Prince El Hassan calls for world cooperation on Global Commons
(Amman - Majlis El Hassan)

At the universities of York and Durham last week, His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal addressed both the challenges and the opportunities currently facing the world and, in particular, the Middle East. At York, HRH specifically highlighted the regional nature of the problems and the need for a regional approach to include a social charter.

HRH delivered the inaugural King Hussein Memorial Lecture at Durham University on the theme of Cultural Dialogue. Prince El Hassan addressed a broad range of topics relevant to the contemporary human condition, ranging from questions of resources and risk, through to war and water. These are considered to be pivotal issues in the ultimate challenge to re-establish global political and economic stability.

In addressing the Arab-Israeli tensions and the continuous pursuit of peace, Prince El Hassan called for the need to genuinely pursue a two-state solution based upon the 1967 territorial division. Doing so will require not only compromise on both sides but the reduction of internal divisions within the Israeli and Palestinian political systems.

HRH said that there is a need for a form of post-conflict recovery and development rooted less in political, sectarian and military interests. Doing so requires a basic concern with the well being of impoverished individuals and countries stricken by warfare and less attention, particularly among the Western-led international community, to counter-terrorism goals which have led humanitarian assistance and military strategy to become linked in inappropriate manners. Prince El Hassan said that fundamental principles of humanitarian impartiality and neutrality are critical for ensuring effective reconstruction assistance and for protecting humanitarian actors. Middle Eastern countries must follow suit by addressing issues of governance, corruption and border control and by adopting regional approaches in order to ensure that development does not face structural obstacles.

Prince El Hassan highlighted the effects of the ongoing global financial crisis on development, employment and stability in the region. The Middle East has historically been dependent upon oil revenues and upon external investment in real estate, tourism, humanitarian assistance and other sectors which have not required the establishment of a productive base and the development of human resources. This lack of diversification means that the declining price in oil, ongoing reductions in humanitarian assistance and less tourism will present the region with grave challenges. The resulting rise in youth unemployment poses security risks, and the likelihood of conflict and tension harming the region's place in the global economy increases. Overcoming this challenge will require a greater emphasis upon developing talent and local productive capacities in order to ensure that greater internal economic stability exists.

The Prince also addressed the question of the 'global commons' and the need for regional problems to receive regional solutions and treatment. HRH sees the greatest potential for fostering regional cooperation within the realms of water and energy. Both are major challenges for the Middle East but may be converted into opportunities which contribute to stability, peace, economic growth and environmental protection.

Prince El Hassan stressed that collaboration on practical and shared issues such as water and electricity will reveal the potential benefits of greater collaboration on additional challenges such as conflict, post-conflict reconstruction, economic diversification, transportation, telecommunications, utilities, infrastructure, emergency response and the elimination of communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

(Amman - November 22, 2008)
Photo description: HRH Prince El Hassan at the University of York with (L to R) Professor Sultan Barakat, Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Cantor and Professor Baroness Haleh Afshar.