Morocco to Host Second Training Cycle for African Election Observers on May 23-26

The Kingdom of Morocco will host on May 23-26, 2023, the second training cycle for African election observers, an important step in consolidating the Morocco-African Union partnership in the field of support to political governance in Africa. Organized in partnership with the Department led by Commissioner Bankolé Adeoye, this second edition draws its strength from the call of the 36th Summit of the African Union, held in February 2023, to continue this exercise of strengthening African capacities for better political governance in Africa, through credible and transparent electoral processes, said a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates. The cycle, which reflects and proceeds from Morocco’s commitment to achieving strategic objectives aimed at the establishment and consolidation of a stable, peaceful and prosperous continental African order, is part of efforts to address the “multiple challenges of peace and security in our continent,” said the same source. Following the success of its first edition, this second cycle will be marked by an increase in the number of beneficiaries, from 32 to 61, including 41 observers from the five regions of the continent plus 10 young Moroccan observers. The gender approach has also been observed, since 50% of the beneficiaries of this training will be women, notes the statement. This year, the cycle will focus on practical exercises and simulations based on the AU’s reference framework, while being impregnated with the Moroccan experience, shared by experts from the Ministry of the Interior and the CNDH. This new training is also innovative. It will cover all the stages that make up an electoral process, within the framework of a long-term vision, avoiding reducing the electoral operation to the voting phase. It will also open up to the academic world through a planned interaction with the Policy Center for the New South, the statement said.