Edmund Mingle
Back from Dakhla,
Morocco
The King of Morocco, his Majesty Mohammed VI has scaled
up Morocco’s campaign for intensified Africa regional integration, as he calls
for more south-south cooperation.
“South-South cooperation is not
an empty slogan, nor is it an appendix of development policies-one that is
restricted to mere technical assistance.
 |
| King Mohammed |
“South-south cooperation is the
result of a homogeneous strategic vision designed to promote to the development
of States and meet the needs of African populations,” King Mohammed said.
In his message at the opening of
just ended Crans Montana Forum held in Dakhla, Morocco, the King urged other
African governments to actively pursue projects in the spirit of regional
cooperation.
According to him, south-south
cooperation in Africa, revolves around the potential, skills and expertise of
each African State.
“For this reason, Morocco has
made south-south cooperation one of the pillars of its foreign policy as well
as a determinant of its international action.
“It therefore seeks, on its own
as well as jointly with partners and sister nations, to implement concrete
programmes in the targeted areas to achieve measurable outcomes in terms of
economic growth and the well-being of the populations of the countries in the
south in the economic, social, cultural, environmental and religious domains,”
he said.
The Crans Montana Forum, which was attended
about a thousand participants from 131 countries and representatives of 27
regional and international organizations, had the general theme, “Africa and
south-south cooperation: towards a better governance for sustainable economic
and social development.”
It had the aim of discussing pertinent issues hindering
regional integration, as well ad building partnerships among countries and
institutions for cross-country collaborative initiatives towards achieving
sustainable development.
King Mohammed lauded the objectives of the conference,
indicating that it has helped to highlight the need for Africans to work
together.
“This important international event helps to remind the
world that there will be no future without a cohesive, solidarity-based Africa
standing tall and proud.
Africa, he said, owes it to itself to become a key
partner in international cooperation mechanism, and not just a mere object of
this cooperation or a prize others vie for.
“Africa should no longer be perceived as a vulnerable continent,
but a driver of progress,” he said, and urged his colleague African leaders to
pursue sustainable development.
He reminded his colleagues that remained the
responsibility of States to champion forward looking plans and to strive to
implement them through determined action and structural projects.
More importantly, he noted the need for the citizenry to
accept and own development projects, explaining that however ambitious public
policies may be, they would remain fragile if not embraced by citizens and
civil societies.
“This is the essence of sustainable development. To be
robust and sustainable, development must be driven by a vision shared by all
stakeholders in society,” he stressed.
Touching on developments in Morocco, he expressed his government’s
commitment to the development of the country’s Sahara region, including Dakhla.
Describing the region as so dear to him, the King noted
that the development model crafted the region was yielding dividends towards
building the region into an economic hub to benefit Africa.
“We seek to bring our three northern provinces into a
level of development that will enable them to fully play their role as an
African economic hub, and a bridge between Africa and Europe, the Arab Maghreb
and the Sahel region.
As part of the development plan,
the Moroccan government has launched major projects in the region to stimulate
growth, provide job, enhance cultural expression, uphold human rights and
protect the environment.
According to him, the projects
are expected to support the productive sectors such as agriculture, sea fishing
and eco-tourism, while enhancing land, air and sea transport networks between
the southern provinces and the Kingdom’s other regions on one hand, and between
the region and other African countries, on the other hand.
Special attention, he said, has
been given to the social sector through initiatives such as implementation of
projects to improve the quality of education as well as health and
socio-economic services.
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