30 Years After the Barcelona Declaration: Rethinking Mediterranean Relations for the New Geoeconomic Era

The Policy Center for the New South is organizing a session as part of the official program of the 23^rd edition of the Doha Forum, scheduled from 6–7 December 2025 at Sheraton Grand Hotel, Doha – Qatar.

Titled “30 Years After the Barcelona Declaration: Rethinking Mediterranean Relations for the New Geoeconomic Era”, this session is scheduled for December 7, 2025 from 11:30 to 12:15 (Doha time) and aims to explore whether — and how — the Mediterranean can be reinvented as a strategic space of collective agency, innovation, and resilience in a rapidly evolving geoeconomic environment.

Three decades after the Barcelona Declaration promised a new era of Mediterranean cooperation, the vision of an integrated and prosperous region remains far from reality.

The Mediterranean today is grappling with the fallout of prolonged conflicts, intensifying geopolitical rivalries, and a cascade of humanitarian and environmental crises. From state collapse to mass migration, the region’s instability has only deepened, with devastating consequences for millions.

At the same time, efforts to foster regional integration have lost momentum. The European Union, once the driving force behind the initiative, is now preoccupied with internal divisions and external threats — from political polarization to economic pressures and security fears. Critics say that Brussels’ engagement with its southern neighbors has become overly bureaucratic, out of touch, and ill-suited to the demands of a rapidly shifting global economy.

Amid these mounting challenges, a key question emerges: Can the Mediterranean be reshaped into a strategic space of collective agency, innovation, and resilience? A new panel aims to tackle that question head-on, exploring bold pathways to reinvigorate Mediterranean unity and unlock its untapped potential.