The North Africa regional preparatory conference, a prelude to the 9th Pan-African Congress, organized by the Kingdom of Morocco and the Togolese Republic under the theme «Pan-Africanism and Migration», was held on April 18, 2024.
The conference, in which several ministers and senior African officials took part, is the third of six (6) preparatory conferences decided by the High Committee responsible for the agenda of the 2021-2031 Decade of African Roots and African Diasporas.
It is being held after those of December 4 and 5, 2024 in South Africa and March 14 and 15, 2024 in Bamako, Mali, respectively on the themes « Pan-Africanism, Science, Knowledge and Technologies » and « Diasporas, Afro-descendants and Development ».
Co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, H.E.M. Nasser BOURITA, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Togolese Abroad, H.E. Prof. Robert DUSSEY, whose country, Togo, chairs the High Committee in charge of the Agenda for the Decade of African Roots and Diasporas, the conference, in virtual format, was held as part of the preparations for the 9th Pan-African Congress which will take place from October 29 to November 2, 2024 in Lomé, under the theme « Renewal of Pan-Africanism and Africa’s role in the Reform of Multilateral institutions: Mobilizing Resources and Reinventing Itself to Act ».
The conference aimed to generate an exchange on the correlation between Pan-Africanism and migration in the context of the North African region and agree on recommendations which will be submitted to the Pan-African Congress in Lomé.
The Conference was also the opportunity to examine and debate a set of themes linked to different aspects of migration and modern Pan-Africanism, implemented through South-South cooperation, in particular:
- « Changing the narrative on migration for a renewed Pan-Africanism »;
- « Exploring national experiences on migration »;
- « The African Migration Observatory (AMO) and Noth African migration trends »; and
- « The contribution of the Diaspora to the development of African economies ».
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Minister BOURITA indicated that the Kingdom of Morocco is greatly enriched by its “assumed Afro-optimism”, which is reflected by its proactive African policy encompassing various areas of cooperation and its humanist policy in matters of migration.
Morocco, he continued, advocated a humanist and united approach by adopting in 2013 a new migration policy based on a participatory approach including various aspects, in particular respect for human rights, compliance with international law, international cooperation and shared responsibility.
As symbol of this Afro-optimism, Morocco’s migration policy has enabled the regularization of tens of thousands of migrants in a regional and international context marked by a “characterized shrinkage of the humanitarian space”.
In his speech, Prof. DUSSEY mentioned that « born in the diaspora, the momentum for the reappropriation of Pan-Africanism on the scale of continental Africa made against a backdrop of strong commitments from a few states with visionary leadership, including Morocco, is literally and symbolically inseparable…. of the Kingdom which was yesterday but remains today at the heart of Pan-Africanism.” Furthermore, he continued saying that «our identities are multiple and composite. And the one that unites us and always constitutes us and in all places is our common African identity».
The Rabat declaration which sanctioned the North Africa regional preparatory conference will be submitted for discussion to the participants of the 9th Congress.
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Access to the RABAT DECLARATION ON THE NORTH REGIONAL CONFERENCE
