27-28 September 2023, Virtual – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) contributed to the fourth thematic meeting of the Call of the Sahel Initiative, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), entitled “Investment in development and education to rebuild the future of the Sahel”.
The event aimed to explore different perspectives and opportunities for enhancing economic development and improving youth education, as a response to countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism in the Sahel.
PAM, a founding member of the Call of the Sahel Initiative, launched in 2021, together with the IPU, the Arab Parliament, and the Inter-Parliamentary Committee of the G5 Sahel, was represented by Hon. Gennaro Migliore, PAM President Emeritus, and Director of the newly-established PAM’s Center for Global Studies (CGS) in San Marino.
In his speech, President Migliore expressed concerns over the occurring coups d’Etat and the deterioration of the security environment in the Sahel, including the ongoing presence of the Russian-controlled Wagner Group, which are major factors of instability also for the PAM countries. He highlighted the key role played by youth in shaping our collective future, stressing the devastating effects of terrorist activities on their education.
In this regard, he mentioned, among others, mass school shutdowns, occupation of educational facilities for military purposes, and the recruitment of children by terrorist groups.
At the conclusion of the two-day event, all participants agreed on the necessity to strengthen international cooperation initiatives that could target the urgent needs of local populations in the Sahel, such as reducing the cost of food and energy, as well as on implementing long-term investments that can create positive structural changes in regional economy and social stability and well-being.
The outcomes of 2023 thematic meetings of the Call of the Sahel Initiative will be presented during the Second Global Parliamentary Summit on Counter-Terrorism, which will take place on 25 October 2023, in Luanda, Angola, on the sidelines of the 147th IPU Assembly.
At the request of the Political Bureau, PAM MPs will debate a report dedicated to recent security developments in the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa at the 18th Plenary Session, on 6-7 March 2024 in Portugal.