Organized in partnership with the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the AU under the theme ‘’Promoting the Peace, Security and Development Nexus, the Promise of Regional Integration in Africa’’, this conference, which will continue until October 27, is an ideal opportunity to identify, with all stakeholders, pilot projects that will have a real impact on the daily lives of African citizens so as to contribute to the eradication of the causes of extremism and terrorism on the continent.

The conference will culminate in the adoption of the Tangier Declaration, which will enshrine the importance of the relationship between peace, security and development in the strategies and programs for establishing peace and security and combating terrorism and extremism on the African continent.

Morocco, which was elected at the 35th AU Summit in February 2022 as a member of the AU Peace and Security Council for the period 2022-2025, holds the chairmanship of this decision-making body of the Union for the month of October.

The Moroccan Chairmanship of the PSC-AU is in line with the Kingdom's commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Africa and constitutes a consecration of the Kingdom's diplomatic efforts at the level of the African continent, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in favor of peace, security and stability in Africa.

On this occasion, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita, stressed that the Kingdom of Morocco reiterates its commitment to a reorientation of efforts to further infuse the triple nexus of peace, security and development within the African institutional architecture.

During a videoconference held at the opening of the Policy Conference in Tangier, Mr. Bourita called for the establishment of an AU Fund for Development, like the Peace Fund, dedicated to financing African collective action in socio-economic and human development. He also called for the exploration of avenues and mechanisms likely to strengthen synergies and coordination between the various bodies in charge of sustainable development, peace and security and governance in Africa. This especially concerns coordination between the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the African Governance Architecture (AGA), AUDA-NEPAD and the BAD.

In addition, the Minister called for the establishment of the continuity of this Policy Conference by institutionalizing it as the 'Tangier Process', which will involve all stakeholders including the private sector in the creation of a positive momentum for the stability and development of the Continent. He further noted that the objective will concern developing reliable data on the implementation of the triptych "peace, security and development" in the realization of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The choice of Morocco to host this conference is a token of recognition of its contribution to the theme since HM the King has erected the approach based on the "nexus peace, security and development" at the heart of Morocco's commitment to Africa since the return of the Kingdom to the AU, he noted.

At the level of the pan-African institution, Morocco, from its first term in the Peace and Security Council between 2018 and 2020, had been careful to include the triple nexus on the agenda of the work of this Council, he recalled. Morocco's vision is also reflected at the international level, by advocating within multilateral platforms and particularly within the UN, to factor African needs and realities in any initiative aimed at peace, security and development of the Continent, in a "partnership" and not "assistance" approach.

In this regard, Africa's commitment to address security challenges that are multiple and complex and multidimensional in nature must be based on new approaches that allow for anticipation and intervention instead of observation and reaction. Therefore, the Minister added, "Morocco believes that the time and order of action should invite more confidence in our collective African capabilities to meet our own challenges and move forward," recalling on this occasion, the Royal appeal that has remained famous: "Africa must trust Africa’’.

"It is this trust that we believe is lacking in efforts for peace, security and development of the continent to unlock its potential for continental and global integration," he continued, stressing that trust means "a partnership of equals, free of all hints of predation and influence oriented towards profit’’.

Trust also depends, he continued, on an "active solidarity, beyond the immediate interest and on a pan-African construction that requires a sincere commitment and a pooling of resources in the service of the African people," adding that trust also means "the centrality of the human dimension through a concrete cooperation turned to and around the people’’.

"It is to mark this trust that Morocco is committed, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, to share with African countries the two decades of experience in the implementation of a multidimensional strategy that has allowed us to combine national security, human development and a significant economic weight at the continental level," said the Minister.

He concluded by stressing that this confidence is the keystone to set in motion all the federative projects of Africa aimed at the development and integration of the continental space.