Opinion Pieces and Press Articles

Where should the focus of our attention lie as we emerge cautiously from the worst of the pandemic’s impacts? Plans for post-pandemic recovery are gathering pace and the phrase “building back better” is now widely used. To avoid this becoming nothing more than a slogan, we must be clear about the substance behind these words.

With the outbreak and progression of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we have plunged into a new era, one with its own unique challenges. First among these are how to identify such an unprecedented shock, how to measure the extent to which its effects can spill over between countries or indeed be contained, and how to quantify the uncertainty surrounding forecasts.

Today we bring together the 42 Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) at its fifth Regional Forum of Foreign Ministers, which is a special one as it happens 25 years after the launch of the Barcelona Process.

There can no longer be any doubt, COVID-19 has pushed us into a new era. We must ask, how the Mediterranean region, and the world, can come together to emerge from the global crisis stronger and more resilient. The outbreak of COVID-19 is certainly one of the greatest crises we face in over a century and serves as a stark and uncompromising reminder of the need for tangible cooperation across borders, between sectors and among citizens and their representatives.

Renowned for its cultural and natural wealth, the Mediterranean basin has resiliently proven the cradle of exceptional diversity through the ages. Estimates today indicate the region hosts up to 18% of all identified marine species in the world. Left to its own devices, the Mediterranean clearly has a natural capacity to cultivate life. But this longstanding tenacity for sustaining itself has its limits. Human action is already pushing them over the edge. The concentration of economic activities and its reliance on climate-sensitive agriculture combine to make the region one of the main climate change hotspots worldwide.

Despite numerous international agreements affirming their basic rights, and universal recognition of their key role in society, poverty and illiteracy rates remain higher among women than men. Women are also more likely to be victims of domestic violence. Their access to economic opportunities, credit, training and employment is still limited. Moreover, they are less likely to be actively engaged in politics or obtain leadership positions.

Avec plus de 60% de sa population âgée de moins de 30 ans, la région euro-méditerranéenne est l’une des plus jeunes au monde. Il nous suffit de regarder de part et d’autre des rives pour voir sans cesse les signaux forts envoyés par notre jeunesse sur leurs attentes. Et c’est dans la lutte contre les injustices, contre le dérèglement climatique et contre l’ignorance que nous parviendrons à proposer un agenda positif pour la région et permettre à ces jeunes de participer pleinement à sa construction. Car il est incontestable qu’à l’échelle de la planète, face à l’Amérique et face à l’Asie, l’Europe et la Méditerranée ont une carte commune à jouer. Mais nous ne réussirons que si nous évitons deux écueils : le premier serait d’abdiquer face à nos différences ; le second serait de céder à la tentation du repli sur soi, qui nous engagerait inéluctablement sur la voie du déclin.

More than 10 years have passed since the 2008 Paris Declaration, which gave a new impetus to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Building upon a shared vision of the region as one of peace and stability, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) has made both remarkable and inspiring strides. Such accomplishments would not have been possible without the pragmatic, yet ambitious, approach that the co-presidency and the Secretariat have maintained over the past few years.