Interview with the Amadeus Institute for Les Echos Quotidien
The Amadeus Institute was invited by the United Nations to participate in the development of recommendations to "improve UN support of Africa in conflict resolution and development." What motivated the choice of the UN and what was the response of the Amadeus Institute?
First of all, let’s make it clear: the Amadeus Institute has not become a "consultant" for the UN. The UN wishes to summarize the last ten years in terms of conflict management in Africa. The MEDays forum that we organize addressed this topic last November.
Expert African political figures, directly concerned with these issues, have proposed numerous ideas and recommendations. The UN has invited our Institute, as well as many African and international research centres, to contribute to these topics.
The objective is to examine all the recommendations in order to improve intervention and prevention methods and guarantee peace. Given what is happening today in the Sahel region, could it become a greater threat to the region? In the Sahel region, sub-Saharan states such as Mali and Mauritania need greater assistance from international partners but also from their neighbors. They are subject to large international drug trafficking networks and to terrorist networks.
Take for example the aircraft abandoned in November 2009 near Goa, Mali. It probably served to transport cocaine from Venezuela (source UNODC), or for AQIM to conduct abductions in southern Tunisia. We should not dramatize the situation, but the problem may get worse if nothing is done. The MEDays 2009 Forum concluded that it was necessary to build a real strategic partnership in this area with the super powers and neighbouring states.
For this partnership to be effective, there are three main principles needed. One must reinforce: democratic states, security cooperation and development assistance. All three are interdependent. The drug trafficking problem concerns three continents. Why not start 5+5 summits and include Latin American countries, such as Venezuela and Colombia, in order to coordinate efforts against these networks which can destabilize entire countries? At the end of the last Armonk preparatory talks for the fifth round of negotiations on the Sahara, what is the Amadeus Institute’s view on the future of the region (the Sahara)?
In principle, it is the responsibility of the Institute not to comment on the ongoing negotiations led by the United Nations. We note with satisfaction the return of the Polisario and Algeria to the negotiating table. Christopher Ross, the personal envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Sahara, stated that Armonk is a tool to restore trust between all parties for a probable fifth round of negotiations.
The Amadeus Institute, as specified in its charter, also works for the political and economic integration of the Maghreb. We agree with most of the international community that the Moroccan proposal for autonomy is the most concrete and credible means to finally reach a negotiated political solution for an integrated Maghreb. Can we have an idea about the impact of the Amadeus Institute?
First, a think tank is not intended to replace rulers. Secondly, lobbying should not be considered as the evil spirit of public policy makers. We are helping to put ideas forward... I admit in an unconventional manner sometimes. Our influence is that of the proposal, and of the impact in the debate. The more we propose, explain and develop, the more people will imitate us, and the greater our influence will be. Today, the Amadeus Institute may be rightly regarded as the most influential politically independent think tank in the Arab world and Africa.
We enjoy an international recognition thanks to the outspokenness that prevails in our discussions. All those who have chosen easy criticism rather than positive criticism and who question our expertise are invited to go beyond conventional prejudiced ideas. We would like them to look more at our achievements and attend our events, which are open to the public.
How do our teams work at the Institute’s Center of Analysis and Publications? Do they seek other researchers’ and professionals’ collaboration outside the Institute? The Center of Analysis and Publication (CAP) is the "mind" of all the Institute’s scientific activities. It is the laboratory of ideas within our structure. With a focus on both strategy and event organisation, it targets, questions and frames MEDays and identifies the event’s potential participants. CAP prepares the draft of the Declaration of Tangier and selects the sectoral recommendations that emerge from the Forum. In March, the Amadeus Institute will publish its work devoted to the "Middle Class and Education," under the umbrella theme "Moroccan socio-economic development."
The White Book is a diagnosis of our educational system as far as training and promotion of the middle class are concerned. It’s the outcome of collaboration between the Entrepreneurship Club and researchers outside the Institute. Increasing this kind of collaboration to produce more publications has a cost. Today, we have sponsors especially for major events like the MEDays, which is quite profitable for firms in terms of media coverage. However, we hope that they will equally support us in our research activities.
Contrary to some beliefs, the Amadeus Institute is a non-profit organization that does not receive any government grants. We therefore ask private establishments to participate in the promotion of the first major think tank in Morocco in order to voice the concerns of the South in the international arena. Meanwhile, we continue to build partnerships with several foreign universities and think tanks and exchange with their community of experts.
Are you already working on MEDays 2010? We started working on MEDays 2010 right after the opening of the 2009 edition. The generic theme, the three A's: Africa, Latin America and Asia, has been launched. The aim is to analyse the shared experiences of the countries of the three Southern continents on common and universal themes. Trade, democratization, technology transfer and international institutions are among the many issues developing countries can debate and reflect upon. We expect to involve the emerging countries in this process. They have a crucial role. They will be the engine needed for the less developed countries.
