Middle East and North Africa Program

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Since the uprisings of 2011, the Middle East and North Africa have been in upheaval. With few exceptions, developments have been alarming. A wave of violence – which, even for this strife-prone region, has been unprecedented – as well as intra-societal, interstate, and regional conflicts continue to destabilize the region with direct consequences for Europe. Keeping apace with the dynamics of events there requires continual analysis and debate. This is the only way to further develop impactful local, German, and European policies for dealing with these challenges.

This is where the DGAP’s Middle East and North Africa Program comes in. Its workshops, background discussions, and publications aim to break down complexities, generate knowledge, develop solutions, and create understanding for the interests and needs of countries both in the region and abroad. This approach results in recommendations for meaningful courses of action for key players in Germany and Europe, as well as those in the Middle East and North Africa. To achieve its goals, the program works closely with experts and opinion leaders from all countries concerned. The program’s alumni network is comprised of some 500 experts from the region.

Since 2017, the program has supported think tanks and similar institutions in Morocco, Tunisia, and Jordan to help them professionalize their work and build their capacity for providing policy analysis and advice.

From 2011 to 2016, the program’s work focused on topics related to Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey. It examined both domestic political developments and regional dynamics that affected these countries, as well the quality and impact of European and international policy concerning them.

From 2014 to 2019, the program had a research project on the involvement of the Gulf States in Egypt and Tunisia and the political and economic implications of this support.

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Publications

In the media

Events

Past events

17:30 - 19:30 | 13 Mar 2018

The Gulf Crisis - Political, Economic, and International Implications

In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed travel and trade bans. They accused Qatar of sponsoring terrorist organizations, of keeping close ties with Iran, and of undermining regional stability. Since then, the relations between Qatar and the blockade states have deteriorated and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has increasingly weakened through fragmentation. Oman and Kuwait have failed to mediate the conflict; international actors such as the United States, France or Germany also faced the same fate.

Veranstaltung Forschungsprogramm
Expertenrunde
Berlin
10:00 | 07 - 10 Dec 2017

Workshop “Promotion of Think Tank Work on Migration and Socio-Economic Challenges in Morocco”

From December 7–10 2017, the DGAP’s MENA Program hosts a workshop in Berlin, which focuses on the promotion of think tank work on migration and socio-economic challenges in Morocco. The workshop is the first of two workshops that give participants the opportunity to analyze and tackle complex issues related to socio-economic development and migration in Morocco through discussions with experts and the presentation of their own policy papers and policy recommendations. In addition, participants will receive training in policy paper writing.

Think Tank Veranstaltung
Berlin
10:00 | 07 - 10 Dec 2017

Socio-Economic Challenges in Morocco (Workshop I)

Employment, Education, and Migration – Perspectives from the Region and Europe

The Moroccan king’s readiness to introduce reforms in response to the mass protests in 2011 has prevented the kind of radical change occurring in many other countries in the MENA region, and has maintained the country’s relative stability. However, Morocco’s social peace remains fragile. Social unrest has flared up recurrently, most prominently in the Rif region, as socio-economic grievances persist.

Program Event
Berlin
09:00 - 18:00 | 05 Dec 2017

Rome Med 2017: Mediterranean Dialogues

Charting New Paths For the Mediterranean

ROME MED: MEDITERRANEAN DIALOGUES is an annual high-level initiative organized by the Italian foreign ministry and the Italian Institute for International Political Studies. The MENA Program of the German Council on Foreign Relations was on of the scientific partners to the conference.

Program Event
Diskussion
09:00 | 06 - 09 Sep 2017

Tunisia’s Rocky Road to Stability (Workshop II)

Security Sector Reform, (De-)Radicalization and Socio-Economic Development – Perspectives from the Region and Europe

The workshop in Tunis was the second in a workshop series devoted to the subjects of security sector reform, combatting radicalization and socio-economic development in Tunisia. It brought together mid-level experts who work in the field of policy analysis and advice in think tanks, academic research institutions, or comparable organizations, and who had previously attended a workshop in Berlin in July, to discuss with decision-makers the options for action in the field.

Think Tank Event
09:00 | 12 - 15 Jul 2017

Tunisia’s Rocky Road to Stability: Security Sector Reform, (De-)Radicalization and Socio-Economic Development

Perspectives from the Region and Europe (Workshop I)

Despite the progress Tunisia has made in the past years, corruption and the high frequency of changes in government have hampered socio-economic development and political reform. These grievances have led to a growing disenfranchisement with the political process, particularly among the youth. Radical groups have been gaining a stronger foothold among politically and socioeconomically marginalized groups in Tunisia.

Think Tank Veranstaltung
Diskussion

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