Arab and African countries face major challenges requiring common and coordinated actions, participants at the 10th Consultative Meeting of the Association of Senates, Shura and Equivalent Councils of Africa and the Arab World (ASSECAA), held May 11-13 in Ezulwini, south of Eswatini’s capital Mbabane.
In the final communiqué that sanctioned the work of this meeting, the parliamentarians stressed that Arab and African governments should learn the lessons of the current economic crises and establish strategic partnerships to face the challenges they face.
“They should also use their full potential and the opportunities that arise to ensure their food and energy security,” they added, emphasizing the need to contain inflation and avoid causing an economic recession due to the actions taken by central banks.
The participants also noted that these new challenges are forcing Arab and African countries to engage in long-term strategic thinking to deal with disasters and emergency situations, as well as to respond to the pressing need for a comprehensive management strategy crises to strengthen their resilience.
Noting that Arab and African countries are able to intervene effectively to deal with crises if they mobilize their collective capacities and potentials, they recalled that such challenges can only be met through collective and integrated approaches.
Furthermore, the final communiqué noted that successive economic crises highlight the urgent need for governments in the Middle East and Africa to establish and expand social protection systems, so that every individual can have access to a decent life.
Regarding the problem of climate change, the document stresses the importance of ensuring the transition to the green economy as one of the means of overcoming economic crises, in particular by investing in renewable energies.
“Arab and African governments should adopt laws that facilitate the transition to clean energy, encourage investments in green economy sectors and provide investors with tax incentives, credit facilities and customs exemptions”, argues the same source.
Led by the President of the House of Councillors, Enaam Mayara, also President of this parliamentary organisation, the Moroccan delegation which took part in this 10th consultative meeting of ASSECAA also includes El Makhloul Hormatallah from the General Union of Workers of Morocco and Mohamed Amouri from the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises group.
This meeting focused mainly on strengthening the bases of cooperation between member countries, as well as deepening the debate on a number of issues and topics that are of paramount importance for the African and Arab parties.
Thus, the work of this congress revolved around two main themes, namely “The effects of multifaceted international crises on the economies of Africa and the Arab world” and “The importance of the green economy in strengthening development in Africa and the Arab world”.
ASSECAA is a regional parliamentary organization whose objectives are to support bicameral parliamentary systems in member countries, as well as to strengthen cooperation in the economic, political, social and cultural fields between the African and Arab regions and the world in general.