The meeting, themed “Pathways for overcoming the multidimensional challenges facing middle-income countries achieving sustainable development,” is part of Morocco’s chairmanship of the group for Middle-Income Countries within the United Nations, which it has assumed since January 2023.

Attended by several foreign ministers from member countries, heads of UN agencies and representatives of multilateral development banks, the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the Group's main priorities in terms of development cooperation.

In his opening statement to this ministerial meeting, Bourita recalled the priorities of the Rabat Ministerial Declaration, issued at the Ministerial Conference on Middle-Income Countries, held in Morocco on February 5-6, stressing that this declaration represents a roadmap for joint action by the Group of Middle-Income Countries, with a view to rethinking international cooperation, adapting it to their development needs and priorities, and strengthening cooperation through innovative South-South and triangular cooperation mechanisms.

It is also crucial that the international community recognizes that the category of middle-income countries ought to be at the heart of an inclusive global development that leaves no country behind,” he added, stressing that middle-income countries are a barometer of the state of sustainable development in the world, due to their place and weight in the global economy, their assets, their natural wealth and their economic diversity, as well as the challenges they face in terms of sustainable development.

The Minister then noted that it is vital to find a response to the challenges of access to concessional financing, climate finance and indebtedness, through effective reform of the international financial architecture, and to strengthen the presence of middle-income countries in global governance processes and international negotiations on development issues.

Bourita also stated that this grouping of Middle-Income Countries represents a real lever for advocacy and change towards effective and inclusive cooperation, adding that thanks to collective involvement, the legitimate ambition of getting out of the “middle-income trap” is within the Group's reach.

He particularly called on the Group to keep advocating for the development of a Strategic Action Plan for Middle-Income Countries for the 2025-2030 period, as well as for the elaboration of a specific and comprehensive inter-agency response plan for middle-income countries.