The 17th Edition of the MEDays Forum, held from 26–29 November 2025, under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, convened world leaders at a critical moment of geopolitical uncertainty.
Organised under the theme “Fractures and Polarisation: Reinventing the Global Equation,” the Forum featured a distinguished delegation from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), including Her Excellency Sylvanie Burton, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica, The Honourable Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, and The Honourable Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada. Their participation was partly facilitated by the Embassies of the Eastern Caribbean States in the Kingdom of Morocco, reflecting a growing commitment to deepening cooperation with the African continent.
The MEDays Forum is widely recognised as one of Africa’s leading policy platforms, particularly as Morocco advances major initiatives such as the Atlantic Initiative and broader development strategies across the continent. This year’s theme resonated strongly with current global dynamics defined by fractured multilateralism, rising polarisation, economic headwinds, and accelerating climate impacts. For the Caribbean delegation, these issues are deeply relevant, as small island developing states remain highly vulnerable to systemic global disruptions.
Prime Minister Mitchell, speaking at the opening ceremony and later on the Africa–Atlantic Cooperation panel, emphasised that for small island states the impacts of climate change and global instability are not abstractions but lived experiences that repeatedly disrupt development. He urged a revitalised multilateral system and noted that the historic Africa–Atlantic–Caribbean trade route, once defined by the trauma of the transatlantic slave trade, should now be reimagined as a modern pathway of partnership, purpose, and shared opportunity.
In the closing ceremony, President Burton and Prime Minister Browne delivered complementary reflections grounded in their national experiences. President Burton drew on Dominica’s Kalinago heritage to highlight the wisdom of indigenous knowledge and the importance of mutual respect and cultural understanding in solving today’s challenges, stressing the need for coordinated action and accessible finance for vulnerable states. Prime Minister Browne spoke candidly about the mounting “poly-crisis” constraining small islands, calling for urgent financial reform, vulnerability-based metrics, and the meaningful inclusion of small states in decisions on climate, trade, technology, and security. Together, their interventions expressed a distinctly Caribbean call for global solidarity, equity, and a more responsive and resilient global order.
His Excellency Ian M Queeley, Ambassador of the Embassies of the Eastern Caribbean States in Rabat, expressed satisfaction with the strong OECS showing at MEDays 2025. He noted that the participation of high-level Caribbean officials demonstrates the region’s recognition of Africa as a strategic partner and added that the Forum provided a valuable opportunity for OECS leaders to engage Moroccan officials and explore new avenues of cooperation. He reaffirmed the embassies’ commitment to continued collaboration with MEDays organisers to ensure sustained and high-quality OECS participation.
The contributions of the OECS delegation underscored the critical role small states must play in shaping global transformation. Their presence reaffirmed the Caribbean’s commitment to strengthening Africa–Caribbean cooperation and contributing to a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient global order.
OECS
