Speaking at the 6th Annual Consultative Meeting between the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the UN Peacebuilding Commission, held on Monday in Addis Ababa, Morocco's Ambassador and Permanent Representative at the African Union (AU) and UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi, stressed that it has become increasingly clear that there can be no lasting peace without economic development.

"This is why it is necessary to invest in a holistic, coherent and multidimensional approach that brings together governments, international, regional and sub-regional organizations, international financial institutions and civil society actors in a common effort to strengthen Africa's capacity to promote peace and socio-economic development," said Arrouchi.

Morocco stresses that the success of any peace-building effort requires the inclusion of socio-economic activities such as economic revitalization, youth employment, infrastructure development and access to essential services, including sanitation, drinking water and healthcare, the Moroccan diplomat said.

He added that Morocco actively supports UN initiatives aimed at preventing regional conflicts and mitigating their effects on the African continent, backing UN efforts to build and consolidate peace within a framework of respect for the territorial integrity of States.

Convinced that the security and stability of African countries are indivisible and intimately linked to economic and social development, Morocco hosted the 1st AU Political Conference on Promoting the Link between Peace, Security and Development, from October 25 to 27, 2022, in Tangier, which provided an opportunity for a multi-stakeholder debate in response to the growing challenges facing African economies, which weigh heavily on the continent's security and stability, recalled the Moroccan diplomat.