On 3 November 2020, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) participated in the 2020 OSCE Ministerial Mediterranean Conference, held in a virtual format, and chaired by H.E. Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden.
This year, the conference was dedicated to “Promoting security in the OSCE Mediterranean region through sustainable development and economic growth”, and gathered nearly 200 high-level participants, including many Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Ministers, senior diplomats, experts, and representatives of partner organisations.
The event aimed to address current security and sustainability challenges in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, with specific focuses on promoting women’s economic empowerment and strengthening environmental co-operation in the Mediterranean region.
On this occasion, PAM was represented by Hon. Alain Perea, France, PAM Vice President and Rapporteur on Environment.
In his speech, during the high-level political segment, Hon. Perea spoke about the links between security, sustainable development, and economic growth, while highlighting the fragility of the areas that are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, namely the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel.
Hon. Perea stressed that environmental threats can result with severe rebound effects on the economic and food security of local communities, provoking the erosion of social cohesion and the increase of instability, security vacuums, and migration flows in the region. Against this backdrop, destabilisation and radicalization can only be prevented through integrated strategies that combine both security and development.
Hon Perea highlighted the work of PAM with international strategic partners, including the UN and NATO on the issue of counterterrorism in the Mediterranean and in the Sahel regions. He also remarked the advocacy work of the Assembly in promoting the adoption of a Marshall Plan to strengthen security through economic growth and sustainable development in the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa.
In his conclusion, Hon. Perea emphasized that security and environmental challenges are currently exacerbated by the health risks and the economic burden that the COVID-19 pandemic is imposing on our societies. Hon. Perea also stressed the need for a green recovery, and pointed at the engagement of PAM in supporting the exchange among parliamentarians and experts of strategies and best practices for restarting economies in an environmentally conscious and inclusive manner.
The OSCE Ministerial Mediterranean Conference provided policymakers and development experts from around the world with a dedicated forum to examine the intersecting trends between security, environmental challenges and economic growth during the pandemic.
The participation of the Assembly in the event reflects the excellent partnership between PAM and OSCE, and the commitments of both organisations towards peace, prosperity and sustainability in the broader Mediterranean region.