Morocco's presidency of the African Union's Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC-UA) has been marked by “unprecedented” achievements and a “forward-looking vision” with a concrete impact on site, Council's president Khalid Boudali said on Friday in Meknes. He has just finished his mission after four years at the head of this body (2020-2024).
The Moroccan mandate, which has come to an end, “has repositioned the council within the African ecosystem, establishing it as one of the most effective and influential bodies”, Boudali stressed, who was hosting a conference on Moroccan action within the African Union (AU), initiated by the Hand in Hand Foundation for Sustainable Development in Meknes.
Recently appointed Strategic Advisor and Special Envoy for Civil Society at the AU, he noted that the Council has become a “major pillar” in the elaboration and implementation of development agendas on the African continent.
This result, Boudali added, now makes the Council a true model of participatory governance, transcending its traditional role as a consultative mechanism, and a guarantor of the democratic transition and comprehensive development to which Africans aspire.
According to him, the Kingdom's return to the African Union was not simply a recovery of its natural position, but a strategic step towards promoting continental cooperation and integration, as it reinforced Morocco's position as a key player in issues of peace and security, economic integration and sustainable development, through major projects such as the Africa-Europe gas pipeline and strengthening the African continental free trade zone (AfCFTA).
Over the past four years, Boudali explained, the council has made a “leap forward” in the role of civil society in strengthening governance on the continent, under the Moroccan presidency.
In this respect, he emphasized the changes made through redefining the Council's institutional, legal and employment foundations, recalling the reform of its constitutive charter for greater good governance, transparency and accountability, as well as reinforcing legal mechanisms to enshrine control and accountability.
He added that the reform also affected mechanisms for civil society participation, enabling academic institutions and organizations to become a major partner in the elaboration of continental policies and sustainable development.
