Karim el Aynoui: “We are moving from a homogeneous South to a plural, differentiated and strategic South” January 12, 2026

With a change of name in 2018, the Moroccan think tank Policy Center for the New South has established itself today as one of the benchmark strategic research centers in Africa. During his last meetings, the “Atlantic dialogues”, the executive president, Karim El Aynaoui, gave us an interview to talk about the evolution of his structure.

You have been calling for dialogue with the Atlantic Basin for almost fifteen years. Morocco recently launched an initiative of this kind for the countries of the Sahel. Do you consider yourself to be a pioneer?

At the Policy Center for the New South, we don’t like to define ourselves in terms of pioneers or authorship of initiatives. What is more important to us is intellectual and strategic coherence over time. Since the creation of the Center, we have advocated for a decompartmentalized reading of geopolitical spaces, in particular through the prism of the broader Atlantic Basin linking Africa, Europe, the Americas and, more recently, the issues of the Global South. The “Atlantic Dialogues” are precisely part of this vision: bringing together regions that share common challenges – security, development, climate, governance – but which are too often thought of separately.

In our eyes, this is part of the strategic logic of the recent Moroccan initiative towards the countries of the Sahel: that of a Morocco which sees itself as a connection actor, capable of proposing inclusive, pragmatic dialogue frameworks adapted to African realities. It reflects a vision that goes beyond traditional regional frameworks and emphasizes transregional cooperation, collective security and shared development.

The work of the Policy Center modestly attempts to support and nourish this type of reflection. The main thing is not to be ahead, it is that ideas circulate, mature and translate into concrete initiatives. When the directions that we have proposed find an echo in public action, it is a reason for satisfaction for our researchers whose mission is to enlighten, structure and enrich the strategic debate by putting forward solutions from the South and adapted to the realities of the African continent.

You have also talked for a long time about a new South. The voice of the countries of the South seems to be more audible now than before on multilateral issues?

Indeed, when we talk about the new South, we must remember that this name was formalized in 2018 with the adoption of the status of a non-profit association. But intellectual reflection is older and is part of a continuity.

Basically, yes, it is undeniable that the voice of the countries of the South is currently more audible in multilateral forums than it was 10 or 15 years ago. We see this on structuring subjects such as the reform of global governance, climate, debt, international security and even development. African, Latin American and Asian countries no longer simply react: they formulate proposals, build coalitions and assume positions that are sometimes divergent from those of traditional poles.

That said, our reading at the Policy Center for the New South is nuanced. What we are observing is not only a rise in volume of the voice of the South, but above all an evolution of its nature. We are gradually moving from a South perceived as a homogeneous and often defensive space to a plural, differentiated and strategic South, capable of thinking about its interests, its responsibilities and activating operational room for maneuver in a more fragmented world.

This is precisely what we mean by the new South. A South which is no longer defined solely by backwardness or dependence, but by its capacity for initiative, its diversity of trajectories and its desire to influence the rules of the international game and in its region. A South which is not systematically opposed to the North, but which seeks to redefine the terms of interdependence.

That being said, being more audible does not yet mean being fully structuring. Power asymmetries remain strong and multilateral mechanisms remain largely shaped by old balances. Hence the importance, in our eyes, of producing strategic thinking from the South, capable of articulating vision, expertise and concrete proposals.

This is exactly the role we are trying to play: to help ensure that the voice of the South is not only heard, but that it is listened to, credible, influential and useful because it is based on rigorous analyzes and renewed cooperation frameworks.

The Policy Center has been progressing in the ranking of think tanks since 2018. Is this satisfying for you?

It is certainly a satisfaction, but it remains measured and above all not an end in itself. The progression of the Policy Center for the New South in the international rankings of think tanks is first of all the recognition of collective work: that of our researchers, our fellows, our partners and, more broadly, of an entire intellectual ecosystem that we have helped to structure. It also reflects the relevance of an assumed positioning: producing demanding strategic thinking, anchored in African and Southern realities while remaining open to global dialogue.

That said, we are very clear on one point: rankings are indicators, not objectives. They measure visibility, perceived influence, sometimes dissemination capacity, but they do not say everything about the real impact on public policies or the quality of the debate that we contribute to nourishing. In our eyes, the real criterion of success remains the ability to inform the decision, to structure the debates and to propose useful analytical frameworks to public and private actors.

What matters most to us in this progression since 2018 is what it reveals: that thought from the South is gaining legitimacy; that an African think tank can be visible, credible and influential without giving up its roots; that Morocco can be a recognized space of intellectual production on major international issues. So yes, it is satisfying because it confirms that the trajectory is the right one. But, it is also an increased responsibility. The more visible we are, the more we must be rigorous, independent and faithful to the mission: to contribute, through analysis and dialogue, to a more balanced and more inclusive international order.

Interview carried out in Rabat by Oumar NDIAYE