Political will behind Mediterranean solidarity.

 

 

n 3 and 4 October, Malaga hosted the first “Summit of Cities and Local Governments of the Mediterranean” to discuss the development of a Mediterranean Digital Space (MDS) in which solidarity prevails. Malaga City Council is the first local authority in the European Union to commit to addressing this issue, which is vital for the future of the region. Moving from words to action, Malaga City Council – with the support of the private sector – has set up a Permanent Secretariat to oversee the development of this Mediterranean Digital Space. The Permanent Secretariat will use information and communication technology (ICT) to fashion a new Mediterranean identity. Incorporating ICT as a constituent element of an emerging territory is a bold gamble. If the experience proves successful, it could be replicated in other regions of the world (Africa, Latin America, south-east Asia, the Caribbean, etc.).

This initiative will only succeed if it is supported by all Mediterranean stakeholders – whether from the private sector, civil society, cultural circles or public authorities – within the framework of a strong public-private partnership. The Permanent Secretariat will also have the task of proving that the emergence of a Mediterranean identity will benefit all concerned. This proof will only become available once the inhabitants of the Mediterranean begin to see tangible benefits of this new citizenship. The integration processes that all the Mediterranean states commenced on 13 July 2008, under the impetus of President Sarkozy, is a promising start to this project.

Malaga City Council proposed that the MDS be financed through the adoption by all Mediterranean public bodies of the “1% digital solidarity” contribution, and undertook to apply this principle itself, becoming the first Mediterranean local authority to take concrete action in this direction. The Summit Declaration urges all Mediterranean local authorities and national governments to follow this example. It now falls to each partisan of the Mediterranean cause to take up this challenge and assume its responsibility.

The Global Digital Solidarity Fund has promised to support the Permanent Secretariat, which will now act as a regional intermediary for all the actions of the Fund in the Mediterranean area.