Morocco,driver of South-South cooperation for shared stability & prosperity

Morocco,under the leadership of King Mohammed VI,has placed inter-parliamentary dialogue and south-south cooperation among its top national priorities to address shared global economic,security,and climate challenges.

To foster unity of the South and mobilize its MPs for shared peace,growth development,Morocco hosted (Apr.28-29) the South–South Parliamentary Dialogue Forum to give new impetus to interregional cooperation,strengthen economic resilience,and sustainable development.

The event,organized by Morocco’s House of Councilors in partnership with the Association of Senates,Shura,and Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab World (ASSECAA),brought together representatives from MPs from 40 countries.

This forum is an important step in the process of implementing the objectives of the Declaration “Rabat,the capital of South-South cooperation”,said foreign minister Nasser Bourita in a speech read out on his behalf by a senior official from the foreign ministry.

The event reflects a collective will to strengthen joint action in a regional and international context requiring greater coordination,solidarity and partnerships,he added,underlining the importance of parliamentary diplomacy as a fertile space for reflection,coordination,consultation and the exchange of experience between countries of the South.

King Mohammed VI has launched several initiatives for the South,he said,citing in this regard the African Atlantic States Process,the Royal Initiative to Facilitate Access to the Atlantic Ocean for the countries of the Sahel,and the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project.

These initiatives show Morocco’s continued and firm commitment to solidarity-based and effective South-South cooperation offering concrete and realistic initiatives taking into account the priorities of the continent.

Speaker of the House of Councilors,Mohamed Ould Errachid said development,peace,stability and economic integration are interrelated and cannot be achieved without genuine & effective cooperation and sustainable integration.

To unleash their huge potential,countries of the South should develop strategic partnerships,liberalize their exchanges through FTAs and remove obstacles to free trade and services,said Ould Errachid.

For his part,first deputy speaker of the House of Representatives Mohamed Sabari said despite challenges,countries of the South have highly valuable resources enabling them to achieve development,increase productivity,and accomplish growth and advancement.

He cited in this regard,the natural resources including the precious metals which are very important to modern industries and the arable lands in Africa,which accounts alone for 60% of the world’s arable lands.

However,turning these resources into wealth requires a political will,cooperation,the transfer of technologies from the North to the South,and especially win-win partnerships and cooperation between the countries of the South.

Speaker of Bahrain’s Shura Council,Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh called for building strategic partnerships to address rapid technological challenges including artificial intelligence.

Saqr Ghobash,Speaker of the UAE’s Federal National Council,said the global transformations,which are reshaping concepts like sovereignty and development,offer opportunities for emerging economies of the South.

Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council of Qatarn Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti,reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to supporting development efforts and promoting South-South cooperation through its global development partnerships and humanitarian initiatives.

Kandia Camara,Speaker of the Senate of Côte d’Ivoire,called for consolidating solidarity among countries of the south nations,affirming that peace requires investment in social infrastructure and inclusive policies,while Manuel José Ossandón,Head of Chile’s Senate,stressed the importance of economic integration,fair use of technology and protection of natural resources.