25 years of leadership and diplomacy for a united, prosperous Morocco with an African future
- Morocco: 25 years of leadership and diplomatic development
- Moroccan proximity diplomacy at the service of African prosperity
- Human development and vocational training: a real priority
- From Hassan II to Mohammed VI: a creative diplomatic philosophy and inclusive royal vision
- Morocco/Dakhla: hub of development with an African future
The MD Sahara Forum closed its 4th edition in Dakhla by highlighting the importance of the African dimension in Morocco's development and shedding light on the achievements and effective governance of Moroccan diplomacy under the reign of Mohammed VI.
Morocco: 25 years of leadership and diplomatic development
The Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations in New York, Omar Hilale, highlighted the strengths of King Mohammed VI's sophisticated Cherifian diplomacy, based on transparency with bilateral and international partners, boldness in initiatives and resilience in his defence of territorial integrity.
‘King Mohammed VI's diplomacy is based on the good management of the national cause in the United Nations organisation; given that territorial integrity is not only a matter of solitude, but an existential issue for the Kingdom’, Hilale clarified, affirming that “thanks to the royal foreign policy strategy, Morocco is gaining more and more support for its sovereignty over the Sahara”.
The recognition of the United States, Spain and France alongside several Arab, Latin and African countries regarding the Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara represents, according to the ambassador, one of the most important achievements in the history of the Sahara issue; betting on an efficient diplomacy that seeks to protect the sublime interests of the Kingdom and negotiate its international relations by highlighting the prism through which Morocco manages its relationship with its partners, both conventional and new.
In this regard, Hilale explained the four pillars on which royal diplomacy is based, which are: firmness, boldness, clarity and wisdom.
Moroccan proximity diplomacy at the service of African prosperity
According to the Gambian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mamadou Tangara, the real vision for Africa is reflected through a diplomacy of proximity at the service of African prosperity, given Morocco's leading role on the international stage through a foreign policy that advocates not only national causes, but also defends African sovereignty, while respecting the territorial integrity of countries.
‘The Gambia reaffirms its support for the Autonomy Plan under Moroccan sovereignty by recognising the Moroccan sovereignty of the Sahara’, announced the Gambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explaining that this position was made concrete in 2020 with the opening of the country's first consulate in Dakhla.
In this context, Mamadou Tangara praised the Atlantic Initiative launched by King Mohammed VI with African countries without access to the Atlantic in mind. ‘The port of Dakhla is a lighthouse project which will allow 24 African countries to have an Atlantic façade, as well as to rethink the whole area with the African countries obliged today to work hand in hand for prosperity and the common interest of the African continent to create wealth and develop together an area of prosperity, security and peace’, the Foreign Minister emphasised.
‘The Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline is another colossal project and another Moroccan initiative that aims to consolidate relations between African neighbours, in pursuit of shared prosperity and common sustainable development,’ he added.
Human development and vocational training: a real priority
Nadira El Guermai, governor and former coordinator of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), stressed that ‘investing in human capital is at the heart of the vision of Mohammed VI who, since his accession to the throne in 1999, has not ceased to insist on consolidating the principles and values of solidarity in an ongoing fight against poverty; putting human capital at the centre of interest of state policies’.
‘The Morocco of Mohammed VI is an ambitious country that is building a social state based on human rights, democracy and freedom through reforms focused on man and with expectations open to the world,‘ explained El Guermai, clarifying that “after 25 years of reforms and achievements, Morocco has to raise the speed of its progress and prepare for the challenges of the 21st century by respecting human dignity as a ”sine qua non’ foundation to achieve inclusive sustainable development at the service of the citizen.
The royal vision has marked a new era for the Alaouite kingdom characterised by its reconnection with the homeland, the repositioning of the Moroccan citizen at the centre of national strategies and roadmaps, as well as the continuous improvement and updating of professional training.
For her part, Loubna Tricha, Director General of the Office of Vocational Training and Labour Promotion, argued that vocational training is a key factor in Moroccan policy in terms of human capital which pushed to reform the sector through:
- The integration of new vocational training programmes
- The inclusion of the particular population which is composed of job seekers or young people in informal activity.
- Thinking about the professions of the future inclusion.
- The plan of the development of territories in terms of vocational training establishments.
- The introduction of ‘sub-skills’ as a key competence for the training of today's young people.
