Foreign Affairs Committee at the House of Representatives Organizes Second Arab Colloquium on Complementarity between Official Diplomacy and Parallel Diplomacy

The Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs and Moroccan Expatriates Committee at the House of Representatives organized, on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at the House, in cooperation with the Moroccan Center for Volunteerism and Citizenship, the second Arab Colloquium on Complementarity between Official Diplomacy and Parallel Diplomacy. The Colloquium featured the participation of several ambassadors, consuls, representatives of diplomatic bodies of Arab States, and Moroccan and foreign civil society actors.

The Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs, and Moroccan Expatriates Committee, Rep. Nadia Bouaida, initiated the Colloquium with an address where she shed light on the advancement of parallel diplomacy. In this respect, she noted, “Globalization has become a reality that frames relations between States, at the political, economic, cultural and other levels, and each State now deploys major efforts in diplomatic action.”

In her statement, Rep. Bouaida also noted the diplomacy categories that might consolidate the position of the Kingdom of Morocco in today's world, namely parliamentary diplomacy, partisan diplomacy, economic diplomacy, and religious diplomacy. Finally, the Committee Chairperson concluded her address by noting that "parallel diplomacy is not an exclusive competence of the Government, the Parliament, political parties, or civil society bodies. On the contrary, any Moroccan citizen should represent their country in the best manner."

In the same respect, the Head of the Moroccan Center for Volunteerism and Citizenship, Mr. Mohamed Asfour, focused in his statement on the transition of diplomatic action towards a new approach to global interaction. In addition, he stated, "Volunteerism diplomacy is a cohesive, continuous, impactful and productive institutional work that elevates the value of nations and belonging, develops societies, and disseminates the values of cooperation and solidarity between peoples."

As for the guest ambassadors, the Libyan Ambassador, H.E. Abu Bakr Ibrahim Al-Tawil, took the floor and shed light on parliamentary diplomacy and its role in consolidating formal and informal relations between States and extending bridges between peoples. He also commended the development of the Kingdom of Morocco in this area during recent years.

Ms. Yasmine Salman Al-Jaafari, the Vice Head of the diplomatic delegation at the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq, tackled parallel diplomacy and the role of civil society organizations in its implementation. She noted, "There emerged other types of diplomacy that can be divided into three categories, including official diplomacy, government diplomacy, and parallel diplomacy."

For his part, Mr. Thani Al Rumaithi, the Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, considered that diplomacy, in its different aspects, is essential in converging views. In the same vein, he gave an overview of the Emirati experience in this area, which reflects an inclusive model of official and parallel diplomacies and their role in consolidating peace and security.

The Colloquium also featured interventions of some Committee members, namely Rep. Aicha El Gourgi, a member of the Bureau of the Committee. The Representative focused on the “pioneering role of official diplomacy in consolidating bilateral and multilateral relations between States and international bodies. Hence, it is an essential traditional tool that States use to defend their causes and national interests through the known instruments.” The Representative added, “the growth of diplomatic practice opened the door to a new form of diplomatic action that adopts an informal approach.”

Following that, the floor was given to the Moroccan and foreign civil society bodies, who presented recommendations that would form a roadmap towards advancing diplomatic action abroad and enhancing its efficiency in serving national causes.

It should be noted that the Moroccan Center for Volunteerism and Citizenship was established in 2013 to disseminate the culture of volunteerism and values of citizenship, tolerance, and human rights. The Center trains Moroccan citizens to lead projects that would promote voluntary action.