By: Hadram Hydara
Moroccan capital, Rabat has been the host of over 20 foreign ministers from across the continent for the 1st Ministerial Meeting of African Atlantic States.
The high-level conclave, which kicked off on June 8, 2022, at the invitation of the Kingdom of Morocco, is billed to make the African Atlantic area a pragmatic and relevant inter-African framework for cooperation.
The African foreign ministers hailed His Majesty’s “commitment to reactivating this geostrategic consultation framework between the African Atlantic States.”
A declaration from the high-profile convergence states: “The Ministers emphasized that this meeting is taking place in a very particular and challenging regional and international context for the States of the region” while reiterating their resolve to pursue the “dialogue around common principles, shared challenges and converging interests with a view to making the African Atlantic space a zone of peace, stability and shared prosperity.”
The rest of the declaration reads: “Recognizing the necessity to seek political convergence, the economic potential and the common security challenges within the African Atlantic space; the Ministers expressed their deep concern over the increasingly complex threats posed by terrorism, transnational organized crime and maritime piracy; the acuteness of environmental challenges and their consequences on food security and human flows; as well as the challenges of economic and human development, competitiveness and attractiveness.
Taking into account these challenges, the Ministers stressed the need to act collectively by coordinating actions on a set of strategic themes and structuring sectors, in order to meet the imperatives of security, sustainable development and prosperity of this common area.
The Ministers also stressed the importance of optimizing the African Atlantic space for more concerted and coordinated migration governance.
In this regard, the Ministers expressed their full support for the Conference of African Atlantic States as an appropriate framework for capitalizing on mutually beneficial opportunities for cooperation, including with existing regional, subregional and inter-regional mechanisms, in order to generate synergies and produce effective and proactive responses to the challenges of this shared space, particularly through the designation of dedicated National Focal Points for the African Atlantic Process in the framework of this Conference.
They recalled, in this respect, the declarations resulting from the previous ministerial meetings, within the framework of the cooperation launched in 2009, in particular the Declaration of Rabat dated August 4, 2009, which constitutes a foundational document of the African Atlantic Process.
On the other hand, the Ministers of the African Atlantic States affirmed that the States of the region have the primary responsibility for strengthening the capacities of State structures and defending national unity and territorial integrity, in terms of international law.
The Ministers committed themselves to continue their cooperation and coordination calling for i) enhanced political and security dialogue around the areas of countering terrorism, transnational organized crime in all its forms, piracy, migrant trafficking and kidnapping for ransom at sea; ii) in-depth exchanges to seize opportunities in the blue economy, maritime connectivity, and energy sectors; iii) as well as continued consultations to address environmental challenges.
To this end, the Ministers of the African Atlantic States decided to establish 3 thematic groups, in charge of political and security dialogue; blue economy, maritime connectivity, and energy; and sustainable development and environment. To this end, 3 Lead Partners were designated to lead the 3 thematic groups: Nigeria, Gabon and Cape Verde.
The Ministers of the African Atlantic States also decided to institute the Rabat African Atlantic Process for strengthening cooperation between States.
In order to ensure the coordination of these groups and the implementation of the decisions adopted by the Conference, the Ministers agreed to reactivate the Permanent Secretariat of the Conference, based in Rabat Morocco, in charge of coordinating actions and preparing meetings. The Permanent Secretariat will also act as a platform for the exchange of information on challenges and opportunities in the African Atlantic space.
They also called for strengthening transatlantic cooperation, particularly with Latin American countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean.
At the end of their discussions, the Ministers of the African Atlantic States decided to hold a second Ministerial Meeting of the African Atlantic States, which will take place in the Kingdom of Morocco.
Similarly, the Ministers of the African Atlantic States decided to meet on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2022.”
