A joint meeting with the Arab Maghreb Union agrees on the need to accelerate the implementation of PIDA projects in the region

A regional consultative meeting, first in its kind and initiated by the Department of Infrastructure and Energy of the African Union Commission (AUC) was held in Rabat, Morocco with the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU). The visit organised by the AUC jointly with the NEPAD Agency and the African Development Bank (AfDB) assessed the state of play and made concrete recommendations with a view to providing the necessary support to the region in its process of appropriation and implementation of the projects and programs of the Priority Action Plan of the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA PAP).

The meeting of experts chaired by the Directors in charge of Infrastructure of the AUC and AMU heard a presentation by the latter on the structural composition of the AMU and the Maghrebian activities in the field of infrastructure and more specifically the state of play of the seven (7) PIDA projects registered under the AMU, which are: Facilitation of transport and transit along the Trans-Maghreb highway; Harmonization of the legal and regulatory framework for ICTs in the Maghreb countries; The creation and securing of a Maghreb high-speed telecommunications network based on optical fiber; The electric transmission line of North Africa; The Trans-Saharan Nigeria-Algeria gas pipeline; The aquifer system of the northern Sahara; And the aquifer system of Lullemeden and Taoudent / Tazrouft.

The work which took place from 14 to 16 November 2016 also examined the various implementation and governance instruments of the PIDA and took stock of the regional priorities of the PIDA PAP in order to make concrete recommendations and bring the necessary support to the region. Among other things, the meeting stressed the need to organize a Workshop bringing together the representatives of AUC, AfDB, NEPAD, AMU and focal points of the five (5) AMU Member States. The meeting also welcomed the signing by AMU and NEPAD, of the capacity building agreement for the implementation of PIDA PAP. The parties agreed to use appropriate channels to monitor the effective implementation of the recommendations in the shortest delays.

The visit concluded with a high-level meeting between H.E. Dr. Elham MA IBRAHIM, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy of the AUC and H.E. Dr. Taieb Baccouche, Secretary General of the AMU and the signing of an Aide-mémoire containing specific recommendations for a tangible acceleration in the implementation of the region’s infrastructure development activities and the linkage of these activities to continental efforts to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063 UA.

Distributed by APO on behalf of African Union Commission (AUC).

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