Address of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami at Opening of Conference on "Migration and Climate Change: Which Relationship?"

30/04/2024

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Honorable Mr. Enaam Mayara, Speaker of the House of Councilors and Brother;
Honorable Mr. Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe;
Your Excellency Ms. Patricia Llombart Cussac, Ambassador of the European Union, 
Esteemed fellow parliamentarians, 
Ladies and gentlemen, 
I feel enormous joy as I inaugurate with you the proceedings of this Conference, in which we conclude the activities of the Cooperation Project uniting the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and financed by the European Union.
I am pleased, first of all, to welcome you, Honorable President Rousopoulos, and esteemed members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe taking part in this Conference. I also want to thank the Moroccan and European experts for their mobilization to bring this gathering to success, as it tackles problems that today top, alongside other pressing questions, the concerns of the international community, its governments, parliaments, people, media, and civil society organizations. 
As noted in the Conference's theme, I am here referring to migration, an international historical phenomenon, and climate change, which threatens several life manifestations and causes major losses and damage to humanity. 
Before I tackle the Conference's theme, allow me, first of all, to mention, by way of reminder and appreciation, the record of the Cooperation Project between the Moroccan Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and to thank the European Union that finances the project as part of funding the Institutional Twinning Program linking the House of Representatives and seven national European parliaments. Allow me also to praise the fruit of our cooperation in terms of meetings, gatherings, and exchange regarding parliamentary practices and the problems linked to them, such as gender equality, the presence of women in decision-making positions, openness, partnership with civil society, participatory democracy, and the novel functions of parliaments. 
This project has enabled us, in the first place, to conduct dialogue and exchange on parliamentary practices and procedures. It has also allowed interaction between the parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, and experts, which is a significant gain for us all in itself and a lever to our political and institutional dialogue falling within the scope of the status of the Moroccan Parliament within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe as a partner for democracy since 2011, and mainly by the advanced status the Kingdom of Morocco enjoys in its relations with the European Union since 2008. 
In both cases, our relations are built on interests and benefits. Still, they are also enriched and injected with further dynamism and durability thanks to our shared values and choices, namely democracy, human rights protection, openness, moderation, tolerance, and acceptance of difference.
Secondly, in terms of content, the project has enabled us to share practices and expertise and explore together new cooperation horizons in participatory democracy and the inclusion of civil society in the democratic practice following each party's constitutional and legislative provisions and institutional traditions.
Public policy evaluation occupied a distinct position amongst the activities organized within the scope of this project, which testifies to their timeliness and centrality amongst the parliamentary competences and functions in a democracy worthy of the name. 
Hence, the matter is one of converging problems and questions that are at the core of democratic construction and the collective quest to renew the democratic practice in an international context marked by the propagation of anti-parliamentary ideologies, political abstention, and the emergence of new competitors to representative democracy that enjoys electoral legitimacy. 
In summary, we witnessed more than 20 processes, varying between publications, study visits, and seminars that facilitated exchanges between Moroccan parliamentarians and parliamentary staff and their counterparts from the European Parliaments and Assemblies. 
Another reason for pride is that all these processes were conducted within the scope of the exchange of visits and sharing of knowledge and practices, to which the Moroccan Parliament made a valuable contribution. This reflects the maturity of Moroccan institutional democracy, as noted by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the first elected Moroccan Parliament. 
All in all, it is a matter of reinforcing the accumulation reached in the parliamentary and democratic culture, in which we proudly and collectively contribute and hope will be a tributary to democratic renewal. 
Esteemed colleagues, 
Ladies and gentlemen, 
Regarding the Conference's theme, allow me to recall the challenges posed by the phenomenon of migration in terms of causes and management, and mainly the perceptions of the public opinion regarding it, particularly in the countries of the North. 
In this respect, I could not find a better, sincerer, more straightforward, and more precise introduction to this theme than what His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah glorify him, noted when the Heads of State and Government of the African Union chose him in 2018 as a pioneer on the matter of migration, during his presentation of the African Union's Migration Agenda. 