- The guidance of young people and their accompaniment to build a solid professional career.
From Hassan II to Mohammed VI: a creative diplomatic philosophy and inclusive royal vision
Seddik Maaninou, journalist and writer and former secretary general of the Ministry of Communication, reveals the secrets of the preparations for the Green March, describing it as a new philosophy of Moroccan diplomacy.
‘On Thursday 16 October 1975 at 9 p.m., the King took the official decision to address the nation and from 4 p.m. all programming on Moroccan radio and television was cancelled and only patriotic songs and the announcement of the speech were broadcast, which made the population psychologically ready to follow a historic speech by King Hassan II,’ Maaninou said.
According to the journalist who witnessed the historic event of the Green March, the day after Friday, more than 900,000 volunteers, 70,000 of whom were women, signed up to go to the Sahara, thanks to the popular impact of Hassan II's speech, a call to which the entire population responded voluntarily.
Driss Jettou, former Prime Minister, former Minister of the Interior, former Minister of Trade and Industry and former President of the Court of Auditors, underlined that, over the 25 years, the royal vision has been based on basic foundations: territorial integrity, the construction of the rule of law, the consolidation of the role of institutions, democracy and transparent elections.
‘Focusing on the Moroccan citizen as the cornerstone of the country's development, the inclusive vision of King Mohammed VI Morocco has succeeded in implementing several reforms that guarantee the dignity of the Moroccan citizen and contribute to the country's development, such as the reform of the Family Code, the right of Moroccan women to give nationality to their children and the great work done by the Equity and Reconciliation Instance in the field of human rights,’ explained Jettou.
The minister, who has held several posts in both the reigns of Hassan II and Mohammed VI, pointed out that ‘in the economic field, Morocco has made great progress in terms of its association agreements with European countries, the privatisation programme and the consolidation of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP), free trade with the United States, the launch of major mobility, logistics, water and energy infrastructure projects and the development of the national industrial sector’.
The objective is to dynamise the eastern region with the port of Nador West Med, to promote trade and the development of the African continent via the Atlantic coast with the port of Dakhla and to continue the development of Tangier Med which is one of the five most important ports in the world.
For his part, Mohand Laensar, former Minister of the Interior, Agriculture and Rural Development and Honorary President of the Association of Regions, underlined that ‘the real vision over these 25 years has distinguished itself by being built on deep reflections in the short, medium and long term, including a new model of territorial governance with advanced regionalisation and local democracy.
In this line, Laenser recalled the announcement by Mohammed VI, from the city of Laayoune in 2015, of the New Development Model for the Southern Provinces, which aims to diversify investment options in the three southern regions, within the framework of advanced regionalisation as a continuous progressive process that aims to achieve North-South integration and an ambitious opening up of Africa.
Mohand Laensar particularly emphasised the relevance of Morocco's foreign policy and its efficient diplomacy that advocates autonomy as the only solution to the Sahara dispute. ‘This is a solution that King Mohammed VI has advocated since he was crown prince, as a third way between independence and pure and simple integrity’, he concluded.
Morocco/Dakhla: hub of development with an African future
Mounir Houari, director general of the Regional Investment Centre (CRI) of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab, reported that the city has the lowest unemployment rate compared to the national average, highlighting the economic boom experienced by the Dakhla market, which receives proposals and investment intentions from Europe, America and the Middle East.
‘In the future, Dakhla will become the destination of industrial investment for both Moroccans and foreign investors; being the most optimised model of clean industry in the region,’ explained Houari, adding that Dakhla is a lighthouse that had had only one point of light and has now become a radiation that attracts the whole world and has only to prepare for the future.
The Director General affirmed that the CRI works on the Business Intelligence of the region; seeking how to transform challenges into opportunities and opportunities into shared prosperity; confessing that ‘the best entrepreneurs are the young people working in the informal sector: a category that requires accompaniment and follow-up in order to integrate it into the formal sector’.
Said Mouline, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety (AMSSNuR), highlighted the exceptional potential enjoyed by the southern provinces in terms of renewable energies, noting how the real vision calls for accelerating the energy transition, since the launch of the National Energy Strategy in 2009, a major priority for the country's future.
‘Public-private partnerships play a key role in the development of this type of investment focused on solar and wind energy projects, which require for their success the trust of partners and the transparency of contracts in search of African solutions adapted to the context of the African continent,’ added Mouline.