Marrakech: Political Meeting to Promote Proliferation Security Initiative Dedicated to African Countries

The political meeting to promote the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) dedicated to African countries kicked off on Wednesday in Marrakech, at the initiative of the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States of America.

The meeting, which runs until February 2, is co-chaired by Director of United Nations and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Redouane Houssaini, and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs at the US State Department, Bonnie Jenkins.

The meeting is meant to encourage African countries to support the PSI, a sustainable global effort to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

The PSI aims to create alliances between states to collaborate and use their national resources in order to create various legal, diplomatic and military instruments to prevent the transport of dangerous cargoes by road, air and sea.

The opening session of the meeting was attended by ministers and delegations from African countries, as well as regional partners and allies.

Bringing together over 100 countries, the Proliferation Security Initiative is a voluntary and flexible multilateral cooperation framework launched in 2003 with the adoption of the “Paris Principles”, known as the “Interdiction Principles”.

Joined by Morocco in 2008, the initiative intends to strengthen cooperation between the various players, through operational measures to combat the illicit transport of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials.