Romania Advocates for Effective Multilateralism at the Peacekeeping Conference in Rabat
On May 20, 2026, Luca Niculescu, the Secretary of State for OECD accession, economic diplomacy, the UN, and Francophonie, represented Romania at the second edition of the Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping in the Francophone Environment held in Rabat, Morocco. The event was co-chaired by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, with the presence of key figures including UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Secretary-General of the International Organization of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, alongside numerous foreign and defense ministers from Francophone nations.
The conference centered around the theme "Maintaining Peace and International Security in a Changing World: New Challenges for Peace Operations in the Francophone Environment," prompting participants to reflect on the current state and future perspectives of UN peace operations in light of an increasingly dynamic international security environment.
In his national address during the official opening of the conference, Secretary of State Niculescu emphasized Romania's strong support for effective multilateralism, anchored in the principles of the United Nations, and reiterated the imperative of adhering to international law. He underscored Romania's backing for ongoing reform processes aimed at enhancing the credibility and effectiveness of the UN, particularly in field operations. Additionally, Niculescu highlighted Romania's political support for UN peacekeeping operations, recalling the substantial contributions made by the country in this domain.
Moreover, Niculescu advocated for active cooperation between the UN and the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) regarding the training of personnel involved in peace missions conducted within Francophone regions, particularly in the French language. He pointed out Romania's significant contributions in this area through the organization of the International Advanced Course in French at the "Mihai Viteazul" Gendarmerie Academy since 2003, which is part of the Francophone Network of Expertise and Training for Peace Operations (REFFOP). This course, organized in collaboration with the French National Gendarmerie and the French Embassy in Romania, is financially supported by the OIF and certified by the UN. To date, 324 trainees from 34 countries, predominantly from Africa, have been trained in this program.
At the conclusion of the conference, the Rabat Declaration was adopted, in which participating states committed to cooperating to enhance the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping actions through pragmatic and realistic political and operational approaches, while also reinforcing multilingualism.
As reported by mae.ro.
