Brazil adopts Morocco's full map with the Sahara during its G20 presidency

With the inclusion of the entire Moroccan territory on the official map, including Western Sahara, Brazil confirms the North African country's importance on the global stage.  

What better context to reaffirm Brazil's support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara than at the meeting of the world's 20 strongest economies (G20)? The map drawn up by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and presented by Brazilian President Lula da Silva incorporates the Western Sahara region as part of Morocco's geography.  

According to the official website of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, ‘the publication of this global map represents an opportunity for Brazil to position itself in a unique way on the international scene, in the framework of its presidency of the G20’.  

Historical relations between Morocco and Brazil began with Rabat's recognition of Brazil's independence in 1890.  

The American giant has repeatedly reiterated its support for the UN's efforts to reach a political and mutually acceptable solution to the Sahara issue, in accordance with the relevant resolutions, in the framework of the autonomy initiative proposed by Morocco in 2007.  

Now, in the framework of the G20 presidency, Brazil, in a gesture not only to Morocco, but also to Africa, has included the African Union (AU) alongside the European Union (EU) and the 19 strongest economies in the world. 

By including Morocco with its fully recognised borders, Brazil shows its dedicated support for development, growth, and recognition of Africa's importance to the world, both now and in the long term.  

The future of the world depends on a solid Africa that carries weight in the global context. With more than 25% of the population aged between 18 and 25 by 2030, Africa will have the largest number of young people of working age, who, with good training and access to resources, can make the continent a giant at all levels.  

In the local context, this decision is a sign of how Morocco is a key factor in African, European, and American diplomacy, especially among countries of the so-called Global South, where its role is among the most prominent in two specific missions: peace and progress in Africa. 

According to the IBGE, ‘the production of this planisphere is an opportunity for Brazil to position itself in a unique way on the international stage, in line with its presidency of the G20’.  

This gesture by Brazil highlights the strengthening of ties between South America and Morocco. The same region in which the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, has made significant efforts to consolidate relations that, for both, are of a fundamental nature to promote new strategic trade routes at a global level. Routes that, since 2017, have gradually increased. These include the air connection between Casablanca and São Paulo announced in July.  

With rapid growth in the exchange of phosphates and fertilisers, trade links are showing better figures each year than the previous one, apart from the years of the COVID pandemic.  

With a focus on food security, the governments of both nations have developed strong channels for the exchange of products and expertise. Among the main agreements is the one reached at the last edition of the International Agricultural Show in Morocco (SIAM), which formalised an action plan that opens the Brazilian market to Moroccan citrus fruits. On security, Rabat and Brasilia signed military and security agreements.