Opening Address of the 16th Edition of the Medays Forum

Excellencies, Mr. President,
Excellency Madam Prime Minister,
Excellencies, Gentlemen Prime Ministers,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen Ministers,
Distinguished guests, dear friends,

Tanger, the gateway to the South and a bridge between worlds, once again welcomes us with its historical breath. It brings us together, not only to understand today’s challenges but also to seek collective solutions, infused with the strength and audacity that drive us. It is no coincidence that we are here. Tanger is a place where currents of thought intersect, where visions are shared, and where dialogues between the South and the North, between cultures and civilizations, have been sketched for centuries.

The Palace of Arts and Culture in Tanger, hosting the MEDays Forum for the first time, represents more than just an architectural gem. It embodies Morocco’s cultural and intellectual ambition and a forward-thinking vision championed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him.

This palace, an architectural masterpiece located in the heart of Tanger, serves as a crossroads where history, modernity, and openness to the world converge. Its spacious areas, specially redesigned for this event, provide a majestic backdrop for our discussions.

This prestigious venue bestows a new dimension to the MEDays Forum, reflecting its international renown. It also symbolizes our collective commitment to placing Tanger at the heart of global discussions, as an essential platform where the South and North come together to collaboratively shape solutions to global crises.

Today, united under the theme "Sovereignties and Resilience: Towards a New Global Balance," we are called upon to explore new paths and build bridges in a fragmented world. This theme is, in reality, a promise, an act of faith in the nations’ ability to forge their own paths, to recover from crises with dignity, and to construct bridges between peoples to transform challenges into collective hope.

Sovereignty and resilience. Two seemingly simple words to grasp, yet they encompass the peoples’ will to remain masters of their destinies, to stand tall and move forward despite adverse winds. In this time plagued by polycrises—where conflicts, economic downturns, climate crises, and health emergencies intertwine in an endless spiral—our commitment to these values has never been more vital.

Sovereignty is not solely about territorial boundaries. It is the ability for each nation to decide for itself, to choose its alliances, and to shape its future without depending on the will of others. It is the soul of each nation that demands respect for its specificities and its unique trajectory, far removed from imposed figures or dictated precepts. As for resilience, it embodies the courage to rise up, to reinvent oneself, and to find in challenges the soil for rebirth. It is about transfiguring crises to identify opportunities.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Concerning sovereignty, under the visionary impetus of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, Morocco has successfully transformed its Sahara into a strategic pillar, not only diplomatically but also in terms of integrated regional and continental development.

Indeed, the Southern Provinces are now a hub undergoing transformation, thanks to an ambitious and multidimensional Royal Vision. Massive investments in infrastructure, such as the Dakhla Atlantic port, free trade zones, and social and cultural projects, are tangible evidence of an inclusive and proactive dynamic focused on the future.

Today, Moroccan Sahara is a space of opportunity, not only for Morocco but for the entire African continent. It acts as a gateway between Africa and Europe, between the Sahel and the Atlantic, a lever for South-South cooperation embodying the Royal Vision of an integrated and sovereign Africa. In this spirit, Morocco continues to assert itself as a central actor in African and Atlantic issues while contributing to the consolidation of peace and regional development.

The international wave of support for the Moroccan claim over the Sahara, illustrated by the explicit recognition of Moroccan sovereignty by strategic partners such as the United States, Spain, and more recently France, marks a decisive turning point in this matter.

The opening of consulates in Laâyoune and Dakhla by numerous fraternal African, Arab, and Caribbean countries serves as a striking tangible proof of the legitimacy of this sovereignty on the global stage.

This vast international momentum supporting the Moroccan initiative for autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty reflects an increased awareness within the international community: the Moroccan Sahara is, and will remain, an integral, inseparable, and inalienable part of the Kingdom of Morocco. This recognition only reinforces the validity of the Moroccan position and solidifies the anchoring of the Moroccan Sahara as a strategic pillar of stability, cooperation, and development in the region.

Ultimately, the Moroccan Sahara is not just a symbol of sovereignty; it is the engine of an ambition shared by many African nations: to transform challenges into opportunities and to build a future where development and unity prevail.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The MEDays Forum is more than an annual rendezvous. It is the melting pot of ideas, the epicenter of an ambition that places the South at the heart of global decisions. This Forum is our voice, the voice of the South, a voice that, long ignored, now rises to assert that our future is not a privilege granted by others but a right we seize with conviction and determination. MEDays has become an essential bridge between the South and the North, a place where we exchange, understand, and, above all, build together. This Forum does not merely denounce the fractures of the world; it embodies resilience itself.

To those who perceive the South as fragile nations, we here demonstrate the dignity, strength, and capability of peoples who think and act for the common good. More than ever, we affirm that the South is not a passive spectator of decisions taken elsewhere. The South is an actor, a driving force, an indispensable partner in addressing global challenges.

Here at MEDays, we collectively hold the conviction that collective intelligence can and must guide us. In these times of intertwined crises, we have no choice but to rely on our capacity to unite our strengths, our minds, and our visions. It is within the diversity of our experiences and the intersection of our perspectives that we find the key to a more balanced world. Faced with the uncertainties of our time, we must relearn to trust in collective intelligence, in collective wisdom, in that spark of clarity that emerges when we unite our minds and hearts.

In these uncertain times, the MEDays Forum stands as a beacon, a channel of ideas, a link between the South and the North, reminding us that it is together that we will overcome crises by combining our strengths and intellects. We are in Tanger to chart a new path where the sovereignty of each nation and the resilience of each people are not only respected but nurtured.

Let us not fear to dream big, to innovate, to believe in our collective power. For while the polycrisis is our challenge, collective intelligence is our response. By gathering here, we are building the world of tomorrow—a world where sovereignty and resilience are inviolable values.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I will conclude my remarks by humbly and deeply expressing my sincerest gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for his invaluable support since the inception of this Forum. It is thanks to His High Patronage and ongoing Royal support, which pride the teams at the Amadeus Institute, that the MEDays Forum remains a stronghold of reflection and action, the voice of the South addressing the world with assurance and ambition.

Finally, I would like to warmly thank all those who make the MEDays possible: our sponsors, our institutional partners, and, of course, the local authorities—the Wilaya of Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma, the Region, and the City of Tanger. Their unwavering support, renewed trust, and steadfast commitment are the cornerstones of the success of this 16th edition of the MEDays Forum.

May this edition of the MEDays, the Forum of the South, be an act of faith in the future and a powerful message of resilience.

Thank you for your attention.