"This forum marks the transition from a political and diplomatic discourse to a more pragmatic approach," said Mr. Bourita at the opening of the two-day event, stressing the need to "manage in a concrete and tangible way the issues related to the transfer of funds from the diaspora."

The African diaspora now forms the 6th region of the continent with a total population of over 150 million individuals in 2021, with remittances to the continent that have continued to increase to reach 95.6 billion dollars in 2021, including 10 billion in Morocco, continued the Minister, noting that this diaspora is not only a provider of funds, but also economic stability in the continent, whose contribution exceeds the official development assistance and FDI.

Mr. Bourita also deplored the costs of these transfers, "the most expensive in the world," stating that the average costs amount to nearly 8% for sub-Saharan Africa, against 6% in the world, nearly triple the percentage targeted by the tenth goal of sustainable development 2030.

This is "a fundamental issue" and "a priority for the continent", he said, calling to translate the debates and political will into proactive policy, through the reflection on pragmatic measures concerning technological tools, the establishment of a coherent legal framework and the establishment of an environment conducive to competition between providers.

This conference is also an opportunity to extend a joint commitment between Togo and Morocco and a joint action based on the initiative of Togo, which chairs the High Committee on the decade of African roots and the African diaspora, he added.

For his part, Togo's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Robert Dussey, welcomed the "essential and important" contribution of Morocco to the implementation of the content of the agenda of the "Decade of African roots and African Diaspora".

Speaking at the opening of the Rabat Forum on the Reduction of Remittance Costs for the African Diaspora, Mr. Dussey said that "Morocco has made essential and important efforts to implement the 2021-2031 agenda" and has also played an important role in all activities related to the African diaspora.

This meeting comes in an international context characterized by multiple uncertainties and challenges, noted Togo's top diplomat, noting that "this forum is a privileged opportunity to strengthen the frameworks for dialogue regarding the actions to be taken" to reduce the remittance costs for the diaspora.

He also stressed the need to submit concrete proposals at the end of the Forum, focusing in particular on innovative technological solutions that would help reduce costs and encourage immigrants to invest in the economies of their countries of origin.

The minister also announced Togo's intention to organize a pan-African conference in 2024 to address the various economic and political aspects of the African diaspora.

For her part, the Minister to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, Ms. Annette Seck, welcomed the organization of this forum which "comes at the right time", emphasizing the strong recommendations that will be provided at the end of the Forum and which will be carried by the African Union so that all the bottlenecks that could arise and negatively impact the establishment of new supports can be avoided, and thus, allow to capitalize on these transfers.

Ms. Seck also indicated that the issue of reducing the cost of remittances from the African Diaspora is important for all of Africa.

Enormous efforts are still needed, she noted, because "this diaspora pays in the absence of adequate support, the high price of these remittances, benefits very little and the countries of origin, even less."

Co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita and his Togolese counterpart, Mr. Robert Dussey, this forum is held with the participation of representatives of the AU Commissioner for Development, Trade, Industry and Mining, the AU Commissioner for Health Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development as well as the Director of Citizens and Diaspora of the AU (CIDO) but also representatives of Africa's partners and financial institutions, notably the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the IMF, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.