Address by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, at the Constitutive Conference of Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network

 Your Excellency Honorable Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan,

Honorable Speakers,

Esteemed colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am immensely pleased and keen to take part, as the head of a delegation of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco, in the Constitutive Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network, currently held in the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

First of all, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the Government, Parliament, and people of our fraternal Republic of Azerbaijan for the genuine hospitality we have received in this beautiful and ancient country and for the efforts deployed to ensure the success of this Conference, which lays down the institutional foundations of the parliamentary dimension of the Non-Aligned Movement.

As you are aware, the Non-Aligned Movement was founded in 1961 against the backdrop of the cold war between the East and the West, with a view to consolidating the newly independent countries, supporting the countries that were struggling for their independence, and achieving independent development.

Nowadays, after the end of the cold war, the international community, especially the member States of the Movement, is facing increasing challenges due to the globalization of conflicts and crises, dilemmas imposed by terrorism, mass exodus, and climate disruption, which have been exacerbated by the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, acute shortage of food resources, and the unprecedented spike in energy prices owing to the contexts we all know.

I reckon that the choice of the Conference theme: "Boosting the Role of National Parliaments in Promoting Global Peace and Sustainable Development," reflects our concern as a parliamentary community in this global context, where the people of our Movement countries pay a higher price compared to their counterparts. It also reflects our concern to give new substance to the central preoccupations of the Non-Aligned Movement after more than 60 years since its establishment.

If the situation of our countries in the current international context is well known to everyone, I believe that recalling some of its indicators should urge us more than ever before, as a parliamentary community, to suggest solutions to the dilemmas that beset the world today, and question the effectiveness of our old approaches and the adaptability of the political discourse we had adopted for years to the magnitude of our current challenges.

Allow me, Honorable Speaker and esteemed colleagues, to share with you some of these indicators and paradoxes:

The first indicator relates to the fact that the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement have the largest primary resource reserves of energy and minerals. They also have the largest proportion of arable land (more than 60 percent in Africa alone). Yet, they keep registering the highest rates of hunger, extreme poverty, poor schooling, and poor access to water and electricity networks and infrastructure.

The second indicator relates to the fact that the vast majority of internal and cross-border armed conflicts, in the present as in the past, exist between countries of the Non-aligned Movement or take place within the national borders of some, which places obstacles in the way of achieving development and creates generations traumatized by violence.

The third indicator is that the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement represent more than half of the member States of the United Nations. Yet, we are unable to influence international decisions in a manner befitting our demographic size, geographical extent, historical magnitude, and contribution to world civilization.

The fourth indicator relates to the fact that our countries are paying the cost of climate disruption, drought, desertification, deforestation, and sometimes floods, with their implications on migration flows and climate-induced people displacement. In return, our countries have not benefited as much as they could from the industrial and technological revolution, and our contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is very low (For instance, African countries' contribution does not exceed 4%).

Thus, the effective response to these challenges and anomalies requires us to come up with a new vision and innovative approaches that valorize the Non-Aligned Movement history, cherish its spirit, and promote the ideals of its noble foundation purposes. We also need a vision that renews the methodology of both our advocacy and networking.

Personally, I believe in the future of our countries, and I am quite convinced that there is a need for a new substance to our parliamentary advocacy in multilateral frameworks and the adoption of a discourse that defends peace, the democratization of international relations, equitable distribution of wealth, independence of the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement in decision-making, and their right to acquire technologies and utilize their wealth in the most optimal manner.

We are called upon to stand up for the climate justice of our countries and for balanced international trade.

In parallel, we should promote cooperation between our countries, upgrade it to a multilateral partnership, and take solidarity between us and non-interference in the internal affairs of others as a common fundamental doctrine.

Accordingly, the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member States, as well as the rest of the countries around the globe, should remain a central principle. The most serious challenges facing our geopolitical group are the dismantlement of States, the collapse of political regimes, and secession, as they make breeding ground for terrorism and intolerance, and have caused several countries to become scene of many crises. Although crises do not exist in a particular region, they have become increasingly influential, with the support of some States under cover of defending noble principles and values. Thus, development, progress, and institution-building cannot be achieved without peace, security, and secured borders between States, where businesses, commercial exchange, and people’s movement can thrive.

The future is ours if we adhere to the doctrine of cooperation, solidarity, peace, and mutual respect and if we succeed in preventing crises and resolving the current ones.

In the Kingdom of Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, we will continue to defend this doctrine and work to build partnerships that will generate hope and secure the future. We are determined to share our experiences and skills with our fraternal and friendly countries.

We remain convinced that the events surrounding us increase our need as an international community for peace, democracy, and coexistence. It is the responsibility of all of us.

I wish our work success, and thank you for listening.