Regional initiative launched to strengthen Euro-Mediterranean dialogue, citizens’ impact

AMMAN — As civil society across the Arab world is still struggling to access information, mobilise sustainable resources and develop dialogue mechanisms to take part in policy making processes, the European Union recently launched a regional initiative to support citizens in tackling these challenges.

Stemming from the public concerns voiced during the 2017 civil society dialogue and driven by the EU's willingness to include the demands of the region into its European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), "Majalat" seeks to provide "a regional platform for structured dialogue by and for the civil society in the Arab region, with the aim of engaging civil society on the challenges they are facing and EU policies in the region", a Majalat statement sent to The Jordan Times said.

"There is a need for a better involvement of the civil society in the EU policy dialogue, particularly those in regard to the ENP," the statement added, outlining the reasons behind the launch of Majalat.

With the support of the EU, a consortium of six Civil Society Organisations from the Euro-Mediterranean region (Arab NGO Network for Development — ANDD, EuroMed Rights, Arab Trade Union Confederation, Réseau EuroMed France, Forum Marocain des Alternatives and SOLIDAR) got together to create spaces for dialogue between CSOs, trade unions, social movements and academics from both shores of the Mediterranean and the EU, with the aim of influencing the vision and policies of the region. 

"This regional platform is needed to create a space for the region to set priorities for contributing to regional policy agendas, boost contributions on priority themes, strengthen partnerships and facilitate the creation of networks to act at a regional level," organisers of the first Majalat seminar which took place in Amman late September, said, noting that the outcomes of the event are scheduled to be presented to the EU institutions during the Brussels Civil Forum next November.

"All the discussions were based on studies by experts who provided an in-depth evaluation of the situation on four priority themes: Good governance and rule of law, economic development and social dialogue, migration and mobility, security and countering violence," a video presenting the initiative highlighted, stressing that a specific focus was given to these topics' impact on youth and women.

A digital platform accessible at www.majalat.com also allows individuals and organisations to access information on ways to network and deepen the conversation between all stakeholders.