Morocco, under the Enlightened Leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, firmly believes that peacebuilding strategies must be coherent and tailored to the specific needs of the countries concerned, based on a common strategy between the parties involved.
Speaking at the 6th Annual Consultative Meeting between the African Union’s (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the United Nations (UN) Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), held on November 13 in Addis Ababa, Morocco’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU), Mohammed Arrouchi, stressed that the need for economic development has become increasingly evident, emphasizing the importance of investing in a holistic, coherent and multidimensional approach that unites governments, international, regional, and sub-regional organizations, international financial institutions, and civil society stakeholders to strengthen Africa’s capacity to promote peace and socio-economic development.
The Moroccan diplomat pointed out that the Kingdom is confident that the success of any peace-building effort requires the inclusion of socio-economic activities such as economic revitalization, youth employment, infrastructure development, and access to essential services, including sanitation, drinking water, and healthcare.
Arrouchi also affirmed that Morocco is convinced that peace-building strategies must also include a series of actions aimed at developing peace-generating capacities in the countries concerned within the framework of a common strategy.
The Moroccan ambassador also added that the Kingdom actively accompanies the United Nations (UN) initiatives aimed at preventing regional conflicts, mitigating their effects on the African continent and supporting the United Nations (UN) efforts to build and consolidate peace within a framework of respect for the territorial integrity of States.
Ambassador Arrouchi recalled that the Kingdom, in its conviction that the security and stability of African countries are indivisible and closely linked to economic and social development, hosted the first African Union (AU) Political Conference on Promoting the Peace, Security, and Development Nexus in Tangier (October 25-27, 2022), which was an opportunity for a multi-stakeholder debate in response to the growing challenges facing African economies, which weigh heavily on the continent’s security and stability.
Arrouchi noted, in this regard, that the main conclusions of the African Union’s (AU) Political Conference resulted in the adoption of the Tangier Declaration on Promoting the Peace, Security, and Development nexus in Africa, which was unanimously endorsed by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) member countries. The “Tangier Process” was formalized as a regular event within the Nexus, as part of the framework of common values for political governance in the face of security risks facing Africa.
The Moroccan ambassador reaffirmed the Kingdom’s full commitment to supporting the international community’s calls to prevent conflicts and restore and consolidate peace and security in the world and working alongside its African partners and brotherly countries to ensure lasting peace in Africa, thus guaranteeing the prosperity of the continent’s populations.
The Moroccan diplomat further emphasized the importance of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the UN Peacebuilding Commission’s (PBC) commitment to peacebuilding and peacekeeping in Africa, particularly in countries and regions active in the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).
Arrouchi also added that given the continent’s current situation, post-conflict reconstruction and development are necessary in post-conflict countries to prevent any action that could drag these countries into a second wave of conflict, particularly by eradicating the structural root causes of violence.