Here follows the full text of the Royal message, read by king's advisor, Mohamed Moatassim.

Praise be to God   May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Speakers and Members of Senates, Shura and Equivalent Councils,
Honourable Members of Parliament,

   It gives me great pleasure to send you this message, which reflects my high regard for Upper Houses, which you represent. They embody the spirit of Shura, which is not only rooted in our religious and cultural traditions, but is also the essence of genuine democracy that is upheld by universally recognized representative institutions.
 
   Our Moroccan identity is itself grounded in a creative blend of Shura and democracy, both of which constitute an integral part of the nation’s social, democratic, constitutional monarchy. Given our country’s distinctive history, geographical location and standard policy, which have not only made Morocco a land of dialogue, but also a bridge between the Arab and African worlds; and considering the importance I attach to the sense of belonging that stems from these distinctive characteristics, I cannot but commend the work of your esteemed Association, as well as its endeavours to strengthen cooperation and solidarity between our countries, and to make them a model of South-South cooperation.

I also wish to pay tribute to your Association for encouraging the exchange of experiences and for tackling issues of common interest in a spirit of constructive dialogue and effective solidarity, always favouring pragmatic, practical solutions.

Your conference is being held at a time when the world is in the grip of a global financial and economic crisis which has compounded the security and development challenges we face. As a result of this crisis, however, the strategic role of the state and of representative institutions has been restored.

Parliaments - and particularly Upper Houses, are known for their wise, sagacious views, and for making the voice of local governments, productive forces and eminent figures heard. For this reason, they are called upon, more than ever, to embrace the new spirit of participatory democracy which involves enhancing the role played by parliamentary bodies in decision-making, and to confront the influence of lobbies backing sweeping globalization and capitalism. The latter have little regard for humanitarian or social concerns, particularly when there are no mechanisms for legal control or equitable monitoring, or when these tools are inadequate. The aforementioned objectives can be achieved only when there is good governance, domestically and at the global level, and when we have globalization with a human face. It is just as important to ensure that man is at the heart of the development process, and that we remain open to the world around us, especially civil society representatives, intellectuals, the scientific community and opinion formers.

Distinguished Speakers and Members of Parliament,

Given the above considerations and the requirements of the current, crucial phase, I hope your conference will help create a new dynamic to which your esteemed Association can make a major contribution at the following four levels:

At the political level, your Councils can help strengthen fledgling democracies, taking into account the specificity of each country.

On the economic front, and considering your Councils’ competence and makeup, I believe they can play a key role in promoting an efficient development partnership between the Arab world and African countries, through concrete projects that are not restricted to basic infrastructure, but that also cover human development. Your assemblies and councils can also help with the positioning of Member States’ economies in preparation for the revamping and restructuring of the global economy. They can also help with the emergence of a system of governance, one which is not only more equitable and more balanced, but also one in which solidarity and humane values feature more prominently.

On the cultural level, the interaction and interchange between Arab and African civilizations, and the unstinting efforts Arabs and Africans are making to rise to the challenge of the knowledge and communication-based society, should prompt you to help set up an alliance of civilizations, promote intercultural, interfaith coexistence, confront extremism and terrorism - which cannot be ascribed to a given religion or a specific location - and ensure respect for cultural diversity, since the latter enriches national identity and should not be a pretext for isolationism, intolerance and division.

The strategic policy sector remains a major area on which to focus your joint action. Many of the hotbeds of tension around the world today concern Africa and the Arab world, and the most tragic of them is the ordeal and aggression suffered by our Palestinian brothers. This means your energies should be geared towards creating the right conditions for constructive dialogue. As parliamentarians, you are obviously aware of the constructive role dialogue plays in promoting rapprochement, confidence and reconciliation, which are the ingredients for just, peaceful solutions; solutions that must preserve the sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity of states, and help prevent the squandering of energies and resources on artificial conflicts to which solutions can, indeed, be found.
 
Such a goal can be achieved whenever commonsense, pragmatism, justice, brotherhood, unity, peace and good neighbourliness are allowed to prevail; whenever solidarity and respect for the sanctity of nations and human dignity are upheld; and whenever the logic of forming regional federations and blocs - which are inevitable - is endorsed. The aim is to achieve development and preserve stability, instead of succumbing to the temptation of hegemony, balkanization and the fabrication of fragile entities, which not only hamper progress, but are also incompatible with today’s world of powerful blocs.

Having the skills and qualifications needed to play an active diplomatic role in regional and international forums, I am sure your Association will spare no effort to make the voice of the countries it represents heard, and to serve the just causes of their peoples.

Welcome to Morocco and to this Upper House. May Almighty God see that this Conference, to which I was pleased to grant my patronage, is a success. I commend the organizing committee on its good preparatory work. May the spirit of Rabat, or ‘steadfast bond’ – which has the same etymological origin as your Association (Rabita) – prevail, together with the long-established reputation gained by the Kingdom’s capital, at Arab and African levels,  as a symbol of concord, reconciliation and forward-looking perspective.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh