Moroccan Parliamentary Delegation Takes Part in Meeting of Political Committee under Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF)
At the invitation of the President of the National Assembly of Québec, the Hon. François Paradis, the Political Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) held a meeting under the chairmanship of the French Senator Christophe-André Frassa, on May 14-15, 2022.
The Moroccan parliamentary delegation was represented by the members of the APF’s Political Committee:
- Rep. Mohamed Ghayate (Chairperson of the Group of the National Rally of Independents);
- Cllr. Amal El Amri, (Chairperson of the Moroccan Labor Union Group).
The meeting was an opportunity for the Moroccan parliamentary delegation to discuss with the APF members several important questions inscribed on the meeting's agenda, mainly related to the presentation of the latest political developments in the francophone region; the role of science in decision-making; the impact of artificial intelligence evolution on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law; peacekeeping operations; the prerogatives of parliaments in the light of the emergency state; the use of French within international organizations; and the update of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie.
In response to the draft report on the political situation in the francophone region, the Moroccan delegation provided exhaustive clarifications on several inaccuracies contained in the report. In the same respect, the delegation stressed the importance of gathering information from reliable sources and seeking accuracy and objectivity by following a methodology that relies on thorough analysis rather than mere description.
The statement of the Moroccan parliamentary delegation also featured a highlight of the Kingdom’s pioneering role in the field of migration in its various dimensions. Such a role enables the insurance of safe, orderly, and regular migration in close coordination with the Kingdom’s southern Mediterranean partners, notably Spain, which counts on a new era of cooperation after its new position regarding the artificial conflict around the Moroccan Sahara.
In the same vein, the delegation members recalled Morocco's diplomatic efforts to resolve this conflict, of which Algeria is an essential part through its financial and moral support for the phantom republic and its constant efforts to counter Morocco's interests externally, particularly in the African continent. In the same context, the Moroccan delegation noted the advancement of the project to build the Nigeria-Morocco-Europe gas pipeline, which aims to act as a catalyst for economic development in the North-West Africa region.
The report's final version will be adopted during the General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, to be held on July 5-9 in Kigali.
On the sidelines of its participation in the Committee meeting, the Moroccan delegation met with the Hon. François Paradis, President of the National Assembly of Québec. The participants in the meeting lauded the excellence and regularity of parliamentary cooperation. They also discussed the themes that will be addressed at the sixth session of the Morocco-Quebec Joint Parliamentary Committee in Canada, which could not be organized in time due to COVID-19.