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Rabat – The political meeting to promote the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) dedicated to African countries commenced in Marrakech on Wednesday.
Running until February 2, the event is a collaborative effort initiated by Morocco and the US. The primary objective of the initiative is to encourage African countries to support the PSI, which aims to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
The meeting is co-chaired by Redouane Houssaini, the Director of the United Nations and International Organizations at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Bonnie Jenkins.
The PSI seeks to establish alliances among countries to collaborate and use their resources to create various legal, diplomatic, and military instruments. These efforts are designed to prevent the transportation of hazardous cargo via road, air, and sea routes.
The opening of the meeting saw the presence of ministers and delegations representing countries across the African continent, along with regional partners and allies.
Ministers and delegations representing countries across the African continent
In a video message at the opening ceremony, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stressed that Morocco has consistently championed multilateral cooperation as the most suitable framework to coordinate international efforts against weapons of mass destruction.
He noted that Morocco has supported several international initiatives in this area and aims to continue its partnership with the US and African countries to integrate the PSI into the African security landscape.
According to Bourita, PSI’s main strength lies in its “flexible, operational, and results-oriented” nature.
He pointed out that Morocco’s experience has demonstrated the relevance of the PSI in inter-ministerial coordination to address non-proliferation challenges. In addition, he sees the Marrakech meeting as an excellent opportunity to enhance African countries’ ownership of the PSI through the implementation of three priority actions.
This includes recognizing that Africa’s security is interconnected with the global security context. In addition, he stressed the need to strengthen synergies through national efforts, including organizing workshops and operational exercises led by African military personnel and civilian experts.
The third priority action, he said, is to ensure that the voice of African countries is heard within the PSI, by identifying and sharing “African lessons” drawn from best practices within the initiative.
Bourita went on to applaud the increasing presence of African nations within the PSI, urging African countries to capitalize on this momentum to create effective mechanisms.
