Morocco To Preside African Union Peace and Security Council

Rabat – Morocco will take over the presidency of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC-AU) decision-making body during the month of October, announced the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs today.

The move comes seven months after members of the African Union Executive Council elected Morocco for a three-year mandate at the PSC-AU, a reflection of the North African country’s diplomatic efforts to promote South-South relations and the development of the continent.

“The Moroccan presidency of the PSC-UA is part of the kingdom’s continuous commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Africa,” said the statement. It added that the move “constitutes an enshrining of the efforts of the Kingdom’s diplomacy at the level of the African Continent.”

As the head of the council, the North African country will aim to implement new strategies and “generate collective responses to several global and regional issues,” including terrorism, child soldiers, climate change, and food security, added the statement.

The ministry noted that Morocco will also address the Sahel situation in the Central African Republic, explaining that it would be present “on the agenda of several meetings at the level of ministers, ambassadors and experts.”

Read also: Morocco’s Vital Role in Africa’s Now-or-Never Moment on Food Security

During its one-month-long presidency, Morocco is set to hold several statutory meetings, particularly ones involving the United Nations Security Council. Morocco will also examine reports on the state of peace across the continent and the implementation of the AU Master Roadmap on Silencing the Guns in Africa.

In addition, Morocco will host a political conference in Tangier between October 25 and 27, in partnership with the UN’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security. The event will aim to promote peace, security, development, and regional integration. 

Morocco’s presidency period will also mark two ministerial meetings that will tackle key themes: “Development and de-radicalization as levers to combat terrorism and violent extremism” and “Climate change, peace and security: building resilience and adaptation for food security in African island states”

Since its return to the African Union in 2017, Morocco has served as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council between 2018 and 2020. The council is in charge of preventing, managing and solving conflicts within the continent.