Scenarios for the Mediterranean Region

The Mediterranean: A Critical Future

The Mediterranean area represents a geographic nexus between Europe, Africa, and Asia. But within this nexus are a range of global challenges, local concerns and international opportunities that have the power to shape the future of the entire region.

Currently, reflections on the future challenges and opportunities of the region are mediated mainly via political frameworks, such as the Barcelona Process and the recent Union for the Mediterranean, and via bilateral channels.

Senior policymakers and business leaders at the World Economic Forum’s Annual meetings in 2009 and 2010 and at the Forum’s Middle East Summit in May 2009 highlighted the need to complement existing processes with a deep multi-stakeholder reflection process on a neutral platform.The Scenarios for the Mediterranean Region project aims to explore areas for collaboration to strengthen the region’s long-term competitiveness.

Outcomes and deliverables

The process will have achieved its goal if:
There emerge new ideas and insights into the underlying dynamics shaping the region’s future competitiveness environment

An open, safe dialogue will have enabled new connections between regional stakeholders, including high-level decision makers, senior industry leaders and representatives of international institutions
There is a basis for discussing and identifying new collaborative options to strengthen the region’s long-term competitiveness
The process involves a series of interviews, workshops and strategic dialogues between experts and stakeholders of the region.
The outcomes of the process will be presented in a publication and a video to catalyze continued dialogue and engagement.

Approach

The process uses the Forum’s Multi-stakeholder Scenario Planning methodology, which has been designed to:

Generate insight for stakeholders with regard to complex environments
Build new or strengthen existing connections and communities based on mutual trust
Catalyze action by identifying collaborative strategic options

This approach has proven to be a useful tool and effective process for engaging a broad range of stakeholders with diverse perspectives in productive, strategic dialogues.

Benefits and Value Proposition

By creating realistic, tangible, and challenging scenarios supported by macro-economic data and interdisciplinary research, this work aims to provide extensive value to a range of Forum stakeholders:
To explore and align perspectives, build communities and enhance mutual understanding and trust between stakeholders critical to the future of the Mediterranean
To provide policymakers with useful insights on possible future contexts for regional competitiveness, thereby informing policies and governance structures
To provide industry players with insights relevant to long-term investment and the management of future opportunities and risks for business in the region
To provide international institutions and NGOs with useful insights and enabling activities to support sustainable social and economic development

Contact information:
Sofiane Khatib, Associate Director, Middle East Team
Kristel Van der Elst, Director, Head of Scenario Planning Team