The High-Level Section of the 2nd Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping in Francophone Environments, held on Wednesday, in Rabat, adopted a declaration commending the leading role played by Morocco as a major actor in international peace and security.
The 2nd Conference on Peacekeeping in Francophone Environments, co-chaired by the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, and the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs,
Jean-Noël Barro, featured a pre-recorded address by UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, calling for the adaptation of operations to realities on the ground.
The event brought together 26 ministers and 63 delegations representing countries from all continents, according to Moroccan diplomacy.
Through the Rabat Declaration, the conference commended Morocco’s efforts in mediation, preventive diplomacy, and the promotion of dialogue for the peaceful settlement of disputes. In this declaration, the participating ministers, taking into account the current context facing UN peacekeeping operations, expressed their concern about the increased use of tools and weapons by non-state actors and armed groups targeting the areas of deployment of these operations.
They reaffirmed that the safety and security of peacekeeping operations remain an absolute priority, while condemning in the strongest possible terms these attacks, which, according to the text, may constitute war crimes.
The participants reiterated the imperative of guaranteeing the freedom of movement of peacekeepers and removing any obstacles to the implementation of their mandates.
Through the Rabat Declaration, the participating delegations expressed their readiness to work towards clear and realistic peacekeeping mandates, prioritising crisis resolution strategies, the primacy of political solutions, and adaptation to the evolving nature of conflicts, thereby contributing to the establishment of lasting peace and stability.
They emphasised the importance of respecting and implementing United Nations decisions and resolutions related to peacekeeping. In this spirit, the declaration adds, the participants indicated that they will continue to support multilateral efforts to promote international cooperation and strengthen the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations on the ground.
They also agreed to pursue this strategic reflection process on the future of peacekeeping operations in Francophone environments, in support of effective multilateralism at the heart of the United Nations mandate.
The Rabat Declaration also commended the essential role played by peacekeeping contributing countries, in recognition of their commitment to international peace and security, as well as their
contribution to the development of a doctrine dedicated to peacekeeping.
The ministers placed particular emphasis on training, considered an essential prerequisite for deployment, both initial and ongoing.
Describing training as the foundation upon which the security, performance, and effectiveness of any peacekeeping operation depend, the ministers encouraged efforts to strengthen the interoperability of training programs to enable peacekeepers to operate according to common standards. In this regard, they planned to promote capacity-building mechanisms for peacekeeping operations, particularly those deployed in complex environments, and to leverage existing Francophone networks to create a pool of mediation experts who could be deployed to peacekeeping operations in Francophone environments.
The participating ministerial delegations also agreed to strengthen multilingualism within UN peacekeeping operations to combat the scourge of disinformation and hate speech, which jeopardize the safety and security of peacekeepers deployed in the field.
Based on these concrete actions, the ministers expressed their commitment to integrating these fundamental principles into their countries’ contributions to the upcoming discussions on the
peacekeeping architecture, including its relationship with peacebuilding, taking into account the conclusions of the Second Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping in Francophone Environments.
The delegations also agreed to continue collective action and consultation within the UN, the OIF, and relevant international bodies to strengthen the effectiveness of peacekeeping, prioritising a
political and operational approach grounded in realism and pragmatism.
AK/Sf/fss/as/APA