The President of the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association – EMEA, Prof. Rym Ayadi, participated at the panel of the webinar “North-South Relations and Political Economy amid COVID-19”, which was organised by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Policy Center for the New South.
The event started with welcoming remarks by Ian Lesser, Vice President and Executive Director, Brussels Office, The German Marshall Fund of the United States and Karim El Aynaoui, President of the Policy Center for the New South and Executive Vice-President of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University.
Prof. Ayadi highlighted that the Covid 19 crisis became systemic, its characteristics and consequences are shown to be largely complex to understand and therefore to manage and that more uncertainty about the timing, shape and costs of the recovery COVID19 will increase the socio-economic hardship in particular for the vulnerable populations.
Prof. Ayadi also underlined that global economy is in a crossroad and she see three scenarios :
- Status quo of current uncoordinated policy measures and individualistic conducts that conflict, compete will reinforce uncertainty and future risks embedded in protectionist, nationalistic conflictive behaviors – in other words – back to the past with different forms;
- A global governance scenario built on a strategic, collective vision followed by decisive credible common action, in order for humanity to regain health, safety, economic stability and prosperity globally;
- A set of regional groupings – that are not well equipped to deal with global risks our humanity is facing
