Diplomacy of local authorities confronted with the crises in the Near and Middle East

The repeated crises in the Near and Middle East, marked by persistent diplomatic deadlocks, represent a complex subject to decipher. Historical, political and religious tensions have created a multifaceted environment in which antagonistic players with different interests are at play. Conflicts between Israel and Palestine, civil war in Syria, and tensions in Iraq, Iran and Lebanon are all factors contributing to a perpetual regional crisis.

In this context, the diplomacy of local authorities can play a crucial role. Local authorities in this region are often places of cultural diversity and peaceful coexistence, offering fertile ground for dialogue and conflict resolution.

Local authority initiatives, city-to-city cooperation, dialogue forums and cultural exchanges, can help build bridges between communities and promote mutual understanding. They can serve as platforms for regional cooperation and the building of solidarity networks. By encouraging economic, social and cultural exchanges, local authorities can help build trust and create an environment conducive to conflict resolution. But local government diplomacy can only be a complement to national and international diplomatic efforts. To resolve conflicts in the Near and Middle East, it is essential that regional and international governments make a serious commitment to dialogue and the search for peaceful solutions. Cooperation between cities and states is therefore essential to tackle the region's complex challenges.

Today, the world is once again experiencing a major crisis, affecting Europe and the Near -East in particular. The risks of escalation and extension of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has already caused untold death and destruction among the civilian population, are high. In this difficult situation, local authorities here and abroad are on the front line, proposing solutions and calling for peace, defending the right of young people to a normal life and a future. Our mayors and executive presidents, often with very limited means at their disposal, put their political commitment above all else, and they assume the responsibilities that their mandate imposes on them with courage and determination.

During this new symposium, we will thus listen to researchers and key witnesses invited to share their analysis of the situation, but also to local authorities engaged on the ground on several fronts to provide solutions, to propose spaces where the only interests at stake are those of peace and ending the war.

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