The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H.E Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira was one of the keynote speakers at the inaugural “Euro- Mediterranean and Gulf Economic Forum” organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) and hosted by the House of Councillors of the Kingdom of Morocco. The gathering is held on 7 and 8 December 2022 in Marrakesh, Morocco.
The aim of the Forum is to foster the creation of a much more integrated economic and financial zone among Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf countries while ensuring that the whole region embraces more sustainable practices and a carefully planned green energy transition, which would be able to both mitigate the effects of climate change and increase the regions ‘energy independence.
The leadership of the PAP has identified parliamentary diplomacy as one of the key tools to mark the institution’s return to the continental and international stage.
Addressing the Forum on the opening day, H. E Hon. Chief Charumbira expressed the PAP’s readiness to foster collaborations, based on mutual interest, with different organisations that enhance the work of the continental Parliament in advancing the priorities and conveying the concerns of the African citizens.
Recalling the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the PAM in 2017, the President of the PAP underscored the close relationship between the two institutions and the need to work together given how their mandates are intertwined.
“Let me begin by congratulating the Morocco National football team for their heroic win in the ongoing World Cup. We hail them for making Africa proud and we wish them good luck for the next stage of the competition, “introduced H.E Hon. Chief Charumbira.
He continued:” The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is honoured to be among the organisations invited to address the very first forum of this kind here in the city of Marrakesh. The PAP and the PAM exist for a common purpose. It is therefore paramount that we work together on the issues of interest to the respective constituencies that we represent. The objectives pursued by this forum are in alignment with the priority areas of the African Union. Indeed, the continent is during the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This project is expected to increase trade among African countries and strengthen Africa’s economic and commercial diplomacy. Collaboration with our partners around the world will be critical in this process. Therefore, this gathering is important as we can share knowledge and create synergies.”
The President of the PAP also cited food security, climate change and youth development as other focus areas for the continent.
“The African Union has dedicated the year 2022 to tackling food insecurity, exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Addressing these critical issues demands greater collaboration at all levels and across continents" concluded H. E Hon. Charumbira, who thanked the PAM for the invitation and the House of Councillors of the Kingdom of Morocco, and its speaker, H.E Enaam Mayara for hosting the forum.
Through this conference, the PAM intends to promote, with the active contribution of parliamentarians, a fundamental change of paradigm by addressing the main socio-economic and climate challenges affecting the regions, aiming, among others, at ensuring a more effective economic integration, resilient to external factors; a more extended south-south trade exchange network; a more integrated, self-sufficient, and independent green energy production/market area.
The “Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf Economic Forum” represents an excellent opportunity for regional leaders to take stock of the economic situation considering the unprecedented challenges facing the regions, from the great financial recession to the Covid-19 pandemic and now the war in Ukraine.
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