Banjul. Within the framework of the 15th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), King Mohammed VI affirmed the need to dedicate greater care and interest to the least developed African countries that are members of the Organization, in order to be able to face the various challenges that affect their development process.
“By virtue of the Kingdom of Morocco’s belonging to the African continent and the deep-rooted human and spiritual ties that characterize its relations with its brother countries, we want to affirm the need to dedicate greater care to the less developed African countries, members of our organization. and interest, in order to be able to face the various challenges that affect its development process,” he stressed in a speech addressed to the 15th OIC Summit, which is being held on May 4 and 5 in Banjul, in the Republic of Gambia.
It was read by the Minister of Assets and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, and the King indicated that these countries are particularly subject to growing threats to their energy and food security, as well as their economic growth, which negatively affects their stability and leads to the worsening of their social and economic conditions.
Convinced of the importance of South-South cooperation, the Sovereign recalled the launch of the Atlantic African States Initiative, as a process of African cooperation, whose final objectives lie in consolidating ties of cooperation and integration. between the African countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, with a view to consolidating peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region.
“We also announce the launch of an international initiative with the aim of allowing the countries of the Sahel to access the Atlantic Ocean,” continued the King, adding that, on the other hand, the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline project is inspired by the same spirit of solidarity, since it constitutes a project of regional integration and joint economic takeoff, in addition to promoting the dynamics of development on the Atlantic coast.
He stressed that this Islamic summit is being held at a time when several regions of the Islamic world are still under the weight of political-military tensions and security unrest, which negatively affect living conditions in many of the organization’s member states. especially among Africans.
“Our organization and its specialized institutions are called to redouble their efforts and initiatives aimed at these countries, within a spirit of fraternity, solidarity and synergy among Muslims, as well as to collectively benefit from the development programs and plans that are being implemented. approve in our summits and meetings,” the King insisted.
On the other hand, he estimates that “broadening the horizons of common Islamic action and taking advantage of the national potential of our countries requires a realistic and constructive evaluation of the mechanisms for implementing the work program of our organization, as well as improving the legal framework, with a view to its adaptation, to respond to the needs of our societies in the areas of investment and trade, thus allowing the productive sectors the desired economic integration and complementarity.
He stressed that the OIC countries are not immune from what is happening around them, since the challenges they must face are enormous, as this is a new generation of global crises, both economically, politically, security , environmental and health.
In this framework, he called on the members of the Organization to adapt to the permanent instability that characterizes the global economy, due to the pressure exerted on global supply chains, resulting from wars and the threats that hang over transportation routes. maritime.
He advocated to overcome the challenges of global and sustainable human development, as it becomes necessary to explore opportunities for complementarity and integration, in order to achieve common benefit and implement the eighteen priorities of the next ten-year program of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, “particularly increasing the rate of intraregional trade within the framework of the foreign trade of the member countries and eliminating the obstacles that stand in the way of the development of commercial exchanges between the countries of the organization.
“We firmly believe that our States, both individually and within regional groupings, have natural and human potential that allows them to achieve the category of productive block of knowledge, stability and prosperity, for the general benefit of them, of their environment and the world in general,” noted the Sovereign.
For the King, the OIC is, above all, a space in which it innovates, strives, plans and mobilizes to carry out practical projects, keeping in mind its ultimate ambition to achieve international peace and security, sustainable development, progress and collective well-being.
He recalled, on the other hand, that the OIC was born 55 years ago in the Kingdom of Morocco, and that the founders did not have in mind the creation of a religious organization, but rather the project emanated from the conviction of propagating the teachings of a honorable religion, with human and universal values as a way to mobilize wills and make the voice of Islam heard, to achieve true effective and practical solidarity, realizing the ambitions of our people to achieve peace, development and collective well-being and permanent.
For this reason, he maintained “the concept of solidarity to which we aspire today is not limited to defending the integrity of the faith and its unity with words and good intentions, but also includes respect for pluralism and specificities, promoting trust and work.” collective”.
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2024-05-08 20:50:49
