Bridging South and North: South-South Cooperation in Moroccan Foreign Policy (Africa Day 2025)
Bridging South and North: The importance of South-South Cooperation in Moroccan Foreign Policy
May 24, 2025
Ambassador Achgalou emphasized Morocco's openness to cooperation and trade with all countries, underscoring that national and international relationships must be built on mutual interests. He urged a pragmatic approach to building shared values and respecting the rule of law, particularly in areas concerning human rights, women, and children.
Further, the Ambassador discussed how Morocco plans to execute effective business strategies to collaborate with nations across Africa and the wider world. He highlighted the Atlantic Africa Initiative, launched in 2023 by the King of Morocco to support landlocked Sahel countries. This initiative represents a new economic and development doctrine, transcending traditional models with a pragmatic, ambitious, and forward-looking vision aimed at uniting efforts toward prosperity and human development.
Key Suggestions from the Discussion
Win-Win Business Approach: Partnerships should be designed to benefit all parties, aligning with their respective objectives.
Inclusion of the Private Sector: Active participation of private enterprises is essential for the success of South-South cooperation.
Integrating the North and the South: Core Priorities
The session explored how Northern countries can better integrate with the South through:
Good Governance: Transparent, accountable leadership is crucial.
Capital Flow: Increased loans and foreign investments can stimulate growth.
Peace and Security: A stable environment is vital for private sector growth and flourishing North-South relations.
Promotion of Arts and Culture: Cultural exchanges—such as the promotion of arts in Finland originating from Nigeria—foster human connection and mutual understanding, making initiatives more achievable.
Academic Contributions: Dialogue and collaboration in research and education have historically propelled regional development and can continue to do so for Africa.
Peace and Sustainable Development
The Ambassador reflected on the importance of peaceful conflict resolution, stating:
"There is no good war and no bad peace. Sustainable development and lasting security depend on peaceful conflict resolution, respect for human rights, and full recognition of the sovereignty of independent states."
He emphasized that cooperation and dialogue remain essential tools for fostering understanding and development.
Challenges in Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution
Ms. Tiina Kukkamaa-Bah pointed out that conflicts in Africa are too often resolved through military means rather than dialogue. Fragmented peace mediation efforts and the limited capacity of organizations like the United Nations make global conflict management increasingly difficult.
The Ambassador also discussed immigration as a global, natural phenomenon. He called for pragmatic, global burden-sharing actions to address this challenge. South-South cooperation, he noted, is fundamentally about human development and movement, which will be key to Africa's future progress.
Panel Participants
L-R: Moderator Dr. Josephine Atanga, HE Mr. Mohamed Achgalou, Ms. Tiina Kukkamaa-Bah, Dr. Thomas Babila Sama