On this, His Majesty noted: 
<ol style="text-align: justify;">
<li>"There is no massive influx of migrants, since the latter account for only 3.4 percent of the world population; </li>
<li>African migration is essentially intra-African. Worldwide, migration accounts for less than 14 percent of the population. As far as Africa is concerned, 4 out of 5 African migrants remain in the Continent; </li>
<li>Migration does not impoverish host countries since 85% of migrants' incomes remain in those countries; </li>
<li>Migration is a natural phenomenon which is part of the solution, not of the problem. We should adopt a positive stance on the issue of migration by highlighting the humanistic rationale of shared responsibility and solidarity." [End of Royal quote]</li>
</ol>
Those are profound, meaningful conclusions that question us all, and particularly question the preconceived ideas on migration and migrants that are promoted, especially in the countries of the North. 
Allow me, before diving into the principles and values orienting the management by the Kingdom of Morocco of migration and the Moroccan-European cooperation in curbing irregular migration and human trafficking networks, to recall the dangers of the speeches that entrench xenophobia and migrants' scapegoating, as well as the exploitation of migration in elections and political biddings, and claiming it to be the reason for numerous problems.
It is an arbitrary inclusion of migration, which is, in reality, a historical and civilizational human phenomenon, in domestic and cross-border geopolitical challenges. 
Fortunately, in the North, as in the South, several actors defend migration and migrants, advocate for co-living, and call for treating migration as a positive civilizational dynamic, in the face of the introvert xenophobe speeches. 
Contrary to the claims of anti-migration advocates, the decisive contribution of migrants in building the economies of host countries since the end of the Second World War has been confirmed throughout history to this day, as is confirmed the contribution of the highly skilled migrants that contribute today to the economic and service fabric and the sports successes of these countries, taking into consideration that the countries that are the sources of migration spend large amounts in the education and training of these migrants, particularly doctors, and engineers. For instance, the Kingdom of Morocco spends more than one million dirhams on training one doctor. 
In this regard, we should recall the need for more human resources in the economies of Northern countries to overcome the deficit caused, in several fields, by the decline in demographic growth. In the meantime, the countries of the South need to advance the services they provide for their citizens to achieve development thanks to the contribution of their local skills. 
As we defend migrants, we must affirm that migration must be regular, orderly, and safe and respect the rights of migrants and their dignity. These are the core elements of the Global Compact of Migration, also called the Marrakesh Compact, emanating from an international conference the Kingdom of Morocco was honored to host in 2018. This Conference featured the participation of more than 150 countries under the aegis of the United Nations in the person of their Secretary-General. 
The birth of this global compact on the soil of the Kingdom of Morocco is a token of trust and a sincere international testament to the efficiency of its migration policies and management. After being the source of migration and a transit country for migrants, our country is today a land that hosts and integrates migrants from other brotherly African and Middle Eastern countries. As per the Royal directives, the Kingdom of Morocco ensures that such integration is conducted following a vision based on solidarity and respect for human dignity under all circumstances.
On another note, there is no doubt that our European partners feel and appreciate the efforts of the Kingdom in countering and dismantling human trafficking networks and fighting irregular migration, taking into consideration the material, human, and logistical cost of these efforts, and knowing that the people who migrate and risk their lives on land and sea do it forcefully because of poverty, unemployment, conflicts, and drought resulting from climate change, which we must take into account when enacting migration policies. 
Our country's efforts to combat migration, based on respect for law and human dignity, and its efforts to integrate migrants must be appreciated further. 
 
 
Ladies and gentlemen, 
In our African context, climate change is a major factor in intra-African and cross-border migration, as drought, desertification, major decline in forest cover, water scarcity, soil erosion, and, in other cases, storms and floods, cause collective displacement and flight of individuals. Besides, poverty and the loss of sources of income caused by drought, push several individuals, mostly youth, to migrate outside or within their countries.
