The Arab World in a changing International Order

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The Colloquia on Science Diplomacy organized by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the International Organizations and Foreign Diplomatic Missions in Italy, promotes the values of Diplomacy and Science in international relations as fundamental principles to be pursued in the modus operandi and the modus vivendi of modern society. In the Colloquia the most important personalities of world institutions and the presidents of the most prestigious academies will discuss various topics and future developments of interest for the international community.

The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei is pleased to announce the Special Event “The Arab World in a changing International Order” by H.E. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, which will took place at the Colloquia on March 2nd, 2022, at 4:00 pm CET. 

We are witnessing a unique moment in the history of the international order as we have known it since the end of the World War II. Great power competition is already impacting dynamics in different regions around the globe, including the Arab region which is in turn going through a difficult moment marked by transformations and disruptions. It is thus important to analyze how great power competition is seen from the Arab perspective and assess its implication on the regional order.

The previous decade was a tumultuous one in the Arab region, with social orders exploding and a number of countries descending into utter chaos. The regional balance has been shifting to the benefit of non-Arab powers, exploiting the upheaval, and trying to maximize their spheres of influence by gaining footholds in Arab countries, including through militias and proxies.

Major Arab States have been facing new challenges as prolonged crises engulfed countries like Syria, Libya and Yemen, with catastrophic human and strategic consequences. The vacuum that ensued the unraveling of political orders in those countries was soon to be filled by international and regional players as well as by terrorist groups, which prolonged and complicated those conflicts. No doubt that Great power competition and the prevailing perception of American withdrawal from the Middle East made those conflicts all the more intractable.

In the face of such tremendous challenges, the Arab system, embodied by the Arab League, is fighting an uphill battle to defend the entities of nation states against the many threats they face, in particular militias and proxies as well as regional expansionist ambitions. In the aftermath of a turbulent decade, a number of Arab players look for pathways to de-escalation and peaceful settlements of conflicts, as it became clear that only political solutions could end crises and bring regional stability.

The welcome speech has been delivered by Prof. Roberto Antonelli, President of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.

The Lectio Magistralis of H.E. Ahmed Aboul Gheit has been introduced by H.E. Amb. Pasquale Ferrara, Director General for Political and Security Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and has been followed by a Round Table, moderated by Prof. Wolfango Plastino, Chair of the Colloquia on Science Diplomacy, which has been attended by Prof. Sabah Al Momin, Vice President of The World Academy of Sciences and Prof. Alberto Quadrio Curzio, President Emeritus of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.