Supporting a Stable and Durable Regional Security Environment in North Africa
London, United Kingdom
While Europe is struggling with one of its worst migrant crisis in modern times, government officials, policy-makers, and the international community are increasingly urged to look at other strategies to tackle this increasingly pressing humanitarian and security dilemma. Controversial methods of closing down the borders and deporting illegal enterers are just not enough to deal with the reality of the push factors that represent the true motives behind these migration flows. With development, stability and security increasingly seen as being interconnected, this conference series will explore the economic, political and security challenges to Africa and ask whether it is time for Europe and the UK following the Brexit, to treat Africa as more than simply a security issue to be managed.
Beyond the lawlessness and the escalating violence that exists in some countries of origin, migrants and refugees are generally drawn to Europe with hopes of better and decent living conditions that could provide them with a secured life and access to their basic daily needs (security, housing, education, healthcare, food, work opportunities ...). This situation is challenging host countries to review and tighten their security and surveillance measures to respond to the exploitation by terrorist groups of this security mess. In this sense, the heightened border security concerns that African and European states are currently facing highlight the necessity to address and real development issues that undermine the achievement of sustainable stability and security in the southern shores of the Mediterranean. The past years have therefore, emphasized once more, the close interconnectedness between the social, political and economic spheres to maintain stability and security -a mechanism that provides a solid platform for the implementation of tangible human security and development initiatives-.
At the heart of this conference will be an attempt to address the impact from the Brexit on the EU and the UK’s relationships with the African continent and to move on from a fixation on short-term security challenges to a wider look at the long-term drivers of instability. This conference hopes to offer a few answers as to how Europe –taking into account the possibilities following the Brexit– and regional powers such as Morocco can live up to the responsibility of ensuring human security within an evolving and increasingly challenging context.
Agenda
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09:00 - 09:30 |
Registration |
| 09:30 - 09:45 |
Opening Remarks |
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Part I: Prospects and Impacts of the Post –Brexit EU and Africa |
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| 09:45 - 11:15 |
PANEL I: THE IMPACT OF ‘BREXIT’ ON REGIONAL STABILITY IN THE MAGHREB With the forthcoming departure of Britain from the European Union (EU) the EU may lose one of its major security actors. Given the prominence of EU-led projects across North Africa, whether they relate to economic development or countering violent extremism, the future of Britain’s involvement in the region could have a major impact on regional stability and security. This session will discuss the future of regional stability in the Maghreb after ‘Brexit’, examining what new role Britain will create for itself in the region. Chair: Speakers: |
| 11:15 - 11:30 |
Coffee Break |
| 11:30 - 13:00 |
PANEL II: THE FUTURE STRUCTURE OF THE EU AND ITS IMPACT ON EU-AFRICA RELATIONS The impact of ‘Brexit’ will be far-reaching and profound, not least for the EU as a whole. With the departure of one of its major members, serious questions are being asked about the relevance of the EU in an increasingly competitive, diverse and fluid world. The EU will have to evolve in order to meet this challenge, but it is not yet clear what future shape it will, and what impact this will have on its relationship with the rest of the world, including with Africa. Looking through the ‘crystal ball’, this panel will discuss the likely future direction of the EU and what this means for EU-Africa relations. Chair: Speakers: |
| 13:00 - 14:00 |
Lunch Break |
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Part II: Security and Stability Dimensions in Europe and North Africa |
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| 14:00 - 15:30 |
PANEL III: DEVELOPMENTS IN BORDER CONTROLS AND THE FUTURE OF THE MIGRATION CRISIS Europe has seen unprecedented levels of migration from the Middle East and Africa in the last two to three years, driven first and foremost by the conflict in Syria but also by the lack of economic opportunity across many countries in Africa. This has fuelled a boom in drug trafficking, which has caused problems not only for Europe, but also for North Africa, which plays host to many of the major transit routes to Europe. Looking at future developments in border controls, including the use of bilateral and multilateral agreements to patrol the waters between the continents, this session will ask how the two regions can work together to manage the crisis and its impact on drug trafficking. Chair: Speakers: |
| 15:30 - 15:45 |
Coffee Break |
| 15:45 - 17:15 |
PANEL IV: DEVELOPING STABILITY AND SECURITY THROUGH THE USE OF SOFT POWER IN AFRICA Britain is well-known for its fabled soft power, with its popular cultural exports across the globe, the dominance of the English language in international business and good-will engendered by its long-serving and popular monarch. Using this soft power in a conscious way to influence and guide other nations however is a more complicated matter. It is clear that soft power has a role to play in promoting peace, stability and development in Africa, but the question is how best it can do so. The panel will look at this topic in more detail and ask how best soft power can be translated in positive and meaningful changes across Africa. Chair: Speakers: |
| 17:15 - 17:30 |
Closing Remarks - Karim El Aynaoui, Managing Director, OCP Policy Center |