Winning Development Battle, Arab States’ Greatest Challenge

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI underscored that the greatest challenge thrown at Arab states lies in winning the battle for development, deeming that this goes through ensuring capacity-building, combating poverty and vulnerability and overcoming hurdles to inter-Arab economic and commercial cooperation.

“The greatest challenge for us is to win the battle for development by making up for lost time in terms of ensuring capacity-building, combating poverty and vulnerability in our countries and overcoming hurdles to our economic and commercial cooperation,” said King Mohammed VI in a speech to the Arab summit held in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott.

“We must remain focused on designing and developing the right partnerships within the Arab family with regard to needs, priorities and areas of cooperation so as to boost the development dimension in our joint action. All our endogenous capacities should be leveraged to enable Arab citizens to enjoy a serene, dignified life,” he stated in the speech that was read out on his behalf at the opening session by Morocco’s Foreign Minister, Salaheddine Mezouar.

We are not lacking in innovative thinking, skilled human resources, a suitable institutional framework or natural resources that serve as a catalyst,” said the Sovereign who deemed that “what is important, in fact, is to believe in investment in the future, in real solidarity and in gradual benefits, to be reaped slowly but surely.”

King Mohammed VI called for a participatory approach, particularly with regard to the private sector, in implementing development projects, saying this “may lead to success stories that can be a real catalyst for investment and competitiveness all over the Arab region.”
“I hope the spirit of solidarity will prevail today so future generations may, tomorrow, reap the fruits of structural, economic, commercial, technical, scientific and cultural projects carried out within the framework of the League of Arab States,” he stated further.

“In this way, our Organization can gain in stature in the eyes of Arab citizens and play its role as a driving force to spur exchange and cooperation with other regional blocs and have a positive impact on the global economy,” he said.
“What matters, above all, is to embed in our collective consciousness the firm belief that unity is absolutely necessary if we want to rise to the cultural challenge which consists in building modern states rooted in civic values, the rule of law and commitment to territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” the sovereign noted.