Address by the Speaker of the House of Representatives at the Opening of the Parliamentary Day organized on the occasion of the OGP 2022 Regional Event for Africa and Middle East Parliament Day

02/11/2022

Your Excellency the Head of Government;
Honorable Colleague the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union;
Honorable Colleagues, Speakers of African Parliaments;
Honorable Ministers; 
Distinguished Parliamentary Colleagues;
Mr. the Coordinator of the Open Government Partnership Initiative;
Distinguished Officials of Non-governmental Organizations;
Distinguished Officials of International Organizations;
Ladies and gentlemen;
On behalf of my colleague, Mr. Rachid Talbi El Alami, Speaker of the House of Representatives, I have the honor to convey to you his warmest greetings and apologies, at the same time, for not being able to attend this Meeting, as he is on a mission to Africa.
On behalf of the Speaker of the House, I would like to express our sincere joy and pride to host the Regional Event for Africa and the Middle East Parliament Day, organized under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist. This occasion offers a unique and creative gathering as long as it brings together, perhaps for the first time, Governments, parliaments, civil society organizations, local and regional authorities, representatives of international agencies and several international donors for an interactive debate on noble issues.
First of all, I would like to welcome each one of you: The honorable President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, my distinguished colleagues, the Speakers and Members of African Parliaments, the representatives of central and local governments and the officials of African civil society. My thanks go also to the officials of the Open Government Partnership Initiative for having chosen the Kingdom of Morocco to host this important Meeting, which reflects the commitment of our country, its Parliament, local authorities and non-governmental organizations, to the values and principles of the OGP, as well as to the policies and reforms that it requires and the ensuing commitments.
 
The strong and diverse presence at this Meeting reflects the collective will to get engaged in discussion and dialog on issues that are today at the core of our current international context. It embodies also the trust and recognition enjoyed by the Kingdom of Morocco at the international level, mainly at the level of Africa and the Middle East. Our country is not only a pillar of regional, continental and international stability, but also a basis for African and international decisions. It was in Casablanca where the idea of establishing the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was born in 1961. It was in Marrakesh where the World Trade Organization (WTO) was established 28 years ago and where the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1994 was signed, which created a crucial dynamic in international trade. Also, six years ago, in Marrakech, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, with several Leaders of African States, launched structuring initiatives in the context of advocacy for climate justice in Africa on the occasion of the 22nd Conference of the Parties on Climate (COP22), where concrete initiatives of support and partnership between the countries of the continent were initiated, including the African Agriculture Adaptation Initiative (AAA).
Honorable Speakers;
Dear Colleagues, 
Ladies and gentlemen;
 
The issues raised at this Regional Meeting are strongly linked to the competencies of parliaments and are of great importance to our African peoples, who aspire to development and prosperity and who are committed to consolidating democratic and institutional construction. Now, in these post-Covid-19 trying times and difficult international geopolitical context, the issue of public debt, namely external debts, has become the main concern of the majority of States, Governments and Parliaments, which have the responsibility to negotiate with international donors to alleviate the debt burden of the countries of our continent.
There is no doubt that the rhetoric of international solidarity with Africa, support and so-called ‘development aid’ are being tested today, just as global solidarity was tested recently during the Covid-19 pandemic, while Africa has had to face the pandemic and its repercussions with its own means.
Ladies and gentlemen;
 
At this meeting, we will discuss other issues as important as the management and transparency of public debt, such as equitable access to public services, access to basic services, digitalization, territorial justice, gender issues, transparency and access to information. When Africa confronts these problems and places them at the heart of its public policies, it does it out of conscious and voluntary choice, taking into account national needs, and not to please any foreign party.
 
 If these projects are among the fundamental pillars of building democracy and giving it real meaning, they need the necessary funding, a sincere international partnership, a sincere desire to transfer technology from the North to the South, particularly to Africa, and internationally supported policies, to transform our continent's potential into wealth generating decent incomes and prosperity.
The international experiences of contemporary history have shown that no nation has prospered without sustained structural support. Though it has been at the heart of complicated international challenges, where major Powers have been striving to exploit its wealth, Africa still represents the future Continent, with its young human resources, its fertile agricultural lands (60% of the world’s arable land is in Africa), its expensive primary resources, its coastline stretching over approximately 26,000 kilometers, and the wealth of the oceans and seas that surround the continent. Consequently, the Africa we are talking about is well placed to be a land of the new economic dynamic and to attract investments, provided that it is aware of its interests and is oriented towards the future and that each one of its States complies with the will, choices and territorial integrity of other countries in the continent.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Parliaments play a crucial role in achieving the goals and values of the Open Government Partnership Initiative. They are called upon to enact the necessary laws to achieve these goals, to exercise control over Governments in terms of Open Government Partnership and related matters, as well as to submit public policies in the area of values and philosophy of open Governments to parliamentary evaluation. In this respect, all parliaments must set an example for communities in terms of transparency, property disclosure and avoidance of conflicts of interest. They are also called upon to be close to and responsive to society and to stand as a model of openness to citizens, particularly through civil society organizations able to mobilize the initiatives of citizens within the framework of participatory democracy.
While I am welcoming once again the representatives of African civil society organizations who are taking part in this meeting, I would like to pay tribute to the vigilance of the leaders of these organizations on our continent and to emphasize the crucial role they play in enriching democratic practice in a context where they need support. There is no doubt that the values of volunteerism, honesty and trust in Africa's potential are the stimulus for the mobilization of African civil society in its achievements in the areas of inclusive development, environment, awareness-raising, gender equality and human rights. However, this noble work by African civil society needs funding, support and assistance to ensure its viability and independence.
As parliaments, we must take these noble civic roles into account and strive to build productive partnerships with civil society. The Open Government Partnership initiative offers valuable opportunities for these partnerships, particularly in terms of co-creating the commitments of Parliaments under this international mechanism.
While it is necessary and more effective to respect the boundaries between the political, partisan and civil aspects, on the one hand, and the roles of civil associations, on the other, the objectives remain the same, namely to promote democratic construction in Africa, taking into account the contexts and culture of its countries, to respect its decisions and to facilitate conscious participation in the management of public affairs, in order to strengthen stability, which is an indispensable condition for development and progress.
As His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, pointed out, at the 28th Summit of the African Union, “Africa can and must validate, on its own, its elections and thus endorse its citizens’ free choice”.
Thus, we must promote the exchange of expertise between our parliaments in this area, and we expect greater openness based on institutionalization and the legal framework. We must also develop coordinated strategies to advocate for our continent, defend its interests and remove the injustices that surround it, due to an unjust international order, particularly towards Africa.
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen;
 
The values, principles, ideals and challenges of Governments, Parliaments and open communities are certainly at the heart of the functions and competencies of legislative institutions. Therefore, the common and strategic overall objective is to consolidate democratic practice and the state of institutions and to guarantee human rights. To achieve this, we, in Africa, must cooperate with all components of our societies. Truth must be told, there are many forces, energies and bodies in the North that support justice for Africa and work for its renaissance. Here, I would like to mention one of those eminent international personalities, Mr. Duarte Pacheco, Speaker of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
I welcome you once again to your second country - Morocco, as you are here with your family, brothers and colleagues.
Thank you for your kind attention.

OGP

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Address by the Speaker of the House of Representatives at the Opening of the Parliamentary Day organized on the occasion of the OGP 2022 Regional Event for Africa and Middle East Parliament Day