& The Maghreb Center in Washington, DC
invite you to
The Maghreb Center Annual Conference 2008:
Maghreb Development, Strategic Resources and the Environment in a
Globalized World
Location Georgetown University Intercultural Center Auditorium
Date: April 21, 2008, 9am to 4:30pm
RSVP requested: RSVP@maghrebcenter.org
Introduction & Keynote: 9:00am / 9:30am
Néjib Ayachi, President Maghreb Center
Stephen J. King, Vice-President, Maghreb Center
Alan Richards, University of California at Santa Cruz, Honorary
Chair & Keynote Speaker
Panel 1: 9:30am -11am : Energy: Oil, Gas, and Renewable Energies
With oil prices hovering above $100 a barrel, what is the impact on
Maghreb economies, on oil-exporting as well as oil-deprived states
such as Morocco and to a certain extend Tunisia? How can the latter
benefit from the intensive interest in renewable and non-fossil
sources of energy? What are the prospects for regional cooperation
in the field of energy?
1. Oil and gas
General update on the hydrocarbon sector in Algeria, Libya and
Mauritania; and an analysis of its contribution to a broader
development strategy.
Ben Cahill, Manager at PFC, an energy consulting firm specializing
in the financial, strategic, commercial, political aspects of the
int'l oil, gas and power industry
Oil in Algeria's political economy and its broader development
strategy.
Azzedine Layachi, Associate Professor, Government Dept., St. John's
University
Libya's Oil Economy and its broader development strategy.
Dirk Vanderwalle, Associate Professor of Government, Dartmouth
College
2. Alternative energies
Maghrebi countries, especially Morocco and Tunisia, are developing
alternative sources of energy (solar, wind, etc.). What is their
strategy? How successful are they (prospects)?
John Moore (Dept. of Energy). Alternative energies in a globalized
world with focus on Maghrebi countries
11:00 Break
Panel 2: 11:15-12:45 - Water and the Environment
Land Degradation and Desertification Causes and Solutions
Dr. Lakhdar Boukerrou (Chair), Research Professor,
Department of Geosciences, Coordinator Research Programs, Center for
Environmental Studies, Adjunct Professor, College of Business,
Florida Atlantic University
How have issues of land degradation and desertification affected the
economic development of the region? What are some practical
solutions to the problem of land degradation and desertification?
What are the policy priorities which need to be addressed by the
countries of the Maghreb?
Water and Rural Development
Mrs. Julia Bucknall, Lead Natural Resources Management Specialist
The World Bank, MENA Region
Is there a serious water shortage in the Maghreb? How does it affect
the people of the region? Do water shortages affect some more than
others? How does drought affect the food supply/food security of the
region? What irrigation policies are in place to ensure the
availability of water for agriculture and domestic consumption? What
can the countries of the region do about it?
Poverty, Rural Development and the Environment
Dr. Len Berry, Director Center for Environmental Studies,
Distinguished Research Professor Florida Atlantic University
What policies and environmental issues have contributed to rural
poverty? How can the Maghreb countries collectively as well as
individually remedy the problem of poverty? How could rural
development contribute to the alleviation of poverty?
1:00-2:30: Luncheon with Distinguished Guests (Meet the Ambassadors
of the Five Maghrebi Countries). By Invitation Only
Panel 3: 2:30- 4:30 - Economic Development of the Maghreb and the
Global Economy
This panel examines current trends in Maghrebi countries economic
development in relation to the global economy, focusing on relations
with their major trading partners, Europe and the US, with an
emphasize on oil and gas and other natural resources in the case of
Algeria, Libya and Mauritania; and other sectors in the case of
Morocco and Tunisia -particularly those affected by issues of
energy, and water (such as agricultural exports, and tourism),
renewable energies, etc.
The Barcelona Process and the Maghrebi countries.
William Zartman, Professor of International Organizations and
Conflict Resolution and Director of the Conflict Management Program
at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at
Johns Hopkins University (SAIS)
Tunisia in the Global Economy, focusing on trade relations with
Europe & the US. Clement M. Henry, Professor, Department of
Government, University of Texas at Austin
Morocco in the Global Economy, focusing on trade relations with
Europe & the US.
Abdessalem Maghraoui, Visiting Associate Professor of Political
Science and Research Scholar at Duke University
Maghreb Integration and the Global Economy.
Stuart Eizenstat, Former Deputy Treasury Secretary, Former under
Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, and author of the
Eizenstat Initiative for Maghreb economic integration
Closing Remarks
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