| The intercultural dialogue
in the Mediterranean
EUROMED CIVIL FORUM
Malta, 11-13 April 1997
Final Declaration by the participants of the EuroMed Civil Forum
One of the most novel aspects of the Declaration of Barcelona resulting
from the EU's Interministerial Euro-Mediterranean Conference held
in November 1995 was the incorporation of Civil Society as an intermediary
within the Euro-Mediterranean partnership process.
This declaration has been reaffirmed during the Conference on Governance
in the Euro-Med Region held this year in the Hague. Given the proviso
that the participation of Civil Society is guaranteed to be on equal
terms, this move goes towards fostering rapprochement and mutual
understanding on both North-South and South-South axes and amounts
to a great step forward in the general process of Euro-Mediterranean
cooperation and the fulfilment of this cooperation's goals.
The Declaration also highlights the fact that, for the participation
of Civil Society to be effective, it is necessary to provide it
with the technical and financial support so that it can express
its opinions and direct the spotlight as regards the needs and demands
of the different Mediterranean realities that together go to make
up the whole.
When evaluating the Declaration of Barcelona, the Civil EuroMed
Forum praised its call for greater participation of the Mediterranean
countries' civil groups which, furthermore, served as a stimulus
as regards both the protection of human rights and the consolidation
of democratic institutions. At the same time, however, it became
obvious that some essential areas such as migration and the role
of women and various important sectors -research, training and communications-
had not been taken sufficiently into account. The financing framework
developed by the EU for the Mediterranean also received praise,
although it was noted that the process for acceding to this financing
was not sufficiently clear.
Following this, representatives of the Civil Society meeting at
the EuroMed Forum Malta, and on the occasion of the II Euro-Mediterranean
Conference of the European Union in Malta, next 15 and 16 April,
1997, declare the following:
- A year and a half on from the Interministerial Euro-Mediterranean
Conference and the Civil EuroMed Forum, the balance of development
in the bilateral field both in the political and financial ambits
has been positive in some aspects. In other areas, however, this
has not been the case. For example, the delay in the operation of
the MEDA programme has hampered the intercultural initiatives proposed
at Barcelona, thus weakening the spirit of the partenariat approach.
- Furthermore, the funding allocated to decentralised cooperation
is limited to 10 per cent of total disbursements. The Civil Forum
notes that, since Barcelona, the MED programmes have been inoperative.
The participants call upon the European Union to re-launch the MED
programmes. They also recommend the creation of a general EuroMed
programme aimed at youth, with a focus on the setting up of a Euro-Mediterranean
Youth Council as well as a training programme on the lines of the
Socrates model.
- As regards the Declaration of Barcelona's third axis (referring
to the social, cultural and human aspects), development has been
slower and more arduous than expected. Progress over the last 16
months has been very limited, as can be seen from the modest results
of the different ministerial meetings, although it is fair to underline
the 17 projects that have been supported in the cultural heritage
field. Our hope is that this support will lead to a sustainable
programme dedicated to the promotion of Mediterranean cultural heritage.
Similar support should be given to the access of cooperation of
regional organisations of the Mediterranean basin.
- In order to gain credibility and legitimacy in the Euro-Med region,
intercultural dialogue implies taking a firm stance against social
exclusion, racism and xenophobia. With social tensions remaining
a serious obstacle to a durable peace in the region, the participants
agree that mobility, the promotion of and respect for human rights
and the strengthening of freedom of expression are major requirements
for the political, economic and social development of the Euro-Mediterranean
region.
- The participants of the EuroMed Civil Forum held in Malta agree
that the strength of the Civil Society lies in its diversity. They
consider that it has become necessary to create appropriate mechanisms
aimed at the reinforcement of the Civil Forum in order that it may
interface more closely with the European Union and its Euro-Mediterranean
partners. This mechanism should permit the development of regular
contact between the different dimensions established by the Barcelona
Declaration.
The participants of the EuroMed Civil Forum in Malta
La Valletta, Malta - 13 April 1997
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