The Advisory Committee of the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa meets twice a year – on-line in the spring and in-person in the autumn. The annual in-person meeting of the Committee was held in Amman on November 21st to 23rd 2023 and aimed at assessing past activities and to get the Advisory Committee’s recommendations for the upcoming year, considering effective ways to navigate the current situation and the developments in the region.
The discussions centred around challenges and opportunities for dialogue in the context of the critical developments in the region and how to foster dialogue between Europe and the MENA region.
The members of the Committee stressed the crucial role of dialogue initiatives in promoting open communication and bridge-building and highlighted the significant challenges posed by recent developments in the region, emphasizing the importance of a nuanced approach to dialogue efforts. Concerns were expressed about the impact of recent events on humanitarian and security issues and worries were raised about a growing trust-gap in EU-MENA relations. Safeguarding moderate voices through engagement was highlighted, as well as the need of adapting dialogue strategies to address emerging issues, promote regional stability, and contribute to sustainable peace.
