The Moroccan ambassador was reelected as president during the body's first formal meeting of the year.
Agadir – Omar Hilale, the permanent representative of Morocco to the UN in New York, will serve another term as president of the Central African Republic Configuration of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).
His re-election came on Thursday, February 4 during the body’s first formal meeting of the year. The choice demonstrates the confidence the international community has often expressed in Morocco’s efforts in promoting peace and security in Africa. Just last year Secretary-General for the Central African Republic (CAR) Mankeur Ndiaye underlined the importance of Morocco’s presence in the country.
With Hilale’s re-election to chair this UN peacebuilding committee, Morocco is still the only Arab or African country to chair a Country Configuration.
The PBC, a subsidiary body of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the General Assembly, is an intergovernmental advisory body for supporting peace efforts in countries affected by conflict. The board consists of 31 Member States, elected from the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council.
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The peacebuilding commission that Morocco’s Hilale leads has the ability to swiftly mobilize financial resources towards peacebuilding plans, and it works with other UN councils to develop strategies towards peace and stability.
Since 2014 Morocco has sent over 12,000 troops to the Central African Republic as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country. Morocco was the first country to send peacekeepers to CAR, even before the establishment of MINUSCA.
Morocco will continue to support the government and the people of the Central African Republic “in its resolute quest for lasting stability and prosperity,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita reaffirmed during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in December.
On January 18, MINUSCA announced that a Moroccan peacekeeper was killed in an ambush in the Republic. The UN has often paid tribute to Moroccan peacekeepers over the years, especially those killed in the line of duty.
