New York (UN) – Morocco and Spain, in their capacity of members of Friends of Mediation group launched, Friday in New York, an initiative on the “Promotion of Mediation in the region of Mediterranean.”
The initiative comes as a reaction to the developments in the region of north Africa, and the need for a new and reinforced global partnership, as well as the firm will of a number of actors to encourage the efforts of mediation to end conflicts,” Moroccan Foreign Minister, Saad Dine el Otmani said.
Morocco and Spain, he said, aim through this initiative to develop the practice of mediation in the Mediterranean region as a tool of settling conflicts, adding that the action of the civil society and of the academics will be welcome in this regard, and the door will be open for including mediation in university syllabi.
He said there is potential to work with other countries in the region as well as regional and international organisation to succeed this initiative.
El Otmani noted that the first meeting of the initiative will be held in Madrid in November 2012, and the second will be hosted by Rabat in 2013, adding that other events could then follow in New York or the countries of the region.
