House of Advisors: Ratification of 15 Agreements on Promotion of Cooperation between Morocco, Several Countries at continental, International Levels

The House of Advisors approved, during a legislative session held Tuesday, 15 international agreements aimed at promoting and consolidating cooperation between Morocco and many friendly countries, as well as strengthening the position of the Kingdom at the continental level. Presenting these agreements, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, explained that they are 7 bilateral, 3 regional and 4 multilateral agreements, in addition to the draft law No. 26.21 supplementing the law 36.09 on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and their destruction. In this regard, he pointed out that the agreement on the draft law on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and their destruction includes an amended annex that concerns the materials that should be subject to control due to the possibility of their use in the civilian and military fields, in accordance with the Kingdom’s international obligations. Regarding bilateral agreements, Bourita said they concern two conventions with the State of Chad on land transport and logistics, in addition to two conventions concluded with the Union of Comoros on the prevention of double taxation and the protection of investments, and others with the State of Israel on economic and trade cooperation and air services, as well as an agreement with the Republic of the Philippines on the promotion of air services. On the regional level, Bourita reported three agreements concluded at the continental level, stating that the first relates to the establishment in Rabat of the headquarters of the Pan-African Youth Union, the second concerns the revised convention on the recognition of studies and certificates, diplomas, degrees and other titles of higher education in the African States, while the third deals with the establishment of an African program of technical cooperation, approved in Kampala (Uganda) on 1 August 1975. With regard to multilateral agreements, the Minister said they include the establishment of the International Organization of Maritime Aid and the Convention on the Council of Europe on the manipulation of sports competitions, which aims to combat the manipulation of sports betting, the Hague Convention on the recovery of maintenance abroad for the benefit of children and other family members and the Convention on the protection of workers against occupational hazards resulting from air pollution, noise and vibration at work.