Mémounatou Ibrahima, ECOWAS Parliament Speaker. At the 4th Marrakech Parliamentary Economic Forum, the ECOWAS Parliament Speaker called on West Africa to seize the bridges King Mohammed VI’s Atlantic Initiative has built — warning that a world in turmoil leaves no room for hesitation.
The Atlantic Initiative launched by King Mohammed VI opens promising prospects for economic connectivity and investment between West Africa and the rest of the continent, as well as with international markets, the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mémounatou Ibrahima, said on Friday in Marrakech. Speaking at the opening of the 4th Marrakech Parliamentary Economic Forum for the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf region, she made clear that those prospects carry a deadline.
“These opportunities must be seized to strengthen the existing bridges between our regions in the interest of present and future generations.”. — Mémounatou Ibrahima, Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament
Ibrahima reaffirmed her commitment to enhancing parliamentary cooperation in the service of peace, regional integration, and sustainable development. She also expressed gratitude to King Mohammed VI for his efforts to promote dialogue, social inclusion, and South-South cooperation in Africa and beyond, describing his vision as a source of inspiration for parliamentary and institutional efforts addressing global challenges.
The ECOWAS Parliament Speaker noted that the world is facing growing economic and technological challenges amid wars and international tensions, stressing the importance of integrating into global value chains and strengthening regional trade. In this context, she identified the African Continental Free Trade Area as a strategic opportunity for the continent, capable of contributing to sustainable development in line with the ECOWAS Parliament’s Vision 2050.
A platform for shared challenges
Abdelilah Hifdi, President of the African Parliamentarians’ Network on Development Evaluation, highlighted the Forum as a platform for dialogue among political institutions, economic actors, and development partners. He noted that the participation of parliamentary organisations from Africa, the Arab world, the Euro-Mediterranean region, and Latin America reflects a shared awareness of the need to confront 21st-century challenges.
Hifdi pointed to profound global transformations — escalating geopolitical tensions, rapid technological developments including artificial intelligence, environmental challenges, debt pressures, food security concerns, and the reconfiguration of global value chains — as forces reshaping regional balances and demanding collective responses.
He affirmed that Morocco, under King Mohammed VI, is advancing an ambitious vision of cooperation and economic integration capable of fostering a broad framework linking Africa, the Euro-Mediterranean region, the Arab world, the Gulf countries, and Latin America around shared interests and aspirations.
The Forum is organised by the House of Councillors and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI, and forms part of the momentum built since the Forum’s creation to establish a leading parliamentary economic platform for dialogue among parliamentarians, policymakers, and economic stakeholders.
- Source: MAP