17th MEDays International Forum Kicks Off in Tangier

Organized by the Amadeus Institute under the theme “Fractures and Polarization: Reinventing the Global Equation,” this edition offers around fifty sessions covering a wide range of major geostrategic topics, with particular emphasis on the challenges, issues, and opportunities facing Africa and the countries of the Global South.

Speaking on this occasion, Amadeus Institute President Brahim Fassi Fihri stressed that Morocco is today positioning itself as a power of balance and a central actor of the Global South, in an international context marked by deep political fractures.

He noted, in this respect, that the Kingdom, under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, “moves forward with confidence, relying on sovereignty, resilience, and solidarity.”

He further stressed that Morocco deploys an “open, firm, and pragmatic” diplomacy, grounded in an African, Atlantic, Mediterranean, and universal identity, emphasizing that this coherent approach has enabled the Kingdom to become a hub of stability, dialogue, and co-development, while strengthening its driving role within a Global South now capable of influencing the evolution of the world order.

Addressing the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, the President of the Amadeus Institute affirmed that Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted on October 31, put an end to half a century of ambiguity by establishing the autonomy initiative as “the only serious, credible, and realistic solution.”

In this regard, he emphasized that this historic development is the result of patient, coherent, and consistent Moroccan diplomacy, accompanied by an unprecedented development effort in the southern provinces.

Fassi Fihri also highlighted the Royal Atlantic Initiative, launched in 2023, which places the south of the Kingdom at the heart of a new space of integration, growth, and stability for Africa.

He recalled that the MEDays Forum, created 17 years ago, is part of this dynamic by bringing together each year a committed community around dialogue, cooperation, and the building of a more just and balanced world.

For his part, President of The Gambia Adama Barrow praised the visionary leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, which is redefining South-South cooperation through royal visits, concrete agreements, and achievements in development and education.

Barrow also highlighted the importance of the Moroccan autonomy plan in resolving regional disputes and the Kingdom’s contribution to the stability and prosperity of the African continent.

He also recalled that Morocco and The Gambia maintain a solid partnership based on solidarity and mutual interests, calling for making Africa a continent of solutions, capable of playing a central role in global governance, stability, innovation, and sustainable development, in line with the spirit and objectives of the MEDays Forum.

For his part, Liberian President Joseph Boakai noted that the theme of this edition invites us to confront a difficult truth; that of “a world changing in unpredictable and sometimes uncertain ways.”

In this regard, Boakai called for collective reflection on Africa’s place, insisting that the continent must claim its legitimate role as an actor in shaping its own destiny.

As for Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, he expressed his deep gratitude to HM King Mohammed VI for His constant commitment to constructive dialogue and strengthened partnerships among Global South countries.

He praised the Kingdom’s efforts, which embody wise leadership and a strategic vision in diplomacy, development, and continental cooperation aimed at rebalancing a global system facing unpredictable challenges and consequences that are difficult to assess.

Abdi Barre also stressed that since its creation, the MEDays Forum has established itself as a strategic initiative of the Kingdom and as an international platform allowing decision-makers and intellectuals to exchange views on the challenges and issues facing countries of the Global South.

In this regard, the Somali prime minister noted that this edition is being held in a context where these countries face numerous challenges linked to profound shifts in the global system.

Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, for his part, emphasized that the pressing realities of our time call for renewed solidarity, recalling that small states like Grenada feel these tensions more acutely and that climate change is an immediate vulnerability for them.

He also stressed the need to strengthen structured dialogue and diplomacy, noting that cooperation remains possible despite the fractures running through the world.

Since its creation in 2008, the MEDays Forum has established itself as a powerful lever of “soft power,” faithfully inspired by the Kingdom’s ambitious and proactive foreign policy embodied and led by HM King Mohammed VI.

This edition is marked by the holding of the MEDays Investment Summit (MIS), devoted to the promotion of strategic investments in Africa and the strengthening of public-private partnerships, reaffirming the MEDays’ commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and transformative development.

Editorial team/le7tv