Neighborliness, non-interference in States’ internal affairs are principles of international law

International law is based on a number of principles, in particular the principle of non-interference in states’ internal affairs and neighborliness, said Morocco’s permanent representative to the African Union and UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi.

Speaking at the meeting of the AU Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREP) to review the activity report of the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL), held on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Arrouchi stressed that these principles must be respected and implemented and therefore cannot be limited to mere slogans of political exploitation.

The Moroccan diplomat recalled the need to continue the process of strengthening the dialogue between the Member States and AUCIL, stressing the importance of the contributions presented by the States in the framework of the ongoing projects of the AU Commission, which will contribute to improving the confidence and the quality of the exchanges between the Member States and AUCIL.

In this regard, and in order to alleviate the difficulties faced by AUCIL in terms of financial and human resources, the delegation stressed the relevance of a general appeal by all the bodies involved in the work of this Commission to provide it with all the necessary resources for its operation and the fulfillment of its strategic missions.

Arrouchi appealed to the AU Member States to pool efforts in order to develop a clear vision of the application of international law on the African continent and thus reach consensus positions on all controversial issues in this field.

The Permanent Representative also reiterated Morocco’s willingness to cooperate with AUCIL and to provide it with any information that could be useful, particularly in light of its national practice, in dealing with current issues.