TICAD 9: African, Japanese leaders commend Moroccan King’s African initiatives on climate & migration – Final Declaration

African and Japanese heads of state and government commended several initiatives launched by King Mohammed VI,and emphasized his pioneering role in promoting important continental initiatives on climate,migration,and sustainable development in Africa.

In the final declaration issued by the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9),held in Yokohama,heads of state and government highlighted the role of the three Climate Commissions established during the African Action Summit,the Sahel Commission,the Congo Basin Commission and the Island States Commission,in adapting to and mitigating the impact of climate change for African countries.

The final declaration noted that the structures created at the initiative of the Sovereign provide frameworks for regional coordination aimed at amplifying Africa’s voice in international negotiations and mobilizing the necessary financing for projects tailored to local needs.

African leaders also acknowledged the importance of the Initiative for the Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA),created following the African Action Summit,held at the initiative of the King,on the sidelines of the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) held in Marrakech in 2016.

The AAA Initiative seeks to strengthen the resilience of African agriculture to the effects of climate change through concrete projects in soil management,irrigation,and climate finance.

On migration,the heads of state voiced their full support for the operationalization of the African Migration Observatory,created at the initiative of the Moroccan King in his capacity as African Union Champion for Migration.

The creation of the Observatory was endorsed by the African Union Summit in June 2018,following the presentation by the King of the African Agenda on Migration,which proposed a new paradigm for addressing migration in Africa.

This central AU migration structure,inaugurated in Rabat in 2020,is tasked with collecting,analyzing and sharing data on migration flows to support the development of informed public policies and to strengthen international cooperation in the field.

Since the beginning of its operationalization,the Observatory has expanded partnerships with regional and international institutions,contributing to the development of coordinated African strategies and to a better integration of migration into development policies.

The Royal initiatives on climate and migration in Africa have been cited in several partnership declarations,underlining the relevance of the Sovereign’s African vision and confirming the important role of the Kingdom with regard to the African continent and international partners in addressing Africa’s integration,development,and challenges.