Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi El Alami, said, on Thursday in Rabat, that the current state of geopolitics and the security situation in the Euro-Mediterranean region are today more than ever a source of concern, and even regret.
Speaking at the opening of the 8th Summit of Speakers of the Parliaments Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM), Talbi El Alami pointed out that several factors undermine coexistence, cooperation, and understanding, threatening to dispel all hopes that emerged from the Barcelona Process, the Oslo Accords, and the Madrid Conference on Peace in the Middle East.
«The challenges facing our Euro-Mediterranean region have worsened, giving rise to new issues that hinder understanding and erode bilateral and multilateral relations between the region's countries and regional groups, » he said, noting that «peace in the Middle East seems today farther than ever, as the bloodshed in Gaza, the massive destruction it suffers, and the deprivation of its children of their right to life and to enjoy their humanitarian rights question us all, increase the level of hatred, and nourish the already fertile ground of intolerance and extremism ».
In this regard, Talbi El Alami, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean, called for addressing the roots of this conflict and the origins of the cause by ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories as dictated by international legitimacy and the relevant UN resolutions, recalling that the Kingdom of Morocco, whether under the reign of the late His Majesty King Hassan II, may God bless his soul, or that of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, Chairperson of the Al-Quds Committee, has always been proactive in defending Palestinian rights, founding its initiatives on the call for a peace powered by justice, solidarity, and coexistence among the region’s peoples.
Talbi El Alami also pointed out that «several old and new challenges threaten our region, including the repercussions of climate imbalances and pollution, underlining that the Mediterranean Sea is considered the most stressed sea, where tons of pollutants are dumped, causing severe damage to marine resources and species.
« Furthermore, forest cover is alarmingly decreasing due to drought, fires, excessive soil exploitation, and exposure to stress,” he added.
In addition to the consequences of all this on human life, leading to displacement, as well as on plant and animal diversity, Talbi El Alami said that humanity risks losing one of the wealthiest, most diverse, and most beneficial sources of nutrition in the world, the most beautiful tourist destinations on the planet, and a significant part of the human natural heritage, on which the oldest and richest civilizations have been built.
He added that these challenges and factors, along with others outside the Euro-Mediterranean space and beyond it, contribute to a striking increase in the phenomenon of irregular migration, asylum, and displacement, with the resulting human tragedies.
Highlighting successful models of integration and collective management of the phenomenon of irregular migration between North and South, as exemplified by the well-known model of multifaceted cooperation between the Kingdoms of Morocco and Spain in dealing with the phenomenon, the speaker of the House of Representatives urged all democratic parties, forces, intellectuals, and institutions in the North to reverse the equation linking the problems of European societies to the phenomenon of migration and to confront xenophobic discourse.
« They must also recall the historical roles of migrants in the economies of several European countries, as well as the contributions of many of them, their children, and fellow citizens to the scientific, cultural, and sporting radiance of these countries, » he said.
