On Friday, November 21, Laayoune played host to a pivotal session of the African Parliamentarians' Network for Development Evaluation (APNODE). Founded in March 2014, this influential organization unites representatives from twenty African nations. The discussions in the Sahara's capital culminated in the adoption of the Laayoune Declaration. This key document advocates for the establishment of an African Parliamentary Observatory for Development Evaluation. Envisioned as a permanent institutional framework, it aims to enhance cooperation, coordination, and knowledge sharing among the continent's parliaments. Participants also called for the adoption of an African Charter on Parliamentary Evaluation. This essential reference document would harmonize concepts, approaches, and methodological principles in the field, ensuring its independence, impartiality, and objectivity. The Declaration underscores the strategic significance of hosting this continental event in Laayoune, highlighting its symbolic role as the «capital of the southern provinces of the Kingdom of Morocco». This region is increasingly seen as a platform for development and an emerging economic hub. Attendees also commended the socio-economic initiatives and infrastructure projects that have transformed the southern provinces, positioning them as conducive to Atlantic cooperation and strengthening ties with the rest of Africa. APNODE previously convened its 7th assembly in August 2022 in Rabat. Its membership includes countries such as Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
