HIBAPRESS-RABAT
Paris, The Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, took part, Thursday in Paris, in the Ministerial Preparatory Conference for the Francophonie Summit, which opens Friday at the Cité Internationale de la Francophonie. French language at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts, north of the French capital.
During this 45th session of the Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie, delegations from member countries of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) were invited to debate the documents presented by the Secretary General of the OIF, Louise Mushikiwabo, in in particular the draft summit declaration, the draft resolution on crisis situations and the monitoring and evaluation mechanism.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Bensaid noted that the draft declaration of Villers-Cotterêts calling for “a new impetus” of partnership, innovation and creation within the Francophonie, “illustrates so well the challenges than opportunities.”
In this regard, he underlined Morocco’s support for commitment to the challenge of climate/biodiversity financing, recalling that a State “should never have to choose between the fight against poverty and the preservation of our planet”.
“We affirm our strong support for the mention made to young people, their education, their employability and their cross-mobility, whose future is a priority which commits us to working for peace and sustainable development in solidarity, equity and inclusiveness. And we call in this regard to include entrepreneurship education in school curricula,” added the minister.
Recalling the urgency of establishing a responsible digital culture and trust in the French-speaking area, Morocco, he indicated, proposes to organize in 2025 an international conference on the theme of protection of young audiences in the digital media environment, bringing together members of media regulator networks in particular.
Adhering to the process of transformation of the OlF into an organization with an economic vocation engaged in the various processes of the global economic agenda, sustainable development and economic integration of the countries of the French-speaking area, African in particular, Morocco had hosted the work of the 4th Meeting of Francophone Entrepreneurs in Marrakech in May 2024, in partnership with the Alliance of Francophone Employers and the MEDEF, a successful event in terms of revealing economic opportunities and networking of entrepreneurs from the French-speaking space.
Regarding the draft resolution on crisis situations, Mr. Bensaid noted that “the multidimensional challenges we face have exacerbated dissensions and fractures within the French-speaking space, which tends to weaken the founding values and principles of our Organization”.
He indicated that Morocco calls, in this context, to “overcome the divisions and tensions between neighboring States, to give meaning to the inclusive multilateralism that we want and to ensure active French-speaking solidarity prevails”.
Stressing that Africa in particular continues to be faced with major and complex challenges and crises, in terms of security and socio-economic development, the minister affirmed that the Kingdom, which is part of the sustainable settlement of these crises, encourages “a systemic and concerted approach aimed at supporting countries in difficulty in an effective and anticipated manner and providing support for promising programs and projects for the populations of States in the process of transition”.
Morocco, he continued, “will continue to work with determination for a prosperous Africa, a stable and secure Sahel, through concrete initiatives such as those launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in particular the initiative of access of the Sahel countries to the ocean and that of the Atlantic coast of Africa”.
Furthermore, the minister indicated that the Kingdom invites the French-speaking world, through its Secretary General, to “intensify its support, within the framework of democratic governance, for the processes of transition and consolidation of peace in the place African countries suspended from OlF bodies, with a view to their reintegration.
Referring to the situation in the Middle East which “challenges all of us in more than one way”, the minister stressed that beyond the management of the humanitarian crisis, Morocco believes that “the cessation of hostilities must be done in parallel with the opening of a political horizon capable of establishing a just and lasting peace in the region”, that “recourse to negotiations to resuscitate the peace process between the parties requires blocking the path to extremists of all sides” and that “security and stability will only be fully established in the region if this dynamic is part of the two-state solution, under which Gaza is an integral part of the territories of the independent Palestinian state, with Al- Quds Oriental as capital.
He recalled in this regard that on the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in His capacity as President of the Al Quds Committee, Morocco opened an unprecedented route to deliver urgent food and medical aid to the population of Gaza.
Headquarters of the OIF, France is hosting, for the first time in thirty-three years, the 19th Francophonie Summit which opens on Friday at the Cité internationale de la langue française at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts, north of Paris , before continuing the next day at the Grand Palais in the French capital, under the theme: “Create, innovate and undertake in French”.