Africa contributes only 4% to greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, it remains the continent most impacted by the climate imbalances caused by these gases. 
This situation raises questions regarding international solidarity to mitigate the impacts of climate change and implement the agreements of the international community in the Conferences of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, particularly the ones held in Paris and Marrakesh. 
Climate justice requires a political will from rich countries and international donors to provide the countries suffering from environmental morbidity with the technologies that facilitate the creation of a green, sustainable economy. I say this and recall that our African continent hosts around 60% of the arable lands of the world, enormous human resources, and abundant strategic mineral and energy wealth. These promising potentials need to be turned into wealth by facilitating the transfer of technologies, capital, and skills. Besides, resolute international political will is required to do Africa justice. 
There is no doubt that investing in the development and advancement of the countries that export migration would facilitate their transformation into countries of residence and attraction for skillful individuals, which would subvert the equations, directions, and indices of migration. 
Drought and desertification cause domestic migration from the countryside to cities, which poses serious challenges to the policies of urbanization and urban planning and necessitates the provision of adequate housing, educational and health services, job opportunities, integration in social life, and the means for smooth urban transport. 
In this respect, we should recall the Kingdom of Morocco's efforts regarding climate and development and its continental commitment to building a green African economy. For instance, we can mention the Initiative of Adaptation of African Agriculture launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah glorify him, during COP22 in Marrakesh, alongside several of his brothers, heads of African States. 
This initiative is enriched by agriculture support projects conducted by the Cherifian Office of Phosphates (OCP) in several African countries, which are part of a social solidarity initiative. 
In another field, the Atlantic Initiative launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, on the occasion of the 48th Green March anniversary on November 6, 2023, is a strategic project whose implementation would engender a profound and structural geostrategic development transformation in Africa, as it aims to best utilize the richness of the continent, equip it, and open up to the countries of the African Sahel that do not have maritime shores, and link them to the countries of the globe through land and sea. 
As for the domestic front, the Kingdom of Morocco is conducting ambitious plans to produce energy from renewable sources, as around 30 regions host such projects, in addition to the grand project of green hydrogen production, water mobilization and good management, water desalination, and the implementation of leading agricultural plans.
Honorable Speaker of the House of Councilors,
Honorable President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, 
Esteemed colleagues, 
Ladies and gentlemen, 
The dilemma of climate change and its disastrous repercussions on human stability, as well as migration, put on us, as parliamentarians in the North and the South, several responsibilities that we must assume. In addition to our competences of adopting the legislation related to migration, guaranteeing human rights, and facilitating co-living, we must use our distinct status, institutional positions, and multilateral fora to promote a new perception regarding migration and fight the wrong views on their regard, as well as to reverse the dangerous negative indices of climate change. 
This ethical, political, and historical responsibility is no less important than working toward peace, stability, and security in a world leaning toward a fragmentation and polarization that open the world to different scenarios that would be difficult to tune, noting that conflicts, wars, and instability are additional factors that contribute decisively to migration and displacement. 
To that end, I am convinced that the Kingdom of Morocco and Europe can efficiently contribute to the creation of a new conscience commensurate with policies based on solidarity, cooperation, and mutual respect, in order to achieve safe, orderly, and regular migrations as per the Marrakesh Compact, and to address climate change with a view to achieving sustainable development. The question, esteemed colleagues, is: What future are we leaving our future generations with in terms of co-living and the social and natural environment that hosts it?
I extend my best wishes for the success of this Conference and invite you to engage in a dialogue that we are proud to see enriched by the insights and contributions of our esteemed colleagues from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco. I also express my gratitude to the experts and officials, particularly from the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, who will provide detailed information on the Kingdom's efforts in migration and migrants' integration, as well as its contribution to addressing the causes of climate change and fostering a sustainable green economy. 
I welcome you once again, and thank you for your keen listening.