By In a significant move toward fostering regional cooperation and addressing pressing challenges in West Africa, Ghana’s Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, led a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament to the Crans Montana Forum in Rabat, Morocco.
Held from April 24 to April 29, 2023, under the patronage of King Mohammed VI, the forum focused on South-South parliamentary dialogue, bringing together leaders from Africa, the Arab world, Latin America, and the Caribbean. This high-profile event, as shared by Berry Pulse Media Inc. on X, underscores the growing importance of collaborative efforts in tackling issues like economic integration, democratic stability, and sustainable development.
The Crans Montana Forum: A Platform for Global Dialogue
The Crans Montana Forum has long been a prestigious platform for addressing critical global and regional issues. Hosted in Rabat, this particular session emphasized South-South cooperation—a framework that encourages collaboration among developing nations to address shared challenges.
The forum’s agenda was ambitious, covering topics such as economic integration, democratic governance, and sustainable development, with a special focus on the unique challenges facing West Africa.
Afenyo-Markin, who also chairs the Agriculture Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament, was a fitting choice to lead the delegation. His prior engagement with the Crans Montana Forum in 2022 in Geneva, where he addressed food insecurity in West Africa, highlighted his commitment to tackling systemic issues in the region. This time, the forum provided a space to deepen discussions on parliamentary cooperation, with a particular emphasis on strengthening democratic institutions and fostering economic growth across regions.
Key Highlights of the Forum
The Crans Montana Forum in Rabat brought together parliamentarians, policymakers, and thought leaders to discuss pressing issues. According to the statement released by the delegation, shared via Berry Pulse Media Inc., the event focused on several key objectives:
- Strengthening Democratic Institutions: The forum addressed the growing concern of tenure elongation and unconstitutional changes in government, a recurring issue in West Africa. Recent coups in countries like Mali, Chad, and Burkina Faso have underscored the need for stronger democratic frameworks.
- Promoting Economic Integration: Discussions emphasized the importance of economic cooperation between African states, the Arab world, Latin America, and the Caribbean. For West Africa, this means fostering trade, investment, and infrastructure development to drive sustainable growth.
- Addressing Global Challenges: Topics like food security, climate change, and poverty reduction were central to the dialogue. Afenyo-Markin’s previous advocacy for replicating Ghana’s success in combating malnutrition in the Sahel region was a key talking point.
The forum also highlighted Morocco’s growing role in African affairs. As a nation with observer status in ECOWAS since 2017, Morocco has been keen to deepen its ties with West Africa. However, its potential full integration into ECOWAS raises complex questions, which were likely part of the discussions in Rabat.
Morocco’s ECOWAS Ambitions: Opportunities and Challenges
Morocco’s interest in ECOWAS is not new. The North African nation has been pursuing closer ties with West Africa as part of its broader strategy to strengthen its influence on the continent. The Crans Montana Forum, held under the patronage of King Mohammed VI, reflects Morocco’s commitment to this goal. However, its potential membership in ECOWAS is not without challenges.
A study published by Frontiers highlights the ideological and structural hurdles Morocco faces in its bid to join ECOWAS. The Moroccan Constitution, which establishes the country as an Islamic state, may conflict with ECOWAS’s principles of constitutional convergence, particularly regarding the separation of powers and secularism in state affairs.
Article 1 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance emphasizes democratic separation of powers, respect for human rights, and secular governance—principles that could clash with Morocco’s internal political structure.
Despite these challenges, Morocco’s economic and developmental significance cannot be overlooked. The country has made strides in areas like agriculture and renewable energy, which could benefit West African states.
For instance, Morocco’s Green Plan, discussed at previous Crans Montana Forums, offers a model for sustainable agricultural development that could be adapted to address food insecurity in the Sahel region—a cause Afenyo-Markin has championed.
Afenyo-Markin’s Role in Regional Leadership
Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin’s leadership at the forum underscores his growing influence in regional politics. As Ghana’s Majority Leader and a key figure in the ECOWAS Parliament, he has consistently advocated for solutions to West Africa’s most pressing challenges. His focus on food security, democratic governance, and economic integration aligns with the broader goals of ECOWAS and the African Union (AU).
During the 2022 Crans Montana Forum in Geneva, Afenyo-Markin warned of the dire consequences of food insecurity in West Africa, particularly in the Sahel region. He noted the high rates of global acute malnutrition in countries like Chad, Mali, and Senegal, calling for international collaboration to replicate Ghana’s successes in addressing malnutrition. His participation in the Rabat forum builds on this advocacy, emphasizing the need for parliamentary cooperation to drive sustainable development.
The Broader Implications for South-South Cooperation
The Crans Montana Forum in Rabat is a testament to the power of South-South cooperation. By bringing together leaders from diverse regions, the event fostered dialogue on shared challenges and opportunities. For West Africa, this means greater collaboration with nations like Morocco, which can offer expertise in areas like agriculture, renewable energy, and infrastructure development.
The forum also aligns with the goals of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), which seeks to ensure the full participation of African peoples in the continent’s economic development and integration. Based in Midrand, South Africa, the PAP promotes citizen inclusion and cooperation among African states—objectives that resonate with the outcomes of the Rabat forum.
What’s Next for ECOWAS and Morocco?
The Crans Montana Forum has set the stage for deeper collaboration between ECOWAS and Morocco, but several questions remain. Will Morocco overcome the ideological hurdles to its ECOWAS membership? Can its expertise in sustainable development be leveraged to address West Africa’s challenges? And how will ECOWAS balance the need for democratic governance with the diverse political structures of its member states?
For now, Afenyo-Markin’s leadership at the forum signals a positive step forward. His focus on economic integration, democratic stability, and sustainable development aligns with the region’s long-term goals. As West Africa navigates a complex landscape of political instability and economic challenges, such collaborative efforts will be crucial in driving progress.
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