RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – The second Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping in Francophone Environments opened in Rabat, attended by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot. According to a statement from the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, Bourita expressed his hope that the mandates of UN peacekeeping missions would be in step with developments on the ground; otherwise, he noted, “they risk becoming instruments for maintaining the status quo” rather than authentic levers for conflict resolution.
Speaking at the opening of the Conference, Bourita emphasized that peacekeeping operations must be based on realistic mandates, supported by clearly defined and regularly reassessed political strategies. Bourita emphasized that this conference is taking place against a backdrop of persistent political divisions within the Security Council, the evolving nature of conflicts, and increasing pressure on available resources. French Minister Barrot called Morocco a “key player” in peacekeeping operations and an important partner on the African continent. According to a statement from the Moroccan ministry, Barrot praised the Kingdom’s numerous initiatives and commitment to stability, development, and prosperity across the continent, and also emphasized that UN peacekeeping operations remain “indispensable.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his gratitude to Morocco and France for organizing and co-chairing the second Ministerial Conference. During the conference’s opening session, Guterres stated, in a pre-recorded speech, that peacekeeping is one of the most concrete aspects of the United Nations, at a time when the world is witnessing an unprecedented number of conflicts since 1945. The high-level segment of the conference adopted a declaration praising Morocco’s leading role as a major player in international peace and security.
In the same Declaration, the participating ministers reiterated that the security of peacekeeping operations remains an absolute priority, condemning in the strongest terms any attack on such missions. Through the Rabat Declaration, the participating delegations expressed their willingness to work towards the development of clear and realistic peacekeeping mandates, prioritizing crisis exit strategies, the primacy of political solutions, and adaptation to the changing nature of conflicts, thus contributing to the creation of lasting peace and stability.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
