Rabat to Host Parliamentary Conference on South-South Cooperation on Feb. 15-16

A Parliamentary Conference on South-South Cooperation, placed under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, will be held on Thursday and Friday in Rabat, to discuss the “Role of National Parliaments and Regional and Continental Parliamentary Unions in Africa, the Arab World, and Latin America in Enhancing Strategic Partnerships and Achieving Joint Integration and Development.” The meeting, held at the initiative of the House of Councillors in collaboration with the Association of Senates, Shoora, and Equivalent Councils in Africa and Arab world (ASSECAA), is part of the Kingdom of Morocco’s leadership, under the enlightened guidance of HM King Mohammed VI, in launching all development and solidarity initiatives aimed at strengthening South-South cooperation. A statement by the House of Councillors said that this conference is also part of the implementation of the Rabat Declaration on South-South Cooperation, issued at the end of the South-South Forum held in March 2022, and reaffirms the need to strengthen South-South cooperation ties and the common action of legislative institutions, particularly amidst the multidimensional and successive crises the world is currently facing. It also reaffirms the firm conviction that South-South cooperation remains a strategic option for sustainable development and an essential lever for bolstering economic interests and human connections, as well as achieving integration and inclusion in the global economy, added the same source. At this conference, participants will address current strategic issues, mainly those related to development, economic transition, trade, investment, technology, innovation and energy, health, food and water security, with the aim of elaborating and adopting recommendations, proposals and practical decisions designed to highlight the role of national parliaments and regional and continental parliamentary unions in Africa, the Arab world and Latin America, in promoting and strengthening strategic partnerships in the economic, social and humanitarian fields. Discussions will focus on three themes, namely “Enhancing Political Dialogue and Regional Security in Africa, the Arab World, and Latin America for the Achievement of Peace, Stability, and Prosperity,” ” Achieving Economic Transformation, Regional Integration, and Shared Development: The Importance of Policies Linked to Enhancing Strategic Partnerships, Encouraging Investment, Technology, Infrastructure, and Enhancing Competitive Capacities,” “Achieving the Sustainable Development-Energy-Environment Triad”.