The creation of a Group of Friends on the intersecting challenges of climate change and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, an initiative of the Kingdom, was announced Thursday at the end of an event organized on Thursday at the headquarters of the pan-African organization in Addis Ababa, by Morocco in collaboration with the African Union.
The Group of Friends on the intersecting challenges of climate change and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda which has just been launched “will allow senior officials from different sides to support this exercise so that the Women, Peace and Security nexus Climate change can be an element present in all our interactions and at all levels”, underlined the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita, during this high-level event.
“The Group of Friends on the intersecting challenges of climate change and the Women, Peace and Security agenda should be seen as a diverse coalition, especially not African, but open to all those who share the same vision and the same approach to these problems”, added the Minister who chaired this high-level event which was marked by the participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of African States and European countries, the Vice-President of the Commission of the African Union, the Commissioners of the African Union, international partners, international organizations, UN Women, and civil society, aims to intensify the political mobilization of African States in these strategic areas.
This initiative is a success, said the Minister, noting that “today everyone is aware that Africa does not need documents, Africa does not need projects, does not have need ideas (…), Africa needs interaction with its partners, support with its partners”.
Africa “must set an example, it must take ownership of its own projects and begin to provide its own responses before interacting with its partners”, reaffirmed Mr. Bourita.
“You can count on the Kingdom of Morocco. In accordance with the Instructions of HM King Mohammed VI, we will support this initiative, we will implement the Tangier Declaration and we will support the implementation of this Group of Friends to make it a real coalition,” assured the minister. Placed under the theme “the cross challenges of climate change and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Africa”, this event organized on the sidelines of the 42nd session of the Executive Council of the African Union, takes place within the framework of the implementation by Morocco of its first National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), launched on March 23, 2022. This Plan is a platform for action on preventive diplomacy, mediation and peacekeeping, the promotion of a culture of peace and equality, and the economic participation of women. This initiative is part of the High Guidelines of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, as contained in His Speech on the occasion of the 23rd Throne Day, for the promotion of gender equality and the rights of women as the foundations of a modern and democratic society.
The holding of this event was a success by the quality of the presence and made it possible to implement this approach. “Compared to global challenges, only a cooperative approach, only an interaction approach would be effective,” said Mr. Bourita.
This event constitutes the beginning of a coalition for action: “less talk, more action”, affirmed the Minister in a speech on this occasion.
This ministerial meeting was also held within the framework of the common vision of Morocco and the African Union in favor of a sustainable emergence of Africa and the role of African women in taking up the challenge of climate change.