THE FUTURE OF EUROPE DEPENDS ON ITS NEIGHBORHOOD - UFM'S NASSER KAMEL SAYS.

Byline: Guido Lanfranchi

On July 1st, 2020, the SecretaryGeneral of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Dr. Nasser Kamel, participated in an international conference discussing the future of Europe. The event under the name FROM VICTORY DAY TO CORONA DISARRAY: 75 YEARS OF EUROPE'S COLLECTIVE SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM was held at the historic setting of the eldest world's Diplomatic Academy, that of Vienna, Austria.

This gathering was organised by four partners; the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES), Media Platform Modern Diplomacy, European Perspectives Scientific Journal, and Action Platform Culture for Peace, with the support of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. In his highly absorbing keynote, Secretary General Dr. Kamel described the impact of the C-19 event as only amplifying the old issues and long-standing challenges within the Euro-Mediterranean theater.

To this end, Excellency especially focused on the economic and environmental challenges faced by the Euro-MED. He recommended that sustainability and resilience should be at the core of the post-C-19 recovery, and gave an important piece of advice to European policymakers: if Europe is to become a global power, a positive engagement with its neighborhood - both east and south - will be of paramount importance.

Hostilities and confrontation should be replaced by a decisive cooperation on the common future project. And such a project should include all EU/Europe neighbors without prejudices. Reflecting on the global impact of C-19, Excellency Kamel stated that the pandemic has pushed the world to a new era, and that the repercussions of this crisis will be extremely far-reaching - not least in terms of economic activity, which is set to dramatically decrease at the global level.

As for the EuroMediterranean more specifically, the UfM's Secretary General noted that the region's existing elements of fragility - most notably the high levels of inequality and the pressing climate change emergency - are set to worsen as a result of the pandemic.

To counter the ensuing negative effects, Dr. Kamel advised, resilience must be built through a holistic approach that promotes at the same time an environmental, social, and economic recovery throughout the whole EuroMediterranean region.

Secretary General Kamel also touched upon the economic impact of the C-19 in the EuroMediterranean region. This impact - he noted - has been markedly uneven, as...