Morocco Strengthens Its Support for Landlocked African Countries at UN Conference in Turkmenistan
Morocco reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to landlocked African countries by emphasizing its continuous support for joint development projects and South-South cooperation during a ministerial meeting held as part of the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, which took place from August 5 to 8 in the city of Awaza, Turkmenistan.
Omar Hilale, Morocco’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations and President of the 22nd Session of the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation, stated that under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco continues to provide tangible support to these nations, whether by enhancing joint development projects or through triangular cooperation that promotes regional development, stimulates investments, and fosters African solidarity.
Hilale highlighted that one of the most notable Moroccan initiatives in this context is the royal initiative aimed at enabling Sahel countries to access the Atlantic Ocean, considering this step a strategic lever to transform the economies of these nations by benefiting from Morocco’s advanced infrastructure in roads, railways, and ports.
The Moroccan ambassador emphasized that this meeting represents a pivotal moment for renewing the commitment to solidarity with landlocked developing countries that suffer from “double injustice,” facing both development challenges and a lack of maritime access. He stressed the necessity of collective action to transform these nations into entities connected to the coast, thereby opening up broader economic and developmental horizons for them.
Hilale called for the mobilization of sufficient and sustainable financial resources for these countries, relying on innovative funding mechanisms, while involving regional organizations, UN institutions, the international financial community, the private sector, and academia, to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of initiatives aimed at supporting Southern countries.
The speaker considered the conference a strategic opportunity to rethink the development pathways of landlocked nations. It also serves as a platform for exchanging views on how to integrate the priorities of these countries into international policies, investment plans, and the sustainable development agenda.
It is worth noting that the first session of this UN conference was held in 2003 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, while the second session took place in 2014 in Vienna, Austria.
