Rabat, Capital of South-South Cooperation
The Parliamentary Dialogue Forum of Senates and Equivalent Councils of Africa, the Arab world, Latin America and the Caribbean has proclaimed the city of Rabat the capital of South-South cooperation.
The proclamation came in the Final Statement released after the conclusion of the first day of the event, praising Morocco’s efforts in being a leader for south-south cooperation.
According to the Final Statement of the Forum, held in Rabat, under the patronage of King Mohammed VI, the presidents and representatives of senates, shoora councils, equivalent councils, and regional parliamentary associations in Africa, the Arab world, and Latin America and the Caribbean acknowledged the role played by the Kingdom in launching and supporting any development and solidarity initiative aimed at supporting South-South cooperation.
In their addresses, participating countries and delegations outlined the process of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as steps to encourage and strengthen the spirit of cooperation and development between the countries.
The event emphasized the importance of building sustainable and long-lasting measures to combat problems endemic to some of the participating nations, such as famine and disease.
In this vein, the Final Statement stressed the imperative of reinforcing South-South coordination, cooperation, and synergy between the countries of these regions at the bilateral levels, strengthening mechanisms for regional integration and inter-cooperation, particularly in the fields related to safeguarding sovereignty, food, energy, and health security, economic exchange, sustainable development, and constant coordination and consultation through permanent institutional channels.
The Final Statement contains numerous recommendations, including the building of mutually beneficial partnerships and unlocking the dynamics of human and social development projects through the expedited development of cooperation strategies based on the values of solidarity, justice, and common interest, to help countries in the global south get back on their feet following the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this regard, the Forum called for the establishment of a “parliamentary mechanism for cooperation and economic integration” consisting of representatives of regional and continental parliaments – that enables the promotion of legislative innovation in terms of enhancing South-South cooperation and strengthening the exchange of best practices between parliamentary institutions, in addition to working in a practical and swift manner to offer an “‘integrated roadmap proposal for joint cooperation” to the summits of country leaders, institutions, bodies, and African, Arab and Latin American inter-governmental conferences.
In his address before the forum, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita said that Morocco is committed to achieving the objectives of the initiative of the forum and commits to give the forum the momentum it needs to achieve the outlined goals and establish dialogue and cooperation.
He noted that the experience Morocco has accumulated in several strategic sectors can help it lead the way for the participating countries to achieve win-win partnerships.
The forum also addressed international issues like the Palestine and Ukraine conflicts, stressing the importance of establishing a state for Palestinians with the 1967 borders, and inviting the parties to the Ukraine conflict to seek out dialogue and pursue a peaceful solution.
The “South-South” Parliamentary Dialogue Forum, marked by the presence of representatives of Senates of more than 31 countries of the three geopolitical groups, is intended to be a parliamentary mechanism and a space for advocacy and exploration of new areas of multidimensional cooperation, according to a logic of strategic partnership and solidarity based on proximity and efficient and effective participatory action.
