The international cooperation system is undergoing a profound transformation. The traditional North-South aid model has fragmented with the emergence of new global players (China, India, Brazil) and South-South partnerships. At the same time, Western Official Development Assistance (ODA) is in crisis, shrinking in volume and increasingly being exploited for purposes such as controlling migration flows and national security, losing sight of development objectives. In this complex and politically …

WeMed. Society, Economy and Environment in the Mediterranean – 2025 Edition offers an integrated perspective on the major transformations shaping the Mediterranean basin, a region home to more than 585 million people and characterised by the interplay of demographic, economic, environmental and social challenges of global significance. Produced by CNR-ISMed in collaboration with Istat, the volume provides a comparative analysis of the dynamics affecting the Mediterranean European Union, th…

Il Mediterraneo attraversa una fase di profonde trasformazioni economiche, geopolitiche e sociali, in cui crisi e transizioni si intrecciano ridefinendo priorità, equilibri e prospettive di sviluppo. In questo contesto, la disponibilità di analisi affidabili e di indicazioni di policy fondate su evidenze empiriche rappresenta una condizione essenziale per sostenere processi decisionali informati e responsabili. Il volume raccoglie una selezione di raccomandazioni di policy tratte dai contributi …

This issue analyzes the evolution of the Italian anti-violence system, which originated in the 1970s through the initiative of feminist movements and developed with significant regional differences until achieving greater national coordination following the Istanbul Convention (2013). Today, it is characterized by the complexity of multi-level governance and the need to coordinate often diverse actors and approaches. Gender-based violence emerges as a testing ground for welfare: as a widespre…

The paper examines how the level of digital development in the Euro-Mediterranean countries (Euromed 9: Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, Slovenia and Croatia), as measured by the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), is associated with active ageing outcomes as captured by the Active Ageing Index (AAI). The underlying premise is that the European digital transition may represent, for rapidly ageing societies, both an opportunity and a risk: it can foster autonomy, parti…

The Mediterranean is facing an increasingly complex combination of climate risks, tensions linked to national and regional policies, socio-economic instability and forced migration. Current strategies of regional cooperation between Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East remain fragmented. Although the role of younger generations is acknowledged, it has not yet been structurally integrated at either the European or the Mediterranean level. This policy brief summarises the main empiric…

This policy brief synthesises and reworks the contents of the chapter “From Borders to Cooperation: Migrants and Culture in the Geopolitical Balance of the Mediterranean”, offering a critical reflection on migration dynamics, cultural exchanges, and geopolitical balances within the Mediterranean basin. The original text provides the theoretical and empirical framework, here condensed in order to highlight the strategic connections between human mobility, cultural heritage, and sustainable develo…

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is emerging as a transformative platform reshaping geopolitical and geoeconomic dynamics across the Mediterranean. Designed as a multilateral, transparent and standard-based initiative, IMEC offers an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has been criticised for asymmetric dependencies and limited transparency (Oberhauser, 2024; Kaddorah, 2024). IMEC advances a model grounded in economic and geopolitical trust, fosterin…

As geopolitical conflicts escalate and global value chains restructure, Mediterranean countries can play a crucial role in connecting opposing blocs, serving as trade and investment bridges. This policy brief examines the strategic position of Mediterranean countries, analyzing their trade routes, key partners, and preferred industries. The findings suggest that Mediterranean nations could help maintain the resilience of global value chains in a polarized global economy and foster stronger re…

This study explores the impact of the Belt and Road initiative (BRI) on the dynamics of trade between China and the Mediterranean countries analysing the trade potential before and after the implementation of the BRI. Using an augmented gravity model and panel data from 2003 to 2020, we conclude that there is a complex and imbalanced pattern of trade between China and the Mediterranean region and trade potential exploitation is strongly asymmetric across countries. By diversifying China’s exp…

In 2025, the crises in Palestine and Sudan – though different in history and visibility – reveal an already emerging trend: the normalisation of instability and the return of military unilateralism, accompanied by a weakening of multilateralism and international law. Both are marked by humanitarian catastrophes and large-scale violence against civilians. The two crises have significant regional repercussions: the Israel–Hamas conflict has rapidly drawn in Lebanon, the occupied West Bank, Yemen/…

The Mediterranean is undergoing a profound geoeconomic realignment that reshapes the balance of power between its shores. While Southern Europe faces long-term stagnation exacerbated by demographic decline and structural rigidities, the economies of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, despite political and financial fragilities, are becoming increasingly dynamic, leveraging energy resources, infrastructural corridors, and youthful human capital. The region has become a laboratory of asymm…