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Climate Security in the Sahel and the Mediterranean: Local and Regional Responses

From

30
3:00 pm April 2019

To

30
5:45 pm April 2019

Policy Center for the New South, in collaboration with the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), organize the launch of a Joint Policy Study “Climate Security in the Sahel and the Mediterranean: Local and Regional Responses”.  

The Sahel zone, due to its geography, demography, as well as its level of precarious industrialization, is more threatened by climate change than any other region of the world. The developments in the Sahel present as well, direct challenges to the Mediterranean region. While it is certain that the southern shore of the Mediterranean is more vulnerable than the northern to the dangers of climate change, it is still true that southern Europe shows signs of fragility in the face of the phenomenon.

This joint study analyzes how climate change, combined with the strong population growth in the Sahel countries, has amplified the vulnerability and poverty of the populations living in this area, as well as how criminal and terrorist groups exploited this vulnerability to increase their activities in this region. The study assesses as well, EU responses to climate-related developments, including its policies on environmental migration and other climate-related security risks.  

It is edited by the EuroMeSCo network and coordinated by Mr. Abdelhak Bassou, Senior Fellow at Policy Center for the New South.  

Agenda

15:00 – 15:30

Welcome coffee

15:30 – 15:45

Keynote speech: "Climate Security in the Sahel and the Mediterranean: Thinking Regional, Acting Local"

Fathallah Sijilmassi, Former Secretary General, Union for the Mediterranean

15:45 – 16:00

Keynote speech: "Whether Local or Regional, Human Security is the Answer"

Mohammed Loulichki, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South

16:00 – 16:10

Presentation of the Joint Policy Study "Climate Security in the Sahel and the Mediterranean: Local and Regional Responses"

Abdelhak Bassou, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South

16:10 – 16:20

Climate change in the Mediterranean Basin: Impacts and Difficulties in the Sahel

Bouchra Rahmouni, Director of Research, Partnerships and Events, Policy Center for the New South

16:20 – 16:30

Gray Areas in the Sahel: The Security Consequences of Climate Change

Amira Abdelhalim, Expert in the African program, Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS)

16:30 – 16:40

The European Union and Climate-Related Security Risks: the Case of the Sahel 

Niklas Bremberg, Research Fellow, Swedish Institute of International Affairs – UI

16:40 – 16:50

Climate Change and Migration Nexus in EU Policy: Opportunities Arising from the Post-2015 Migration Agenda

Patricia Lisa, Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute

16:50 – 18:00

Debate with the audience
Speakers
Fathallah Sijilmassi
Former Secretary General, Union for the Mediterranean
Born on 21 August 1966 in Rabat (Morocco), Fathallah Sijilmassi is an economist and a career diplomat. After having worked at the Banque Commerciale du Maroc (currently Attijariwafabank) in Milan (Italy) from 1989 to 1992, then at the Ministry of Foreign Trade from 1992 to 1999, he held the functions of Director of Multilateral Cooperation (1999-2001), and Director of European Affairs (2001-2003) within the Moroccan diplomacy. In 2003, he was appointed by His Majesty the King of Morocco Ambassador of Morocco to the European Union (2003-2004), then to France (2005-2009). From 2009 to 2012, he leads the new Moroccan Agency for Investment Development. During this period, many multinational companies and SMEs chose Morocco as a regional platform. From 2012 to 2018, Fathallah Sijil ...
Abdelhak Bassou
Senior Fellow
Abdelhak Bassou is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South and a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center. He is also an Affiliate Professor at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. Bassou has had an extensive career in Moroccan National Security, where he served in various capacities including as head of the border division from 1978 to 1993. He was the former director of the Royal Institute of Police in 1998 and served as Head of Regional Security (Errachidia 1999-2003, Sidi Kacem 2003-2005) and as Central Director of General Intelligence from 2006 to 2009.   He holds a master's degree in political science and international studies from the Faculty of Law, Economics, and Social Sciences in Rabat. His academic research delves into inte ...
Amira Abdelhalim
Expert in the African program, Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS)
Amira Mohamed Abdel-Halim is Senior Researcher in International Studies Unit in Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS). Dr Abdelhalim’s research focuses on African Affairs, especially in conflicts and terrorism in Africa. She holds a PhD in African Studies from Cairo University, on the African Security after the end of Cold War. A study of the sources of threat and methods of confrontation in the eastern and southern African regions. She contributed to the Annual African and Arabic Strategic reports, and writes regularly in Arab periodicals and online newspapers. She participated in international conferences, workshops both in Egypt and abroad, and trainings on conflict analysis. ...
Mohammed Loulichki
Senior Fellow
Mohammed Loulichki is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South and an Affiliate Professor at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. He brings over 40 years of comprehensive experience in diplomacy, conflict resolution, and human rights. He has served in various roles including as a member and Deputy Head of the Moroccan delegation to the 3rd Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982-1990), Head of the Department of Legal Affairs and Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1988-1991), and General Director for Multilateral Affairs in the same ministry (2003-2006).   He also acted as Morocco's Ambassador to Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia (1995-1999), and was the Moroccan Government's Ambassador Coordinator with MINURSO (1999-2001). Furthermore, he served ...
Patricia Lisa
Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute
Patricia Lisa is an Analyst at Elcano Royal Institute for EU and migration matters. She has been involved in international negotiations for more than ten years, representing public offices for European Affairs and government members in Portugal. She was a team member in the Portuguese (2007) and Spanish (2010) Presidencies of the Council of the EU, head delegate for Justice and Home Affairs at several EU working parties and deputy to the advisory Committee of Article 36 (pre Lisbon) for policy and judicial cooperation in penal matters. She has been a technical advisor to government members on EU and national law and participates in various networking projects, as a Contact Point for the European Judicial Network in penal matters. She is a member of the Bellevue Programme at th ...
Niklas Bremberg
Research Fellow, Swedish Institute of International Affairs – UI
Niklas Bremberg is a Senior Research Fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs and researcher at the Department of Government, Uppsala University. His research focuses on international practices, security communities, climate security governance and EU foreign and security policy, especially towards North Africa. He has been visiting researcher at the University of Toronto, the University of Liverpool, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the European Policy Centre in Brussels. Dr Bremberg holds a PhD in Political Science. His publications include the research monograph Diplomacy and Security Community-Building: EU Crisis Management in the Western Mediterranean and articles in e.g. Journal of Common Market Studies, WIRE: Climate Change, Cooperation & Confl ...