Are we ready to redefine the future of global partnerships? The Atlantic Dialogues 2025 sparked a crucial conversation: how can the Global South forge new relationships with the North, moving beyond outdated models? This is a pivotal discussion, especially in a world grappling with shifting power dynamics.
The event, hosted by the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), brought together experts from Southeast Asia, Latin America, and North Africa. The core focus? Rethinking North-South Atlantic partnerships to prioritize sovereignty, regional integration, and mutually beneficial collaborations.
Morocco's perspective, as presented by UN Permanent Representative Omar Hilale, offers a compelling example. He positioned Morocco as a strategic bridge, connecting North and South across the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, Africa, and the Americas. This geographic advantage, Hilale argued, gives Morocco both responsibility and leverage in shaping Atlantic cooperation.
Hilale highlighted Morocco's role in supplying electricity to Spain and Portugal during recent power disruptions, illustrating the growing interdependence. He also emphasized Morocco's commitment to South-South cooperation, guided by King Mohammed VI's vision, with numerous agreements across Africa covering agriculture, finance, telecommunications, training, and security. "There is no development without security," Hilale asserted, pointing to Morocco's initiatives in the Sahel, including an Atlantic corridor project designed to connect landlocked countries to ports and regional value chains, while reinforcing stability.
Morocco's leadership in Atlantic African coastal cooperation, bringing together 23 countries to address maritime security, climate change, and infrastructure development, was also showcased. Furthermore, Morocco is positioning itself as a regional hub for AI cooperation through a UN-backed initiative.
Hilale's vision for Africa emphasizes the need to move beyond exporting raw materials. He advocates for industrialization, manufacturing, and retaining human capital. He warned against the "natural resources curse," calling for value-added production and technology development across the continent.
But here's where it gets controversial... Astanah Abdul Aziz, Deputy Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), presented Southeast Asia as a model of flexible regionalism, prioritizing sovereignty over ideological alignment. ASEAN, now including 11 developing countries, embraces diverse forms of governance. Abdul Aziz stressed that countries should determine their own paths, stating, "We do not choose friends, we welcome partners where the relationship is mutually beneficial."
ASEAN, already one of the world's largest economies, aims to become the fourth largest by 2030. The bloc maintains 11 dialogue partnerships, focusing on capacity-building projects rather than aid. Key initiatives include the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world's largest free-trade agreement, and plans to double ASEAN's digital economy to USD 2 trillion by 2030.
Renato Flores, director of the International Intelligence Unit at Brazil’s Fundação Getulio Vargas, urged Global South countries to rethink their approach to trade and resources. Instead of simply exporting raw materials, he argued for leveraging strategic minerals and commodities to secure specific technologies and best practices. "Let us trade, but let us weaponize that," Flores stated, using China's control of rare earths as an example.
Flores also cautioned against outdated North–South agreements, calling some trade deals "zombies." He highlighted the importance of regional groups like ASEAN, BRICS, and the African Union for trade integration, food security, and regional financial systems.
And this is the part most people miss... Flores warned against blindly adopting digitalization, cautioning that dependency on global digital systems could create new forms of North–South dependency. "Do not become slaves of the masters of algorithms . . . Use digital tools when they serve you."
What do you think? Are these new approaches to global partnerships the key to a more equitable future? Do you agree with the emphasis on sovereignty and regional integration? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
