Morocco’s Efforts in Combating Illicit Arms Trafficking Highlighted in Cairo

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Morocco’s efforts in combating illicit trafficking and proliferation of small arms and light weapons were highlighted at an international conference, held in Cairo in cooperation between the Arab League (AL), Interpol, World Customs Organization and the Small Arms Survey Program. During the works of this conference,  the Moroccan delegation stressed the active participation of the Kingdom in the first phase of the cooperation program between the Arab League and the European Union (EU) on the fight against illicit trafficking and proliferation of small arms and light weapons. The Moroccan delegation included officials from the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), the Ministry of the Interior and the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN). Morocco pursues an open policy on its international and regional environment and interacts with all initiatives aimed at strengthening mechanisms to combat criminal phenomena, including those related to firearms, the delegation said, adding that the Kingdom sees cooperation in capacity building as a key entry point to address them. It also recalled that in line with Morocco’s international commitments in this area, a training course was organized in Rabat in February 2020 for the benefit of national sectors and services concerned with weapons. Morocco has submitted to the competent authorities of the General Secretariat of the Arab League a proposal to host one of the workshops scheduled under the second phase of the AL-EU cooperation program on “Combating illicit trafficking and proliferation of small arms and light weapons,” which was launched Monday in Cairo. The conference underway in Cairo is part of the second phase of the AL-EU cooperation project under the strategic dialogue between the two organizations. It aims to exchange experiences and best practices to strengthen the capacity of AL member states in combating the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons, including their possession by terrorists and criminals.