Paris Peace Forum Opens in Rabat, Urging the World to Turn Crises Into Opportunities

Key Points

• The Paris Peace Forum’s 2026 Spring Meeting opened on Thursday, June 4, 2026, in Rabat, Morocco under the theme “Resilient Transitions”
• International leaders, policymakers, researchers, investors, and civil society representatives gathered to discuss food systems, agricultural transformation, child welfare, future generations, and critical minerals governance
• Justin Vaïsse, Founder and Director General of the Paris Peace Forum, emphasized that multilateralism continues to “resist the assaults of populism” despite geopolitical instability
• Morocco’s Minister Leila Benali stated that copper extraction must increase by 25%, cobalt by 100%, and lithium by more than 300% over the next six years to meet energy transition needs
• The forum is hosted by the Paris Peace Forum in partnership with OCP Group and supported by Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P)
• Africa’s central role in global transformations was highlighted, with the continent described as a key space where new development models are taking shape
• An African-led Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework for mining was launched in Marrakech in November 2025 with more than 40 African countries
• The meeting follows the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi and precedes the G7 Summit in Evian, France (June 15-17)
• Younes Addou of OCP Group’s innovation ecosystem noted agriculture employs roughly 60% of Africa’s workforce and contributes more than one-fifth of the continent’s GDP
• Organizers hope conversations will shape concrete policy initiatives ahead of the annual Paris Peace Forum in November 2026

Rabat (Britain Today News) June 4, 2026 – International leaders, policymakers, researchers, investors, and civil society representatives gathered in Rabat on Thursday for the Paris Peace Forum’s 2026 Spring Meeting, opening against a backdrop of growing geopolitical tensions, climate challenges, and rapid technological change with a call to transform global crises into opportunities for sustainable development.

The two-day event, taking place under the theme “Resilient Transitions,” seeks to explore how societies can adapt to global disruptions while continuing to pursue sustainable development goals, with participants set to discuss food systems, agricultural transformation, child welfare, future generations, and the governance of critical minerals over the next two days. Hosted by the Paris Peace Forum in partnership with OCP Group and with the support of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), the meeting represents a continuation of the Forum’s reflection on transitions that began in Benguerir, Morocco in 2024.

What Is the Main Theme of the Paris Peace Forum 2026 Spring Meeting?

The 2026 Spring Meeting in Rabat continues the reflection on transitions by focusing specifically on “resilient transitions” to explore how agricultural, energy, health, and development transitions can withstand geopolitical shocks and ongoing global disruptions, as explained by Justin Vaïsse, Founder and Director General of the Paris Peace Forum.

Opening the forum, Vaïsse spoke about the importance of sustaining international cooperation at a time when multilateral institutions are under increasing pressure from geopolitical rivalry, populism, and global fragmentation. He acknowledged that the international system is currently marked by instability and competing priorities, but argued that cooperation remains not only possible but necessary.

Vaïsse referred to what he called a “glass half full” perspective, noting that despite tensions between major powers, multilateralism continues to “resist the assaults of populism” and remains relevant in addressing long-term global challenges. These challenges include global health, food security, agricultural systems, technological governance, and humanitarian action, areas that often receive less attention amid short-term geopolitical crises.

Vaïsse also stated that the Paris Peace Forum is not a traditional think tank, according to the Forum’s official announcement. Instead of producing reports or policy papers, he described it as a platform for “assembling” solutions, bringing together governments, international organisations, businesses, universities, NGOs, foundations, and development banks to connect fragmented initiatives and turn ideas into actionable cooperation. In his words, the Forum works upstream to “make positions converge” and unlock collective action where institutions alone often struggle to do so.

Why Does Morocco Emphasize Resilience in Global Transitions?

Leila Benali, Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, used her speech to highlight the growing need for resilience in an increasingly volatile world, stating that countries today face a unique combination of challenges including armed conflicts, energy crises, pandemics, geopolitical tensions, and the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence.

“In Morocco, in Africa, we know a thing or two about resilience,”

she told the audience.

“We definitely know a few things about resilient transitions,”

Benali added, noting that resilience is no longer simply about responding to crises after they occur but about preparing societies and economies to absorb shocks and adapt quickly.

“Our ecosystems today, and our economies, need to be able to absorb these shocks,”

she said.

“They need to be able to adapt quickly. They need to be able to keep functioning effectively in a changing world,”

the minister emphasized.

At the same time, Benali argued that crises can create opportunities for transformation. “Never miss a crisis,” she said, describing a principle that has guided her ministry since she took office in 2021.

How Critical Minerals Are Driving Unprecedented Demand for Energy Transition?

A major focus of Benali’s remarks was the growing demand for critical minerals needed for the global energy transition and the digital economy, according to her speech at the opening session. According to Benali, the shift toward renewable energy, electric mobility, artificial intelligence, and data centers is driving unprecedented demand for metals such as copper, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements.

“We need to extract in the next 30 years the equivalent of what humanity has extracted since its creation,”

she said, describing the scale of the challenge facing the mining sector. She warned that current production levels are insufficient to meet future needs, citing projections that copper extraction must increase by 25% over the next six years, cobalt production by 100%, and lithium extraction by more than 300%.

Yet Benali stressed that the debate is about far more than energy or technology.

