The Atlantic Dialogues International Conference ”Atlantic Dynamics: Overcoming the Choke Points”
The 7th edition of the International Atlantic Dialogues Conference will take place from 13 to 15 December in Marrakech, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
Organized by the Policy Center for the New South think tank - OCP Policy Center's new name as of December 7 - this high-level meeting with 350 participants from 90 different nationalities in attendance, will address the major geopolitical and economic issues of the Atlantic Basin.
Overcoming the choke points
The theme for this year's conference echoes significant trends, e.g. the rise of populism, the most recent presidential election in Brazil and US foreign policy as it challenges the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the World Trade
Organization (WTO).
Other Key cross-cutting issues remain on the agenda, namely the contrasting demographics of North and South, the human dimension of the migration crisis, resource mobilization in the face of climate change, and the prospect of a new
international financial crisis.
Providing new frameworks of understanding
Since its inception in 2012, the conference has sought to bring the South Atlantic to the forefront of global geopolitical debate. Its original and informal format provides for conversations on an equal footing, frankly addressing real issues in a fact-based debate. The Atlantic Currents report, which annually follows up on reflections made at the conference, will be presented on December 13 prior to the opening conversation, "Populism and Post-Truth Politics: resentment in the face of globalization".
Beyond observation, the Atlantic Dialogues seek to develop an alternative discourse and sketch out solutions, contrasting points of view of various panelists from both North and South. Anchored in Morocco, a country bordering both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Dialogues cultivate African excellence, open-mindedness and a great diversity.
Intercontinental and inter-generational dialogue
This year's guests will come from the Middle East and North Africa (25%), Sub-Saharan Africa (22%), Europe (21%), North America (16%) and South America (11%). They come from the fields of politics, business (15%), research (13%) and think tanks (15%), the public sector (13%), international organizations (11%), civil society (10%) and the media (9%).
Among political leaders in attendance are five former heads of state including Pedro Pires (Cabo Verde), 15 ministers and former ministers, including Anabel Gonzalez (Costa Rica), former Minister of Foreign Trade, Amre Moussa (Egypt), former Secretary-General of the Arab League, Lloyd Axworthy (Canada), President of the World Refugee Council, as well as several other senior diplomats.
As in previous years, the Atlantic Dialogues make room for youth, with 46 selected young leaders aged 23 to 35 participating in the conference. Hailing from 25 countries, these have attended training workshops by high-level experts and keynote guests of the
conference on December 11 and 12, before fully participating in the Atlantic Dialogues.
Reminder: Themes from previous editions
2012 – Changing mental maps, rediscovering the Atlantic.
2013 – Atlantic Societies - growth, change and adaptation.
2014 – The new Atlantic equation: convergence, cooperation and partnerships.
2015 – Assessing global risks.
2016 – Changing mental maps: strategies for an Atlantic in transition.
2017 – Africa in the Atlantic: Time for Action.
Media Contacts Atlantic Dialogues
Sabine Cessou scessou@gmail.com, s.Cessou@ocppcnet.ma /Tel : + 336 70 87 20 05
Faiza Boufala fairouze_1@yahoo.fr / Tel : +212 614 32 19 00
Emerging Leaders
Lilia Rizk Lilia.rizk@ocppc.ma, Tel : +212 6 66 93 89 06
Atlantic Currents Reports
Maha Skah m.skah@ocppcnet.ma, Tel : + 33 634 57 23 80
About the Policy Center for the New South
Formerly known as the OCP Policy Center, the PCNS is a Moroccan think tank launched in 2014 in Rabat, with 39 associate researchers from both South and North. With a Southern perspective on the challenges facing developing countries, it aims to
support strategic decisions in four main areas: agriculture, environment and food security; economy and social development; raw materials and finance; geopolitics and international relations.