Mediterranean challenges require policymakers to strengthen regional cooperation
Over more than four decades of diplomatic service—followed by eight years as Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean—one truth became unmistakably clear to me: the challenges facing our region exceed the capacity of any single state to confront them alone. I have sat with ministers from countries caught in the flames of intense conflicts, listened to climate scientists sounding the alarm over the accelerating pace of climate change in the Mediterranean basin and its enormous consequences, and met families forced to flee under the weight of war, economic decline, and environmental pressure.
The scenes were many, but the conclusion was one: there is no path forward except genuine cooperation that rises above disputes and borders. As we mark the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace—which affirms the importance of cooperation among states through shared rules and institutions to address cross-border challenges—we renew our commitment to this approach. Unlike bilateralism or unilateralism, multilateralism does not reduce international relations to calculations of power balances or narrow interests. Rather, it enables a more balanced, effective, and sustainable collective response based on dialogue and openness.
Nowhere is the importance of multilateralism clearer than in the Mediterranean. Water scarcity, extreme heatwaves, threats to food and energy security, youth unemployment, migration, and the consequences of conflicts are all interconnected challenges that transcend borders and directly affect the stability of societies and ecosystems on all shores of the Mediterranean.
Despite the importance of collective action, international multilateral institutions are facing unprecedented pressures. They are sometimes criticized as slow, detached from reality, or limited in effectiveness. Some of this criticism is justified: procedural systems can overshadow results, and commitments do not always translate into tangible outcomes. Yet shortcomings in performance do not justify abandoning multilateralism or retreating inward. Rather, they require reforming international frameworks and making them more efficient.
More concerning still is the growing tendency to undermine the foundations of international cooperation. Some agreements that took decades to build are now being shaken or questioned. Development financing faces mounting pressures, while global trade frameworks are undergoing severe tests. At the same time, reliance on unilateral approaches in managing international relations is increasing at the expense of collective action. The idea of national withdrawal is no longer a fringe discourse; it has become a political trend embraced by some states that see it as a means of maximizing their interests and dominance. Thus, isolationism is no longer a marginal concept debated in limited forums—it has become an aggressively promoted political direction, even among countries that have much to lose in a fragmented world governed by chaos rather than rules.
We are not facing a temporary disruption, but a deeper transformation in how international relations are managed—one with direct implications for regions such as the Mediterranean, where no single country can confront shared challenges alone.
In this context, the Union for the Mediterranean stands out as a unifying framework for forty-three countries from Europe, North Africa, and West Asia, bound by a shared commitment rooted in the Barcelona Declaration of 1995. The idea was clear then, and remains so today: stability and development in the region are interconnected, and meaningful progress can only be achieved through structured and sustainable cooperation.
This Euro-Mediterranean cooperation has already produced tangible results for the region. Through the work of the Union for the Mediterranean, numerous projects and grant programs have enabled tens of thousands of young people and women to access employment opportunities, acquire new skills, and receive support for entrepreneurship. Through the Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change network, scientific findings are translated into shared policy recommendations. Platforms such as the Blue Mediterranean Partnership bring together public and private actors to finance projects responding to urgent environmental pressures. These are not merely theoretical commitments, but practical achievements that demonstrate what regional cooperation can deliver when matched by political will and implementation.
Thirty years after the Barcelona Declaration, the Union’s member states met last November and adopted a strategic vision focused on increasing investment in youth and mobility, strengthening cooperation in climate, water, energy, and transport, and building stronger economic ties that support long-term stability. These priorities reflect not only the needs of the region, but also the understanding that common challenges can only be met through collective responses.
At a time marked by geopolitical tension and uncertainty, preserving this cooperation requires political will, sustained engagement, and a firm belief that dialogue and partnership are more valuable than division. The continued work of forty-three countries together within this framework is, in itself, an important political signal—one that keeps alive hope for a brighter future for the region.
Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Originally published in Al-Masry Al-Youm.
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