Former US President and Chairman of Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Bill Clinton expressed Wednesday his gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan Government for facilitating the holding in Marrakech’s the edition dedicated to CGI Middle East and Africa, which runs from May 5 to 7 in the ocher city.
“Morocco is a country that is a bridge between continents, civilizations and cultures, and between the past and the future,” said Clinton at the opening of this year’s CGI, the first of its kind organized by the Clinton Foundation, attended by many personalities of global private and public sectors, heads of large companies, renowned for NGOs and civil society.
Clinton praised the engament of Morocco to human rights and its commitment to efforts to maintain stability and peace in the world, while welcoming the bonds of friendship between Morocco and the United States and distinguished relations linking the Royal Family and the Clinton family.
Commenting on the actions of CGI, Clinton stressed the importance of creating synergies between policy makers, the private sector and NGOs in the countries of the MENA region, which have experienced, in recent years, strong growth that have improved the level of life of millions of people and get them out of poverty.
He argued that this area, building on its natural resources and human potential, needs to leverage its strengths to be part of a development path that is at the service of man, recalling this purpose a set actions initiated by CGI in many African countries, including Kenya and Liberia.
CGI’s goal is to get people, thanks to successful partnerships, to work together and to respect their differences, he noted, expressing hope to see participants from this edition with a sense renewed commitment to a shared future.
For its part, Phuti Mahanyele, CEO of Shanduka Group, noted that the digital revolution contributes greatly to mobilize resources for development and favorable to bring people, allowing the same to the youth of Africa to transcend the difficulties they face and avoid perils to embark on illegal immigration.
She argued that Africa, backed by enormous potential, needs creative and innovative initiatives in terms of qualification of youth and upgrade campaigns and concrete programs in the field of education , a vital sector expected to grow to ensure a decent life for future generations.
For its part, the British Somali artist, K’Naan Warsame pleaded for the creation of new mechanisms to enhance the sense of attachment of people to their cultural identities, considering that “it is our sowing the seeds of hope among the younger generations to encourage them to remain attached to their origins and to contribute to local development, instead of yielding to the temptation to embark on the pateras of death and of illegal migration to countries North.
Mrs Nezha Hayat, board member of the General-Morocco Company has, for its part, dwelled on the progress made by Moroccan women in different professional fields, which allowed him to assume a prominent place on the social chessboard due to its substantial contribution to sustainable development.
In this regard, she noted that Moroccan women has invested many industries where it has proven and demonstrated competence, noting that the election of a woman as head of the General Confederation of Enterprises of Morocco (CGEM), in the person of Ms. Miriem Bensalah-CHAQROUN, shows the special status of Moroccan women.
The man African business renowned Mohamed Ibrahim, for his part, emphasized the dynamism of civil society in Africa, as an actor actively engaged in the process of global development, now plays a role preponderant in the creation of many innovative projects serving the populations, although to varying degrees.
Citing the leadership role that comes to ICTs in development, he said that “what we need in Africa today is to build our shared future together and resolutely oriented towards economic integration and mobility of goods and people to overcome social disparities and contain unemployment, exclusion and precariousness. ”
The inaugural Conference “Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Middle East and Africa” began Wednesday in Marrakech, with the participation of many international figures in private and public sectors, heads of large companies, NGOs and renowned actors civil society.
Created in 2007 at the initiative of former US President, CGI brings together global leaders to conduct discussions, formulate and implement innovative solutions to the most pressing problems of the day and particularly development aid.
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