“The resilient transitions that you are talking about today are not energy and digital transitions,”

she said.

“These are social and economic transitions that we are talking about. They are reshaping our societies and they are reshaping our democracies,”

the minister explained.

What Is the African-Led ESG Framework for Mining Sector?

The minister also recalled Morocco’s efforts to promote more sustainable and inclusive mining practices, pointing to the launch of an African-led Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework for the mining sector developed with more than 40 African countries.

The initiative, launched in Marrakech in November 2025, aims to establish standards that reflect African realities while helping unlock financing for mining projects across the continent, according to the Paris Peace Forum’s official press release.

“We can continue pretending that we can finance those projects, but we can’t,”

Benali said, explaining why African countries chose to create their own framework rather than rely solely on standards developed elsewhere.

She also announced progress in Morocco’s mining reforms, including the digitalization of the country’s mining cadastre and plans to open up large areas for new mining permits through public tenders.
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How Agriculture Can Drive Growth and Climate Resilience in Africa?

While mining and energy dominated much of the keynote address, agriculture was another central theme during the opening session, with Younes Addou speaking on behalf of OCP Group’s innovation ecosystem. Addou discussed the enormous potential of African agriculture despite persistent structural challenges.

“Agriculture is not only central to Africa’s future in terms of food security,”

Addou said,

“but also one of the greatest opportunities to drive growth, climate resilience, and economic transformation across the continent”.

He noted that agriculture employs roughly 60% of Africa’s workforce and contributes more than one-fifth of the continent’s GDP. Despite its importance, however, the sector remains fragmented, underinvested, and often lacks access to financing and innovation.

Addou, who is Vice President for Agribusiness and Sustainability Solutions at INNOVX, argued that solving these challenges requires greater coordination among governments, financial institutions, businesses, and development partners.

“Addressing these challenges requires more than financing alone,”

he said.

“It requires coordination, it requires partnerships, and it requires a collective effort,”

Addou emphasized.

What Initiatives Are Supporting Agricultural Transformation Across Africa?

Addou highlighted two initiatives designed to support agricultural transformation across Africa, including the Agricultural Transition Lab for African Solutions (ATLAS) and MARA, a platform created through a partnership between the International Finance Corporation and OCP Group.

Together, he said, the initiatives seek to connect national development priorities with investment opportunities to help farmers and entrepreneurs gain access to financing, technology, and global markets.

“The challenge now is no longer innovation itself,”

Addou said.

“The challenge is how to scale these innovations and create enabling ecosystems that allow them to reach millions of farmers,”

he concluded.

When Does the Rabat Meeting Fit in the International Calendar?

The Rabat meeting comes at a key moment in the international calendar, organized under the French presidency of the G7. It follows the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi and precedes the G7 Summit later this month in Evian, France.

After two successful Spring Meeting editions held abroad (2024 on “Fair Transitions” in Morocco, and 2025 on “New Coalitions for SDGs” during the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla, Spain), this upcoming Spring Meeting takes place on June 4-5 in Rabat, Morocco.

Hosting this Spring Meeting in Rabat reflects the conviction that global solutions must emerge from inclusive dialogues between the world’s regions, according to the Paris Peace Forum’s official website. Morocco occupies a unique position as a crossroads between Africa, Europe and the Arab world, and a laboratory for innovation in sustainable agriculture, energy transition and regional economic cooperation.

What Topics Will Participants Discuss Over the Next Two Days?

Over the next two days, participants will discuss food systems, agricultural transformation, child welfare, future generations, and the governance of critical minerals, with organizers hoping the conversations will help shape concrete policy initiatives ahead of the annual Paris Peace Forum in November.

The program has been designed around three main themes: food systems and agricultural transformation in Africa, building on the work of the ATLAS initiative and exploring new funding mechanisms for sustainable agriculture; investing in children and future generations through the Child Priority Framework; and responsible governance of transition minerals, ensuring that the global energy transition is underpinned by transparent, equitable and sustainable value chains.

In this context of rising fragmentation, the Spring Meeting 2026 will bring together global leaders, international organizations, researchers, investors and civil society to build new coalitions and concrete strategies ensuring that climate action, economic development and social stability advance together, according to the Forum’s official announcement.

Vaïsse also emphasized Africa’s central role in these transformations, describing the continent as one of the key spaces where new models of development and cooperation are already taking shape. He recalled that the Forum had already met in Morocco in 2024 in Benguerir to discuss “just transitions,” and explained that this 2026 edition in Rabat continues that reflection.

Meanwhile, the minister emphasized that the resilient transitions being discussed are social and economic transitions reshaping societies and democracies, not merely energy and digital transitions. The meeting seeks to explore how societies can adapt to global disruptions while continuing to pursue sustainable development goals against a backdrop of growing geopolitical tensions, climate challenges, and rapid technological change.

The Paris Peace Forum Spring Meeting 2026 has received the label of the “French Presidency of the G7,” positioning it as a key moment on the global governance agenda as the world enters a decisive decade. As geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, climate change and supply chain disruptions reshape global priorities and weaken multilateral cooperation, leaving less than 20% of SDG targets for 2030 on track, the question is no longer only how to accelerate transitions, but how to make them resilient.