Paris Peace Forum opens in Rabat on resilient transitions

Yesterday 14:52

By: Dakir Madiha

Paris Peace Forum opens in Rabat on resilient transitions

The Paris Peace Forum opened its 2026 spring meeting in Rabat, bringing together international officials, researchers, investors, and civil society actors to examine how societies can adapt to global disruption. The two-day event focuses on “resilient transitions” and the capacity of governments and institutions to respond to overlapping crises including climate pressure, geopolitical instability, and technological change.

Organizers framed the meeting as a platform designed to connect fragmented global initiatives rather than produce policy reports. Participants include representatives from governments, international organisations, universities, development banks, and private sector institutions. The objective is to identify practical cooperation mechanisms in areas where multilateral coordination often struggles to deliver results.

Speakers at the opening session stressed the strain on global governance systems. They pointed to rising geopolitical tensions and competing national priorities that weaken traditional multilateral frameworks. At the same time, they argued that cooperation remains essential to address long-term challenges such as food security, global health systems, and the governance of emerging technologies.

A major focus of the discussions was Africa’s role in global transitions. Speakers highlighted the continent as a central space for new development models, particularly in energy, agriculture, and industrial transformation. They also emphasized that resilience must go beyond crisis response and include structural adaptation in economic and social systems.

Energy transition and critical minerals were a key topic during the opening day. Morocco’s energy transition minister highlighted the accelerating demand for minerals such as copper, cobalt, and lithium driven by electric mobility, renewable energy, and data infrastructure. She warned that global supply chains are not currently aligned with projected demand growth over the coming decades.

She also emphasized that the shift in energy systems carries deep social and economic implications. According to her remarks, countries must design policies that integrate industrial strategy with social stability. Morocco also presented progress on mining sector reforms, including digitalization of mining governance tools and the expansion of licensing frameworks through public tenders.

Agriculture was presented as another strategic pillar of Africa’s transformation. Speakers linked the sector’s performance to food security, employment, and long-term economic resilience. They stressed that despite employing a large share of the workforce, African agriculture remains constrained by limited financing, fragmented systems, and uneven access to technology.

The meeting is part of a broader sequence of international policy discussions ahead of upcoming global summits. Over the next sessions, participants are expected to focus on food systems, youth, future generations, and governance frameworks for strategic resources, with the aim of turning discussions into implementable initiatives.