Former Venezuelan Ambassador to the United Nations, Milos Alcalay writes: An International Center for Assilah conference was held in Tangiers on August 10, convened by former Moroccan Foreign Minister, Mohammed Benaissa, to discuss prospects for South-South Cooperation.
Moroccan diplomacy defends a strategy of active solidarity in Africa to ''reject the logic of 'Afro-pessimism' suggesting that they should project imaginative action to encourages consolidation of a New Africa,'' as stated by King Mohammed VI in his message to the forum.
This same position is mirrored in positions held by various exponents of Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America who agreed to reject ideas of confrontation between industrialized and developing nations, since they believe that South-South Cooperation should NOT be considered a substitute, but rather as a complement to North-South Cooperation.
Among other proposals, the need to stimulate private sector involvement was stressed, considering that it is crucial to guarantee financing for development and the active incorporation of NGOs, national parliaments, trade unions, etc., all of which are deemed necessary to bring together realistic solutions to the problems faced by the poorest of the poor countries' governments.
In my capacity as a member of the G-77 panel on South-South Cooperation, I presided over the closing session of the conference, in which former presidents, foreign ministers, ambassadors, senior UN officials, academics and NGO representatives expressed optimism over its proposals. Former Ecuadorean Foreign Minister, Maria Espinoza and Mexican senator Solomon Jara Cruz -- chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs for Africa -- were among Latin American voices that contributed towards the search for new avenues of solidarity.
Moroccan diplomat Mohammed Benaaissa was asked to ensure that the conference's adopted position should be brought to the attention of the UN Secretary General, stressing that UN reforms must project the social dimension of poverty reduction contained in the millennium goals, but should also ensure international cooperation committing member countries to respect the rule of law, pluralism and inclusion of minorities ... proposals that demonstrate a sign of the times marking the progress of cooperation towards a democratic and transparent response an indispensable route forward in today's world.
Milos Alcalay
milosalcalay@yahoo.com
PLEASE NOTE: Ambassador Milos Alcalay will join us on today's edition of the VHeadline Venezuela Newshour on the American Voice Network (AVRN) beginning 10.00 a.m. Pacfic (1.00 p.m. Eastern).
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