Looking back at the 20th century we see mankind’s greatest advances but also its deadliest wars and most dangerous creations.
The 20th century was both a very promising and a very troubling century for mankind. Besides the invention of the atomic bomb, of missiles and of poison gas, we have also brought our planet to breaking point by our environmental irresponsibility.
The 21st century has begun with a spotlight on the Middle East, and this is where we must look to make sure that this new century does not resemble the last in its devastation. The Middle East today is not only the center of the world’s conflicts, it is also, by virtue of its oil and gas reserves, the center of gravity of world economic stability. Furthermore, through these energy reserves the Middle East must also play a central role in efforts to roll back the environmental damage that threatens our common survival.
The overlapping of these concerns of course is not coincidental. The Middle East’s importance to the world has been primarily economic, due to its holding of the great majority of the world’s energy reserves. But today the world is slowly realizing that if we do not free the Middle East from its ongoing conflicts, and develop a viable worldwide energy strategy, our common problems will only get worse.
Today’s high oil prices are as much due to conflicts and political instability in the region as they are due to the lack of planning and appropriate investment in the energy sector. It is in the interest of oil-producing countries to keep oil prices down, but this was made almost impossible by the worldwide failure to predict the large increases in world demand and to invest adequately in new technologies and processes and the energy sector as a whole. And these problems have still not been solved.
Structurally, little use has been made of the increased revenues of the oil boom to rectify the current situation. Not only must we invest far more in new technologies and processes, especially in cleaner and alternative energy sources, we must also reform our economies to provide for future growth, jobs and competitiveness. Above all, we must create a viable environment for investment, which will be a difficult task as long as conflicts and political instability persist in our region.
Addressing and resolving these conflicts is in the interest of the world and its economic stability. It is essential that the world’s most powerful countries come together and take unprecedented and concrete steps in this direction. We must resolve these conflicts once and for all.
The Middle East should be a region free of conflicts and free of weapons of mass destruction. The time to do so is now and the only way to do it is through the concerted efforts of the international community.
The G-8 meeting this week represents one such opportunity, not only to launch a bold and concerted drive for Middle East peace but also to address the bigger picture, that of the looming environmental disaster which threatens us all. Global warming is a reality today, not just a scientific hypothesis. The time frame for action has been greatly reduced; we will be experiencing the devastating effects of climate change in the coming decades. On global environment and energy policy the time for bold and concerted action also is now.
The Middle East plays a crucial role in the challenges we face in the 21st century.
We must raise awareness on this at home and across the globe, to tell the world that the future of our planet depends on building a stable and peaceful Middle East, and on making the right investments in the energy sector, especially in developing cleaner and alternative energy sources. Our future and that of the world depends on it. Let us make the 21st century one of peace, unity and shared responsibility.
— Hassan Yassin is a former head of The Saudi Information Office in Washington D.C.
