Ahead of the 14th session of its annual conference, “Atlantic Dialogues,” the Policy Center for the New South unveiled the 12th edition of its annual report, “Atlantic Currents,” on Thursday. This year’s report is titled: “The Extended Atlantic: Building Partnerships in a Time of Turmoil.”
As is customary every year, this edition, which was coordinated and its discussion moderated by diplomat Mohamed Loulichki, a prominent researcher at the center, serves as an intellectual and scientific introduction to the “Atlantic Dialogues” conference.
Lulishki, while presenting the report's themes and key maps, emphasized that"Atlantic currents" views the subject from "a panoramic and organized perspective on contemporary discussions and emerging ideas," stressing that "cooperation between countries of the South leads development and has become a structuring element of Atlantic dynamics."
Among the most prominent conclusions of the report, whose work was coordinated, the leading researcher at PCNS noted that “there is a shared vision of the Atlantic as a space, which is important for understanding the accelerating dynamics, especially economically and geopolitically,” considering that “Morocco has strengthened its position and influence as a country that connects Europe and the Atlantic space.”
While the detailed document represents “a reference tool for understanding the profound transformations taking place in the Atlantic space, and for envisioning prospects for building a more interconnected, cooperative, and supportive future among its peoples,” the expert speakers called for integrating young people as “policymakers” and shifting towards informal multilateral solutions to address the challenges of energy, trade, and security.
The same panel discussion looked ahead to the future of the wider Atlantic region with a “bold diagnosis” of the geopolitical reality, asserting that “the world is undergoing a period of profound transformations that require new mechanisms for cooperation and unprecedented flexibility.” The discussion highlighted three main themes: “the decline of traditional Western influence,” “the growing strategic importance of the African continent,” and the need to “harness the power of youth and technology to achieve sustainable development.”
Ronak Gopaldas, director of Signal Risk in South Africa, observed that “the current global political landscape is characterized by a ‘law of the jungle’ mentality, where self-interest is the strongest driver rather than values,” adding that “the era of values-driven US foreign policy is over,” replaced by an era focused on realpolitik and maximizing self-interest. This shift, he argues, is reflected in the architecture of international trade, as countries seek to diversify supply chains and hedge against political pressures, putting pressure on African ports and digital corridors.
The same speaker highlighted that “Africa is in the eye of the storm,” with discussions of “mineral resources and demographic transformation”; and today it is “the focus of geopolitical attention, as it faces escalating challenges from “resource nationalism” and accusations of “climate colonialism.”
Accordingly, some of the participating experts warned of “the possibility of a new Cold War centered on vital African minerals,” further highlighting “the sharp demographic disparity; while the global North suffers from an aging population, countries like Nigeria face the challenge of providing 12 million jobs annually to avoid a demographic catastrophe, which underscores the importance of exploiting the comparative advantages of the continent’s countries in the new world order.”
Key takeaways: “A new path for cooperation”
The discussion concluded with a number of conclusions and guidelines that should be adopted, most notably “shifting pluralism towards flexible solutions” and “linking infrastructure and capabilities,” while emphasizing that “the power of youth is not only in the position of recipient.”
According to what Hespress followed, the participants agreed that “formal multilateral institutions (such as the Security Council and the World Trade Organization) are facing a crisis,” so the solution lies in moving towards “more flexible and informal solutions,” citing as evidence “effective initiatives such as the Global Task Force on Piracy and the governance of submarine cables, which confirms the importance of public-private partnerships in managing global challenges.”
With nearly 40% of the world’s youth residing in Africa, experts emphasized the need to shift the role of young people from mere trainees to active co-creators of policy. Argentine Gastón Ocampo, Secretary General of the Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean, stated, “They must be actively involved in the decision-making process to ensure that policies respond to future challenges, particularly those related to the Fifth Industrial Revolution, characterized by digitalization, decarbonization, and data-driven development.”
In the field of digital infrastructure, he called for “not being satisfied with laying cables and erecting towers,” but rather “ensuring the building of knowledge and capabilities” in parallel with the development of infrastructure to ensure full and sustainable utilization.
The discussion underscored the importance of “low-carbon, decentralized, and integrated energy systems” in the Atlantic Basin. Experts stressed the need to increase the local value-added processing of vital minerals in Africa, rather than exporting them as raw materials, “to encourage green manufacturing, ensure market diversification, and avoid over-reliance on a single source.”
Their interventions converged on a crucial point of action: “A critical assessment of the obstacles to implementing the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, and finding ways to bridge the gap to achieve a broader, strategically interconnected Atlantic vision.”
Analysis of Atlantic Dynamics
“Atlantic Currents” provides an in-depth analysis of the dynamics shaping the broader Atlantic space and explores ways to transform it into a structured framework for cooperation and practical partnerships. This occurs within an international context where geopolitical tensions, technological shifts, and climate pressures are reshaping the global order. The centrality of the Atlantic space is no longer confined to its northern axis but now extends to its “broad basin,” which is establishing itself as a pivotal arena for political coordination, collective crisis management, and the renewal of North-South relations.
The new edition of the annual report highlights “the strategic role of the Greater Atlantic, not only as a geographical space, but as a platform for dialogue and reshaping partnerships, in a global environment that makes national resilience, synergy, and innovative forms of cooperation imperative.”
Lulishki explained that “the report contains thirty-three chapters, distributed across seven sections. This report was enriched by nearly forty experts and researchers from the public and private sectors and international organizations, representing twenty countries, eighteen of which are Atlantic countries. This diversity reflects the mosaic of experiences and visions that constitute the multifaceted identity of the Atlantic space.”
In terms of content, this issue goes beyond simply building upon previous editions, broadening the analytical lens to offer a deeper understanding of ongoing transformations. From a comprehensive perspective, it addresses the realignment of geopolitical forces, the shift in the nature of conflicts towards economic and cyber dimensions, and the emergence of new mediators who are redrawing the maps of power, influence, and leverage. This issue also highlights the intensifying global competition surrounding emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, vital resources, and deep-sea activities, which is reshaping alliances and underscoring the centrality of innovation in determining the geopolitical balance of power.
A complex interplay between climate, security and development
The dialectical interplay between climate, security and development is another key focus of this edition, which highlights the Atlantic basin as a space where the relationship between energy transition and sustainable governance has become essential.
The core message of the publication is “an explicit call to adopt a vision of the Atlantic as a common space for all humanity, not a stage for confrontation or sterile competition. It pays particular attention to the development of Atlantic regional frameworks towards innovative and more flexible forms of cooperation, based on thematic alliances rather than traditional institutional structures, which encourages the adoption of practical approaches that respond to diverse challenges, foremost among them the challenges of sustainability and the blue economy.”
