Bourita highlights in New York the Kingdom’s vision for strengthening national ownership in peacebuilding

A promising Moroccan presidency of the UN Peacebuilding Commission

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, outlined on Thursday in New York the fundamental pillars upon which the Kingdom of Morocco bases its presidency of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission for the year 2026. This came during his participation in a high-level meeting dedicated to the theme “National ownership in practice: strengthening inclusive state institutions”.

High-level UN presence and support for Moroccan efforts

This important meeting saw significant participation from prominent UN figures and government officials, including the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape, the Prime Minister of Kenya, Musalia Mudavadi, as well as the Vice President of the African Development Bank, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, and several other international government officials.

Emphasis on the importance of national ownership and sovereignty

In his speech, Bourita stressed the need to strengthen national ownership in all peacebuilding efforts, stating that this must be achieved through inclusive institutions and international partnerships that respond precisely to the priorities of the countries concerned. The Minister noted that the Peacebuilding Commission is at a pivotal stage, twenty years after its establishment, especially in light of the adoption of the “Pact for the Future” and the 2025 peacebuilding architecture review.

The Moroccan official explained that sustainable peace cannot be achieved independently of the will of the countries and societies concerned themselves, reaffirming that Morocco has repeatedly called for making national ownership a practical and operational principle based on sovereignty, shared responsibility, and strengthening local capacities.

A comprehensive vision on the link between peace and development

In the same context, Bourita highlighted that this approach aligns with the Kingdom’s strategic vision, which is based on the close interdependence between “peace, security, development, and governance”, in implementation of Morocco’s ongoing commitments in the fields of conflict prevention, mediation, peacekeeping, and post-conflict reconstruction.

The Moroccan delegation also presented a set of practical proposals, including institutionalizing the Commission’s work outside official headquarters by holding field sessions in the countries concerned, preparing a “national ownership diagnosis” to identify common needs, as well as strengthening future funding and expanding partnerships with international financial institutions and development banks to achieve better complementarity between investment, development, and national priorities.