ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2022

Towards more Social Justice and Inclusiveness in the Mediterranean

Welcome

Labelled as “Towards more social justice and inclusiveness in the Mediterranean”, the 2022 EuroMeSCo Annual Conference took the form of four in-person country events in Morocco, Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt, and a closing event in Brussels

These events offered a platform for further discussions on the implementation of the New Agenda for the Mediterranean focusing on the theme of Social Justice and Inclusiveness and involved mixed groups of representatives from think tanks, academic institutions, civil society organisations, and business community representatives, as well as EU and government officials. 

Within the framework of the project EuroMeSCo: Connecting the Dots, co-funded by the European Union and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), these country events were organised in collaboration with some of the partners of its Consortium.

Speakers

Dimitris Dimitriadis

Dimitris Dimitriadis

REX President, European Economic and Social Committee – EESC

Senén Florensa

Senén Florensa

Executive President, European Institute of the Mediterranean - IEMed

Henrike Trautmann

Henrike Trautmann

Acting Director, Neighbourhood South and Turkey, Directorate-Genera for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, DG NEAR, European Commission

Hamza Saoudi

Hamza Saoudi

Policy Center for the New South – PCNS

Rabha Allam

Rabha Allam

Researcher, Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies – ACPSS

Zied Boussen

Zied Boussen

Research Fellow, Arab Reform Initiative – ARI

Mohammed Fayez Farhat

Mohammed Fayez Farhat

Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies - ACPSS

Christian Berger

Christian Berger

EU Ambassador to Egypt

Gamal Soltan

Gamal Soltan

Former Director, Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies - ACPSS

Roger Albinyana

Roger Albinyana

Managing Director, European Institute of the Mediterranean - IEMed

Nahla Zeitoun

Nahla Zeitoun

Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank

HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan

HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan

President - Royal Scientific Society

H.E. Dr Mohammed Khashashneh

H.E. Dr Mohammed Khashashneh

Secretary General, ministry of Environment, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

H.E. Mary Kawar

H.E. Mary Kawar

Former Jordanian Minister for Planning and International Cooperation

Maria Hadjitheodosiou

Maria Hadjitheodosiou

Ambassador of the EU Delegation to the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan

Nabil Assaf

Nabil Assaf

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Jordan

Haizam Amirah-Fernández

Haizam Amirah-Fernández

Senior Analyst for the Mediterranean and Arab World, Elcano Royal Institute

Abdelkader El Khissassi

Abdelkader El Khissassi

Deputy Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean in charge of Economic Development and Employment

Agenda

Jordan

June 28th · 2022

June 28th
9:30 – 10:00
Welcome Remarks & Opening Session
Welcome Remarks & Opening Session

Maria Hadjitheodosiou. Ambassador, EU Delegation to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Senén Florensa. Executive President, IEMed – The European Institute of the Mediterranean

HRH Princess Sumaya Bint el Hassan. President, Royal Scientific Society

June 28th
10:30 – 12:00
Plenary Session: Putting Social Justice and Inclusiveness at the Core of Sustainable Development Agendas in the Mediterranean
Plenary Session: Putting Social Justice and Inclusiveness at the Core of Sustainable Development Agendas in the Mediterranean

Majd Al Naber. Senior Researcher, The West Asia-North Africa (WANA) Institute

H. E Eng. Nabil Assaffao. Resident Representative in Jordan, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Haizam Amirah-Fernández. Senior Analyst, Mediterranean and Arab World, Elcano Royal Institute

H.E. Mary Kawar. Former Jordanian Minister for Planning and International Cooperation

Abdelkader El Khissassi. Deputy Secretary General, Economic Development and EmploymentUfM – Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean

June 28th
13:00 – 14:30
Working Session: Interlinkages between social justice and sustainable development in Jordan
Working Session: Interlinkages between social justice and sustainable development in Jordan

Reem AlHaddadin. Sustainable development researcher, The West Asia-North Africa (WANA) Institute

Diana Athamneh. Energy Consultant

Dina El-Heyari. Energy/AI Engineer, Algebra Intelligence

Karolina Zubel. Economist, CASE – Center for Social and Economic Research

June 28th
15:00 – 17:00
Plugged in Session
Plugged in Session

Moderation

James Moran. Associate Senior Research Fellow, CEPS – Centre for European Policy Studies

Egypt

October 19th · 2022

October 19th
08:45 - 09:00
Welcome Remarks & Opening Session
Welcome Remarks & Opening Session

Mohammed Fayez Farhat. Director, ACPSS – Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies

Senén Florensa. Executive President, IEMed – The European Institute of the Mediterranean

Christian Berger. Head, European Union Delegation to Egypt

October 19th
09:00 - 11:00
Plenary Session 1: Towards Stronger and more Inclusive Social Protection Programmes
Plenary Session 1: Towards Stronger and more Inclusive Social Protection Programmes

Moderation

Hanaa Ebeid. Senior Researcher, Editor-in-Chief of Democracy Review, ACPSS – Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies

Mervet Sabrine. Assistant Minister for Protection and Social Safety Nets, Ministry of Social Solidarity

Howeida Roman. Expert, National Center for Social and Criminal Research

Nahla Zeitoun. Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank

Amira El Shal. Senior Policy Manager, Middle East and North Africa, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

Salma Hussein. Regional Research Manager, Department for Middle East and North Africa, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

Farah Al Shami. Research Fellow, ARI – Arab Reform Initiative

October 19th
11:00 - 11:30
Coffee Break
Coffee Break
October 19th
11:30 - 13:30
Plenary Session 2: Putting People at the Center of Sustainable Environmental Policies
Plenary Session 2: Putting People at the Center of Sustainable Environmental Policies

Moderation

Dina Shehata. Senior Expert, Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS)

Mohammed Alaa. Head of Human Rights Unit, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development

Amira Hossam. Associate Minister for Sustainable Development, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development

Ingy Abdelhamid. Expert, National Center for Social and Criminal Research

Ashraf Amin. Head of the Scientific Department, Al-Ahram Newspaper

Ahmed Kandil. Senior Fellow and Head of Energy Studies Program, ACPSS – Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies

October 19th
13:30 - 14:30
Lunch
Lunch
October 19th
14:30 - 16:00
Working Session: Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, safe, and sustainable resources in Egypt
Working Session: Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, safe, and sustainable resources in Egypt

Moderation

Justine Belaid. EuroMeSCo Research Officer, European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed)

Aya Badr. Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University

Yana Popkostova. Associate Analyst, EU ISS – European Union Institute for Security Studies

 

Belgium

November 30th · 2022

November 29th
20:00
Welcome Dinner
Welcome Dinner
November 30th
08:45 - 09:00
Registration
Registration
November 30th
09:00 - 09:20
Opening Session and Welcome Remarks
Opening Session and Welcome Remarks

Dimitris Dimitradis.  REX President, European Economic and Social Committee – EESC

Amb. Senén Florensa. Executive President of the European Institute of the Mediterranean – IEMed

Henrike Trautmann. Acting Director, Neighbourhood South and Turkey, Directorate-Genera for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, DG NEAR, European Commission

Katarina Ivankovic-Knezevic. Director, Social Rights and Inclusion, Directorate General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion – DG EMPL D, European Commission

November 30th
09:20 - 11:00
Plenary Session: Social Justice and Inclusiveness in the Mediterranean
Plenary Session: Social Justice and Inclusiveness in the Mediterranean

Presentation of takeaways from the Country Events.

Moderation

Roger Albinyana. Managing Director, European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed)

Speakers

Morocco. Hamza Saoudi (Policy Center for the New South – PCNS):
Youth and women’s inclusion in the labour market: challenges and opportunities for the Mediterranean region

Jordan. Majd Al Naber (West Asia North Africa Institute – WANA):
Interlinkages between social justice and sustainable development

Tunisia. Zied Boussen (Arab Reform Initiative – ARI):
Addressing vulnerabilities, mainstreaming inclusiveness in public policy reforms

Egypt. Rabha Allam (Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies – ACPSS):
Towards more Social Justice and Inclusiveness in Egypt

 

Policy perspectives from the European Commission, the European External Action Service and the Union for the Mediterranean:

Abdelkader El Khissassi. Deputy Secretary General,  Economic Development and Employment, Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean – UfM

Ingrid Schwaiger. Director, Social Rights and Inclusion, Directorate General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion DG EMPL D, European Commission.

