it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Secondly, the main actors of 1995 and 2008, both European and Arab countries, do not seem to play an active role in defining their own destiny. Neither seems to influence decision-making to address a common future. <\/span><\/p>\n

The UfM\u2019s Foreign Ministers must have a political debate. They must define a new mandate that considers the crisis with a focus on how to overcome it. Economic and financial projects are still necessary, but in order for them to work, they must receive clear political support. Moreover, social, cultural, and religious issues should be more prominent on any future agenda. The gap between the North and the South due to civilizational and cultural issues is widening every day. We must build a Mediterranean \u201cdemos\u201d. All of us should take a look at Albert Camus\u2019 La Pens\u00e9e du Midi, so we could better see the absurdity of the reality that seems to impose itself between the two shores. <\/span><\/p>\n

Spain should not let this historical date go by unnoticed. It is true that the challenges and difficulties of the 21st Century\u2019s second decade are great, but this should not be an excuse. New generations are waiting for a united and shared response to all of these problems. We politicians just have to provide them. If we do not do so, we will have failed in our mission. The Mediterranean is well worth this collective effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

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