Latest news with #IbrahimGovernanceWeekend
Maroc
4 days ago
- Business
- Maroc
'Ibrahim Governance Weekend' (IGW 2025) Forum Kicks Off in Marrakech
The "Ibrahim Governance Weekend" (IGW 2025) Forum kicked off on Sunday 01 June in Marrakech, under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, with the participation of a distinguished group of prominent figures from the worlds of politics, economics, and civil society. The participants gathered to discuss the theme of financing Africa's development. The opening ceremony of this event was marked by a message from His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the participants, which was read by HM the King's Advisor, André Azoulay. This flagship event of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, held annually in a different African country, highlights the critical role of Africa's resources in accelerating development and transforming the continent's position in the new global economy. The program of this year's edition, which runs until June 3, features an opening day focused on current leadership challenges in Africa and worldwide, in addition to the Ibrahim Forum 2025, held under the theme "Financing the Africa We Want." The Forum includes plenary sessions on Africa's priorities, resource mobilization, reform of the multilateral financial system, and investment across the continent. These discussions aim to contribute to shaping a strong African stance ahead of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, scheduled from July 1 to 3 in Seville, Spain, and to highlight Africa's ability to play an active role in this area rather than remaining a mere passive beneficiary. A comprehensive report will be published following the IGW Forum, complementing the preliminary "Facts & Figures" document with the key conclusions from these three days of discussions. Established in 2006, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation aims to strengthen Africa's voice on major global issues and emphasizes the importance of governance and leadership. The Foundation provides data and analysis on the continent's challenges, brings together key stakeholders for dialogue, and supports initiatives aimed at improving leadership and governance. (MAP: 01 June 2025)
Ya Biladi
4 days ago
- Business
- Ya Biladi
King Mohammed VI advocates for Africa's economic transformation at Ibrahim Governance Forum 2025
King Mohammed VI delivered a powerful message to the participants of the 2025 «Ibrahim Governance Weekend» Forum, which opened on Sunday, June 1, in Marrakech. In his address, read by royal advisor André Azoulay, the King outlined strategies to ensure Africa's development. He called for a «paradigm shift in development financing (...) to devise innovative mechanisms and fully leverage the contributions of the African diaspora». He stressed that «Africa cannot rely solely on public development aid or external funding, which, by nature, generate debt». Instead, he urged Africans to foster «an institutional, economic, and social environment conducive to development». Recalling his February 22, 2015 speech in Abidjan at the opening of the Morocco-Ivory Coast Forum, the King reiterated his call to «strengthen and expand intra-African trade», highlighting that «Africa's share of global trade does not exceed 3%», while «intra-African trade accounts for only 16% of the continent's total trade volume, compared to 60% in Europe and 50% in Asia». «With 40% of the world's raw material reserves and 30% of critical minerals, as well as vast mineral, energy, water, agricultural, and biological resources, Africa can no longer afford to simply export its raw materials. The time has come for Africa to fully harness its wealth», he declared. The King underscored that «Morocco is now positioning itself as a strategic catalyst for South-South partnerships», citing concrete, transformative projects that will reshape the continent's economic and social landscape, including the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), described as «a true corridor for integration and economic development». Morocco, he added, is also committed to financing African projects through the «Mohammed VI Investment Fund» and «Casablanca Finance City». «Development cannot be decreed; it is built through ambitious policies, investment in human capital, and rigorous economic governance». In his 2015 address in Abidjan, King Mohammed VI emphasized that «if the last century was one of independence for African states, the 21st century must be one of triumph over the scourges of underdevelopment, poverty, and exclusion».
