Year 2022: Irreversible Commitment of Morocco to Sustainable Development Through Brilliant Electoral Successes

The Kingdom of Morocco’s electoral successes in various international organizations active in the field of sustainable development illustrate its irreversible commitment to multilateral efforts in the fight against environmental degradation, climate change and rising inequality. Thus, Morocco was elected, for the first time, as president of the 6th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) during the elections held on the occasion of the 9th extraordinary session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment. This election reflects the Kingdom’s irreversible commitment, in accordance with the Highest Vision of HM King Mohammed VI, to multilateral efforts to combat environmental degradation, climate change, and rising inequality. The Kingdom was re-elected for a new term (2023-2026) as one of the 48 members of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council on October 3, 2022. This umpteenth term illustrates the recognition by the community of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) of the active role of Morocco and its conscientious contribution to the development of policies and broad strategy of the Union in the field of telecommunications and digital. Morocco has also been re-elected member of the Radio Regulations Board (RRB) of the ITU, in the person of Hassan Talib, telecommunications engineer. He has been a member since 1998. Thanks to the success of these two bids, the Kingdom will be able to continue its commitment alongside the ITU for the consolidation of a global cooperation in the fields of information technology for sustainable development and the stimulation of growth. In the maritime field, Morocco has been elected to the post of vice-president of the Council of the International Maritime Organization, a body of which it has been a member uninterruptedly since 1992. In recognition of its leading role in the promotion of food security, particularly at the African level, the Kingdom has been re-elected to the Bureau of the Executive Board of the World Food Program as Coordinator of the list of African countries, for a one-year term. In the same vein, Morocco was appointed, in July 2022, as a “lead country” by the African Regional Group of the Food and Agriculture Organization, to lead the negotiations on promoting youth engagement and employment in agriculture and food systems of the Committee on Food Security. The year 2022 also brought great electoral success for the Kingdom in the area of global health. Thus, Morocco was elected to the Executive Board of the World Health Organization for the period 2022-2025, as a representative of the Eastern Mediterranean Group of States (EMRO). This election demonstrates the international community’s trust in Morocco’s approach to promoting global health as a precondition, indicator, and goal of sustainable development. In recognition of the leading role Morocco has played in mobilizing international efforts to address the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with the Highest Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Kingdom has been designated as a co-facilitator of the negotiation process of the UN General Assembly Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response. Finally, Jaouad Mahjour was reappointed as WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Emergency Preparedness and International Health Regulations. Morocco was elected, on November 15, 2022, to the Committee for Programme and Coordination, which is the main subsidiary body of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC) for the planning, programming, and coordination of UN activities in the field of economic, social, and human rights. In the same framework, Morocco has started its mandate in the Commission on Population and Development of ECOSOC, for the period 2022-2026. In addition, the Kingdom has ensured, in the person of Ambassador Azzedine Farhane, the presidency of the Vienna Chapter of the Group of 77 and China for the year 2022. This presidency has enabled the Kingdom to speak on behalf of the largest regional grouping of the United Nations within the various international organizations based in Vienna, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, and the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. In recognition of its commitment to making education, science and culture levers for sustainable development, the Kingdom was elected, in the person of Ambassador Samir Addahre, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Similarly, Morocco was designated to host the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was held from November 28 to December 3, 2022, with the participation of 130 countries and over 1,000 participants. Also within UNESCO, the Kingdom of Morocco has been appointed as chair of the Global Network of UNESCO Geoparks, in the person of Driss Lechhab. Morocco has also been designated to host the 10th International Conference on Global Geoparks of UNESCO to be held in Marrakech from 5 to 10 September 2023. In the same vein, the Kingdom was chosen to host the 7th UNESCO International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII) held in Marrakech from 15 to 17 June 2022. In addition, Morocco has been nominated to be part of the World Network on Education for Sustainable Development for 2030 and the Working Group for the revision of the 1974 Recommendation on Education for International Understanding, Cooperation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. In addition, the Kingdom was elected on May 16, 2022, by acclamation, as the first vice-chair of the 31st session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), as well as of the Plenary Committee of the same body, enabling it to lead the negotiations on all the resolutions that were adopted at that session. The Kingdom was elected, in the person of Ambassador Omar Zniber, Chairman of the Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Through this election, the Kingdom will participate in discussions within UNCTAD on solutions to major emerging challenges in the field of investment and enterprise. Moreover, Morocco has been chosen to host, in Marrakech, the work of the 117th session of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization, in recognition of its role in the recovery of world tourism in the post-pandemic period. In addition, the Kingdom was also elected as vice-chair of the Working Group on the Legal Development of the Hague System, concerning the international registration of industrial designs, within the framework of the work of the World Intellectual Property Organization. Morocco has also been elected to the Board of Governors of the World Water Council for the period 2023-2025, as a Government and Government Supported Organization. At the Arab level, the Kingdom of Morocco was elected, in the person of Abdenbi Manar, director general of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization. At the level of the League of Arab States, Morocco has been appointed in the person of Ambassador Ahmed Rachid Khattabi, as assistant secretary general in charge of the Department of Media and Communication. Within the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the Kingdom was elected to the posts of vice-chair of the Bureau of the 6th Conference of African Ministers in charge of Civil Status for a two-year term, 2nd vice-chair of the Regional Committee for Africa of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management Initiative, and vice-chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts of North Africa. The Kingdom has also been appointed chair of the African Regulatory and Communication Platform, in the person of Latifa Akharbach. Within the International Organization of the Francophonie, Morocco has been appointed, in the person of Aicha Ansari Rachidi, as Assessor to the Court of First Instance of the Organization, on November 8, 2022. Morocco was elected, on September 1, 2022, as a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Secretaries General of African Parliaments (ASGAP), on the sidelines of the ongoing work of the Standing Committees of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), held at the headquarters of this institution in Midrand, South Africa. Similarly, Mohammed Sefiani, mayor of Chefchaouen, was appointed as special envoy of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG) to the UN for food systems and as a member of the presidency of UCLG-World. On the other hand, Morocco was re-elected on June 17, 2022 to the vice presidency of the Bureau of the Executive Committee of the European Center for Global Interdependence and Solidarity of the Council of Europe. In recognition of the role that the Kingdom plays, under the Very High Royal Vision, to make sport a lever for sustainable development, Morocco was elected, in the person of the secretary general of the Ministry of National Education, Preschool Learning and Sports, Youssef Belkacemi, to the post of first vice-president of the International School Sports Federation (ISF). In addition, Morocco was elected as a member of the Working Group under the aegis of the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties (COP8), to develop the Review of the Financing of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for Governments. The Kingdom was also elected as a member of the Working Group of the Monitoring System of the International Convention against Doping in Sport. Similarly, Morocco was elected in the person of Bouchra Hajij, to the post of president of the African Volleyball Confederation for a term of four years (2020-2024). Finally, the president of the Royal Moroccan Federation of Sport for All (FRMSPT), Nezha Bidouane, was elected member of the board of directors of the International Federation of Sport for All (FISPT). In accordance with the Royal Highest Directions, Moroccan diplomacy will remain fully committed to continue the dynamics of strengthening the presence of Morocco in the multilateral system. The whole Moroccan diplomatic apparatus, in coordination with the concerned Departments, will remain mobilized for the influence of Morocco’s action in favor of an action-oriented and results-based multilateralism, in the service of international peace and security, sustainable development, and the promotion and protection of human rights.