House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon has rally calls for the establishment of the parliament of Africa Atlantic.
The move Speaker Koon stated is among other things meant to curtail major issues along the Atlantic Africa corridor .
With headquarters to be in Morocco, Speaker Koon also recommended to his colleagues that said body should Elect a speaker to steer the affairs of such unique group.
Speaking at Meeting of Speakers of parliament of the African Atlantic State, in Rabat, Morocco Speaker Koon encouraged his colleagues on the continent to work and enforce rigorous regulations, bolster intelligence-sharing, and support endeavors that protect the economies from exploitation.
He at the same time urge governments on the African Atlantic State to collaborate networks operating within the Atlantic corridor.
“A Call for Africa’s Stronger Economies to Support smaller nations like our especially with deficient infrastructure, unemployment among others, he added.
Pivotal among other, he pointed out especially towards bolstering smaller and less affluent nations is through regional trade, investment, and direct investments into high-impact sectors .
At the same time , he encouraged African financial institutions towards capacity-building initiatives.
“This is the idea of Pan-Africanism—elevating each other to forge a self-sufficient and prosperous
continent, development banks, and the private sector to underdeveloped nations, promoting regional stability and economic resilience”, he re-emphasized.
Speaking about Liberia’s Bid for the UN Security Council Non-Permanent Seat for the 2026-2027 term, Speaker Koon reminded the gathering at the high level meeting that Liberia’s storied legacy of peacekeeping and candidate to champion Africa’s collective interests of said Permanent Seat is key.
“As we engage in strategic partnerships for Liberia’s candidacy for the United Nations democratic tenacity, it is an excellent regional advancement as such, i wish to underscore this on the global stage”, he further told the gathering.
He used the ocassion to humbly solicit the backing of all member s dedication to global peace and security.
In a drive to addressing such, he wants a robust approach and team work effort in combating illicit financial flows, and utilize while pledging to prioritize youth empowerment, nothing that Africa’s Atlantic States hinges on the strategic decisions they as duty bearers will take in the interest of their respective populations.
Despite outlining some of the challenges, Speaker Koon was quick to mention that the destiny of the Atlantic is a conduit for sustainable development.
He assured the body that Liberia stands poised to be a pivotal ally in such transformative journey, ensuring that no African is left behind and together, they can create a future where
prosperity, stability, and regional integration will be the order of the day.
The Liberian Speaker informed the gathering that as they chart the course for the continent’s future, his Country, Liberia is positioned as a central point for strategic development initiatives.
Additionally, he underscore the imperative of Africa’s most precious resource which is the youthful population but due to economic and other reasons are now seeking better prospects abroad.
“This exodus siphons off our continent’s most dynamic minds, eroding our developmental path and it is time that we provide them with the requisite skills and empowerment to help develop our continent”, he added.
Re-emphasizing further, he urged his colleagues that they must invert such trend by investing robustly in skills, opportunities, and environment to flourish within their homeland.
He acknowledged that the Trans-Atlantic Cooperation and Economic initiative unveils a remarkable opportunity in inaugurating the Atlantic Initiative to transform the Atlantic Ocean from a historical Kingdom of Morocco for their visionary foresight corridor of exploitation into a vibrant gateway for economic expansion and regional integration.
“The Trans-Atlantic Cooperation furnishes a capitalize on Africa’s extensive natural and human world’s mineral reserves, Africa’s share in global platform to foster trade, amplify investments, and resources for inclusive growth, and this stark disparity must shift stating that Liberia, endowed with abundant iron ore, timber, trade languishes below 3%”, he noted.
Despite harboring approximately 30% of agricultural potential, Liberia emerges as a beacon of opportunity for sustainable investments, he said.
“We invite regional and global partners to consider seamlessly with the overarching objectives of Liberia as a strategic nexus for industrialization, value-added processing, and job creation, aligning
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”, he added.
Speaking further he said tackling Transnational Crime and Illicit Financial a conduit for economic endeavors but also as a laundering.
Recent findings from the Inter
breeding ground for transnational organized Flows crimes, illicit financial flows, and money regrettably, the Atlantic region serves not only as Governmental Action Group against Money
Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) reveal that across our seas, propelling instability and impoverishment, he told the body.
Providing statistics, Speaker Koon said Africa forfeits an estimated $88.6 billion annually to counter these threats and Liberia advocates for to illicit financial outflows that is seriously enhanced regional coordination in maritime
Criminal syndicates exploit lax regulatory
regimes, trafficking drugs, arms, and individuals impeding sustainable development.
Speaker Koon in move to address these challenges recommended to his colleagues proper security machinism , financial regulation, and anti-money laundering frameworks in a bid to combat such issues on the continent.
