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Welcome Address by His Excellency George Vella, President of Malta at the Young Mediterranean Voices Regional Leadership Seminar Sant’Anton Palace, 22 November 2019 Theme for Day 5: Practicing Advocacy Director of the MEDAC, Professor Stephen Calleya Head of the European Commission Representation, Elena Grech Dear Youth Leaders, - Welcome to Sant’ Anton Palace. It is a real pleasure to be here with you this morning. I want to start off, by thanking Professor Calleya and MEDAC, who together with the Anna Lindh Foundation organised this second Regional Leadership Seminar within the ambit of the Young Mediterranean Voices. - I understand that in the past four days you have already discussed cultural intelligence, climate change, migration, journalism and the media, the set up of the European Union and its Neighbourhood policy. A sincere well done for the choice of topics as these are very topical themes. - As some of you might be aware, the Young Mediterranean Voices Initiative was launched by Federica Mogherini during the 2016 Anna Lindh Foundation MED FORUM that was held in Valletta. During that time, I was still serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs and this initiative was very much at the heart of Malta’s policy towards giving a fresh impetus to the Mediterranean Dialogue. - Malta had maintained that ‘throughout this broad effort on multiple fronts and at different levels we must however bear one thing firmly in mind. We need to engage young people directly and ensure that they themselves are a part of this conversation. It is the most natural thing in the world for us to do whatever we can to protect our children, be they teenagers or young adults, but we need to realise that in order to render our efforts in the context of anti-radicalisation more effective, we need to listen to their 1 views as well. It is high time to stop talking to young people on radicalisation and start talking with them.’ The role of Youth in the Mediterranean Region - And you might ask why would Malta be so passionate about youth and their potential? The answer is very simple and very clear at the same time. Young leaders like you are the real motivators for change. You have the stamina and the ideas to achieve solutions that current leaders are still debating upon. - This is how a young country like Malta thrived throughout the years, because there were young people like you who had a vision and were determined enough to implement it. - In order to identify what needs to be done and how to implement it, one needs tools and guidance. The Regional Leadership Seminar is a perfect platform for this. You have a sterling opportunity to meet with other young leaders from all areas of Europe and the Mediterranean. - This is crucial, especially in a region like ours which is unfortunately not void of conflict, meeting other young leaders will enrich your understanding of other cultures, religions, customs and traditions which ultimately influences policy making. Education and Mobility - As Nelson Mandela said, education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. In this regard, education remains a key factor to ensure the fostering of a common understanding between us. The more we know about each other the less barriers we have in building trustworthy and long-lasting relationships. - As a young student myself, back in the 1960s, aside from my studies, the travels that I made during that time have enabled me to see the world in a different light. Just like you are doing now, I had learnt the value of bridging cultures and the importance of seeking first-hand knowledge. Weighing the opinion of others is important, as is, taking time to research new knowledge. 2 - Whilst you are together, but also back in your own countries, ensure that you spearhead a culture of persuasion rather than confrontation. In this regard, you will be able to influence policy that brings peoples and nations together rather than creating distrust. I therefore encourage you, to continue debating and sharing ideas on how we can ensure that our Euro- Mediterranean region can become more stable and peaceful. Security - It comes to no surprise that security is always at the forefront of discussions both from a Mediterranean and European perspective. Malta fully supports those EU initiatives geared at preventing and countering radicalisation through education, youth work, inter-cultural dialogue and grass-roots interaction. It is these areas of tangible cooperation that will ultimately leave a durable impact and make our external relations and security policies effective. - Above all, we need to enhance critical thinking and media literacy if we want to fully engage our youth and avoid their alienation. In this, you are key, as you have already adopted this method and we now depend on you for its dissemination in your countries. Migration - As you all are very well aware, one pressing issue that the Mediterranean region has been very concerned with in the past decade is that of migration. This is very much a multifaceted issue and there is no one solution to solve it. The need for people to move from one place to the other has been evident since the start of humankind. However, we need to understand what pushes individuals to leave their countries and all they know to start afresh somewhere else. - The reasons are many: lack of basic commodities, restricted access to education, poverty, instability and conflict, human rights violations, climate change, desertification and so much more. - It is therefore crucial that the root causes are addressed, not only as a matter of stability but also to ensure the well being of our peoples and those 3 effected by this global phenomenon. A multilateral approach is the only way to come up with lasting solutions, and the solutions are more often than not tied to development. - On this aspect, Malta took the lead and brought together European and African partners at the Valletta Summit of November 2015. This Summit was based on a spirit of partnership between countries of origin, transit and destination. - The Processes of Rabat and Khartoum have been instrumental in the implementation and monitoring of the Joint Valletta Action Plan. All parties need to increase their collective efforts on return and readmission and the role that countries of origin have to play in this regard; and supporting international cooperation to tackle migrant smuggling and human trafficking. Sustainable Development Goals and the Environment - On a more global level, the Sustainable Development Goals provide us with a solid framework to do this. 17 interconnected points that address all the points or push factors, that I have mentioned earlier. All the countries in the world have committed themselves to achieve these goals by 2030. How do we ensure this though? - It is only with the commitment of all, countries, NGOs, civil society, the industry and ultimately the commitment of every single individual that we can ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals become a thing of the past by 2030. We still have 10 years left and once again you are key. I encourage you to continue to work tirelessly on these 17 goals. Brainstorm, think outside of the box and dare to be bold should you believe that your ideas will ensure their effective implementation. - The same applies with the effort to protect our natural environment and mitigate the effects of climate change. I am aware that you have already discussed this theme during this seminar. The United Nations Climate Change Conference that was held in Paris in 2015, or COP 21 as it is more commonly known, alerted the world about the urgency to tackling the topic of climate change. However, it was after the bold action of young people like Greta Thunberg that the world stopped and listened. 4 - Climate change, like migration, is multi-faceted and again, there is no one solution for it. Ocean acidification and desertification amongst others are also of major concern. The transition towards a safe and sustainable low- carbon economy, as well as climate resilient and resource efficient growth patterns worldwide, are of utmost importance. They will help in addressing the risk-multiplying threats of a changing climate, including potential conflict and instability, related to reliable access to food, water and energy. Technology and the Media - This most pressing challenge will surely remain present throughout your adult life too. We all understand that this is a battle against time, that we are causing irreversible damage and that there is no planet be. So how can we mitigate this in the shortest time possible? - Aside from good will of governments, enterprises and private individuals, technology is the answer. The use of modern media to raise awareness and consciousness about the gravity of the situation is a start. The development of smart technologies which cause minimal pollution across all aspects of life. Conclusion - Dear Participants, these are just some reflections that I wanted to share with you. The Euro-Mediterranean region is a region rich in history and cultures. Notwithstanding our cultural and language differences, our strength lies in our diversity. - I am sure that this opportunity that the Young Mediterranean Voices has provided you with, will enrich you on the personal level as well as on the professional level. - No matter which course in life you decide to take up, keep these exchanges in mind. This is a network that will last with you for a lifetime. This was precisely the vision we had when working with the Anna Lindh Foundation to set up the Young Mediterranean Voices, giving young people the possibility to meet, discuss and come forward with their own views and shape them into policies.

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