Rabat – Ministers and high-level representatives from 32 countries convened on Monday in Rabat, Morocco, for a two-day High-Level Ministerial Conference on Middle-Income Countries (MICs).
The conference, themed “Addressing Development Challenges in MICs in a Changing World,” aims to identify innovative approaches to boost cooperation and support for MICs.
Organized by Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the conference builds on Morocco’s leadership as Chair of the Group of Friends of MICs within the UN since 2023.
The conference’s expert segment on Monday focused on key issues for MICs, including South-South and triangular cooperation, climate finance, innovative financing sources, and the middle-income trap.
The ministerial segment on Tuesday will explore the challenges and opportunities facing MICs, with high-level participation from UN regional economic commissions, including ESCWA Executive Secretary Rola Dashti, ECA Deputy Executive Secretary Hanan Morsy, and UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno.
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The conference also provides a platform to discuss the support the UN Development System, regional and international institutions, and other development partners provide to MICs to help address their economic and social development challenges.
The High-Level Ministerial Conference on MICs is expected to yield innovative approaches to reinvigorate cooperation and support for MICs. It will notably be attended by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and ECOSOC President Paula Narváez Ojeda.
With the attendance of a number of high-level dignitaries from several countries, including Cape Verde, Cameroon, Eswaitini, Gabon, Nigeria, the two-day conference is being held under the auspices of the Kingdom of Morocco’s presidency of the Friends of Middle-Income Countries within the United Nations.
The presidency, which began in 2023, reflects Morocco’s firm commitment to the progress of African countries and King Mohammed VI’s vision of an effective and cooperative form of multilateralism.
