Atlantic Dialogues

Atlantic Dialogues
Name	Atlantic Dialogues
Founded	2006
Type	Conference series
Location	Casablanca, Morocco
Parent	Policy Center for the New South

Atlantic Dialogues The Atlantic Dialogues is an annual interregional forum convening policymakers, scholars, business leaders, and civil society actors from across the Atlantic Ocean rim to discuss strategic, political, and socioeconomic challenges. It emphasizes transatlantic and transatlantic–south dialogues, bringing together actors from North America, South America, Europe, and Africa to address issues such as security, trade, migration, climate change, and governance. The forum is organized by the Policy Center for the New South in Casablanca and is noted for combining track-one and track-two diplomacy with think tank networking.

Overview

The meeting assembles experts from institutions including the Brookings Institution, Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Council on Foreign Relations, International Crisis Group, Royal United Services Institute, European Council on Foreign Relations, Atlantic Council, Wilson Center, and the African Union Commission. Delegates have included representatives from national governments such as United States Department of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (France), Foreign Office (United Kingdom), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brazil), and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Morocco), as well as leaders from multilateral organizations like the United Nations, European Union, Economic Community of West African States, and Organization of American States. The agenda often references policy frameworks and agreements such as the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals, Treaty of Lisbon, and regional accords like the African Continental Free Trade Area.

History and Development

Launched in 2006, the forum emerged amid post-9/11 geopolitical realignments and rising South–South cooperation exemplified by gatherings like the G20 and BRICS. Early iterations reflected debates seen in venues such as the World Economic Forum, Munich Security Conference, and the Inter-American Dialogue. Over time the forum expanded to include leaders from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations Development Programme, African Development Bank, World Bank, and private sector participants from corporations with interests in transatlantic commerce, including executives linked to International Monetary Fund policy discussions and World Trade Organization negotiations. High-profile speakers have included former heads of state and government associated with institutions like the European Commission, African Union, Presidency of the United States, and notable ministers from Spain, Portugal, Canada, Argentina, and South Africa.

Organization and Governance

The conference is run by the Policy Center for the New South with governance input from an advisory board composed of directors and senior fellows from entities such as the Atlantic Council, Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Chatham House, Royal Institute of International Affairs, and African research centers like the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes and the South African Institute of International Affairs. Operational partners have included diplomatic missions from Morocco, delegations from the European External Action Service, and academic partners such as Harvard Kennedy School, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Sciences Po, Universidade de São Paulo, and University of Cape Town. Funding streams combine public grants, corporate sponsorship from multinational firms, and philanthropic support from foundations comparable to the Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation.

Annual Conferences and Thematic Agendas

Each edition convenes plenaries, roundtables, and closed-door workshops focused on themes drawn from contemporary crises and long-term structural trends. Past themes have intersected with agendas like counterterrorism responses shaped after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, migration dynamics tied to episodes such as the 2011 Libyan Civil War and the European migrant crisis, and economic discussions resonant with debates at the World Economic Forum about globalization and supply chains. Sessions frequently address climate and environment topics in the context of the Paris Agreement and negotiations at successive Conference of the Parties meetings, digital governance considerations echoing debates in the Internet Governance Forum, and security dialogues paralleling issues raised at the NATO summits. The program invites voices from the private sector, civil society organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and academic research centers.

Participants and Partnerships

Participants include heads of state, foreign ministers, defense ministers, parliamentarians, central bank governors, corporate CEOs, university presidents, and leaders of NGOs. Notable partner institutions have included the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, African Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and regional think tanks such as the Centro Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais and the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs. Regular delegations have come from countries including United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, South Africa, and Egypt.

Impact and Criticism

Proponents argue the forum facilitates sustained dialogue that influences policy networks and soft-power relationships among Atlantic actors, complementing formal diplomacy like bilateral summits and multilateral negotiations at the United Nations General Assembly or Summit of the Americas. Critics, drawing on debates common to forums such as the World Economic Forum and Munich Security Conference, contend that elite gatherings risk excluding grassroots movements and may privilege corporate and donor interests; observers compare these criticisms to critiques of the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization. Questions about measurable policy outcomes have led analysts to assess the forum’s role in norm diffusion, track-two diplomacy, and agenda-setting versus direct policy implementation, with evaluations citing examples from past collaborations involving the African Union and the European Union.

Category:International conferences