Beatriz Salvador Garcia. Deputy Head of Division, Regional Affairs, Middle East and North Africa, European External Action Service

November 30th
11:00 - 11:20
Coffee Break
Coffee Break
November 30th
11:30 - 13:00
Multistakeholder Dialogues Platforms (Parallel Sessions): Combating Corruption and Fostering Accountability
Multistakeholder Dialogues Platforms (Parallel Sessions): <em> Combating Corruption and Fostering Accountability </em>

Promoting more inclusive and fair societies not only requires improving the situation of specific groups, but also acting against the impunity of others and establishing strong accountability mechanisms. Corruption is a major cause of the lack of trust of citizens in their system. It deprives the economy of major resources that could be used for the benefit of all and in some countries, it largely explains the shortcomings of public services. In its New Agenda for the Mediterranean, the EU renewed its commitment to the rule of law, democracy and good governance as the bedrock for stable fair, inclusive and prosperous societies. The promotion of modern, efficient and accountable public institutions and policies and the fight against corruption are key priorities for the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. These multistakeholder dialogue platforms will analyse anti-corruption policies, accountability mechanisms and public administration reforms to boost predictability, transparency, and accountability.

November 30th
11:30 - 13:00
Business Platform - Combating corruption in the private sector and boosting business integrity
Business Platform - <em>Combating corruption in the private sector and boosting business integrity</em>

The Business Platform will look into the opportunities private sector cooperation offers to promote business integrity and transparency.

Moderation

Emmanuel Cohen-Hadria. Director of the Euro-Mediterranean Policies Department, EuroMeSCo, European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed)

 

Setting the Scene

Alain Bifani. Founding president, Lebanese Citizen Foundation

Aymen Belgacem. Economist, International Monetary Fund.* Informality, Development and the Business Cycle in North Africa. Takeaways from an IMF recent publication.

 

Testimonials:

Ahmed Bastawy. Managing Director, ICEALEX

Jihen Boutiba. Director General, BUSINESSMED

Arkan El-Seblani. Chief Technical Advisor, UNDP Arab States

Hussam Hawwa. Chief Executive Officer, Difaf Sal

Diane Pallez. Policy Analyst, Anti-corruption, Middle East and Africa Division, Global Relations Secretariat, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

 

Debate

November 30th
11:30 - 13:00
Civil Society Platform - The role of Civil Society in enhancing accountability and transparency and in fighting corruption
Civil Society Platform - <em>The role of Civil Society in enhancing accountability and transparency and in fighting corruption</em>

The Civil Society Platform will explore the role of civil society in monitoring the implementation of reforms and in ensuring better service delivery, accountability and transparency.

Moderation

Jenny Gilbert. Project Manager, EuroMeSCo, Euro-Mediterranean Policies Department, European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed)

 

Setting the Scene

Carole Alsharabati. Founder and Member, Sakker El Dekkene

 

Testimonials

Achref Aouadi. Founder and former President, iWatch

Karim Belhaj Aissa. Regional Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, UNCAC Coalition

Abdelaziz Nouaydi. Secretary General, Transparency Maroc

Shereen Talaat. Co-Director MENA, Arab Watch Coalition (AWC)

Lora Ujkaj. Policy Officer, Rule of Law, Governance and Security, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Operations, DG NEAR A2, European Commission

Debate

November 30th
13:00 - 14:00
Lunch
Lunch

Videos

Report

See the Country Event Morocco report

 

See the Country Event Jordan report

 

See the Country Event Tunisia report

 

Press

Media information

Members of the press are invited to cover EuroMeSCo Annual Conference. Registration for coverage is required. To register, ask for more information or request an interview, please get in contact with the IEMed Press Office (contact below)

Jordi Bertran

Jefe de prensa / Press Officer
jbertran@iemed.org
T +34 932 449 854/0 | Mb +34 647 333 030

Twitter

The Twitter hashtag for the event will be #euromesco2022

Ana López
Events and Dialogue Officer of the EuroMeSco Project
alopez@iemed.org
T +34 932 449 850

Acknowledgement Policy

Print/Radio – Any article or interview derived from EuroMeSCo Annual Conference should mention EuroMeSCo Annual Conference.

Television – Any program or interview derived from EuroMeSCo Annual Conference should mention EuroMeSCo Annual Conference or visibly display the EuroMeSCo´ logo. Should you need a logo or backdrop, please contact the above contacts.

Online Publications – Any article or interview related to EuroMeSCo Annual Conference should mention EuroMeSCo Annual Conference.

Photos – Any photos published from EuroMeSCo Annual Conference should mention EuroMeSCo Annual Conference.

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