On 6 and 7 April 2019, the Arab NGO Network for Development organized a Thematic Workshop on Economic Policies and Social Dialogue in the Southern Neighborhood, as part of the MAJALAT initiative launched by civil society organizations working in the Southern European Neighborhood. The consortium MAJALAT holds the Regional Initiative for Structured Dialogue and is composed of the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND), Reseau EuroMed France (REF), Euromed Human Rights, Solidar, Arab Trade Union Confederation, and Forum Marocain des Alternatives and is supported by the EU. The thematic workshop on Economic Policies and Social Dialogue 2019 is part of a series of 5 meetings held annually in the context of the initiative, each focusing on a different priority identified by the structured dialogue process. The 2019 workshop brought together 36 CSO representatives and experts from the Southern Neighborhood and focused on the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP)’s trade and investment policies and their impact on economic and social rights and on human rights in general in the region. During these two days, participants had the opportunity to deepen discussions on the following topics: The overall framework of EU's relationship with the Southern Neighborhood and to what extent the current framework affects the effectiveness of regional cooperation and sustainable development at the regional and national levels. The European Union’s policies coherence and their impact on EU external policies - specifically those affecting the Southern Neighborhood. The trade liberalization tools promoted by the EU in the region- following the Arab uprisings- through the European investment plan and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTA),while examining their impact on economic, social, and environmental rights. The partnership's impact on the civil society enabling environment in Southern Neighborhood countries, by providing a critical look at the European Country Roadmaps for engagement with civil society. The impact of the growing role of the private sector in EU's development policies and its respect to human rights standards.

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