Marrakech Forum Highlights Business Role in Balancing Profit with Human and Environmental Responsibility in the Arab-African Region

At the Arab-African Forum on Business and Human Rights held in Marrakech on June 24–25, a key message emerged: companies must go beyond the pursuit of profit and actively contribute to social justice, environmental stewardship, and the protection of human rights. The forum, gathering over 200 participants from across the Arab-African region, called for a paradigm shift in how businesses operate—placing sustainability and human dignity at the center of economic decision-making.

A recurring theme throughout the event was the need to reconcile economic ambition with responsibility. Speakers affirmed that true sustainable development is impossible without a solid foundation in human rights, which they described as essential to human dignity and a cornerstone for global peace and stability.

Increasingly, companies are seen not just as economic engines, but as critical social, cultural, and environmental actors. This expanded role makes them indispensable allies in building inclusive and resilient societies. Beyond generating profit, businesses are expected to protect employee rights, safeguard consumer interests, create jobs, and contribute to prosperity—while preserving ecological balance.

Forum participants also stressed that transparency, accountability, and integrity must extend to the private sector. These values, traditionally applied to governments, are equally essential in the corporate world, where businesses play a major role in shaping national economies and societal outcomes.

A Regional Platform to Cooperate, Share, and Advance

At its core, the forum served as a platform for strengthening South-South cooperation within the Arab-African region. It promoted dialogue, encouraged the exchange of good practices, and sought to deepen regional ownership of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

By bringing together representatives of governments, international organizations, public and private enterprises, civil society, and academia, the event laid the groundwork for a renewed regional partnership centered on a common challenge: aligning economic growth with the protection of rights and the pursuit of long-term sustainability.

Organized by Morocco’s Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights (DIDH), in coordination with multiple national and international partners, the forum reaffirmed a shared commitment across the Arab-African region to embed human rights into business frameworks—and to collectively move toward an economy that is both responsible and inclusive.