At the end of this session, in which Morocco was represented by a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita, the ministers emphasized the efforts made by the Kingdom in the field of migration as well as the relevance of its policy of integrating migrants, regularizing their legal situation and providing them with the conditions for a decent life.
The Council also welcomed the establishment in Morocco of the African Migration Observatory.
This session, organized under the theme “Moderation: The Key to Security and Stability”, was also an opportunity to highlight the actions carried out by the Kingdom, under the leadership of His Majesty the King, to restore security and stability in several OIC Member States, especially in Africa.
In this regard, the ministers praised the active role of Morocco, which has held the chairmanship of the Central African Republic Configuration of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) since 2021, and its efforts in consolidating peace in that country.
The Council also welcomed the opening in Rabat of the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa.
In this sense, it called on OIC Member States to take advantage of this partnership and joint projects implemented by this office in the field of counter-terrorism.
In addition, the Council highlighted the organization by Morocco of the high-level meeting of heads of counter-terrorism and security agencies of North African and Sahel countries, held on 23 and 24 June 2022 in Marrakech.
In the same context, the Council highlighted the efforts made by the Kingdom in the fight against terrorism and extremism through its initiatives undertaken at the regional and international levels, crowned by the inauguration of the UN Program Office for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa, as well as the co-chairmanship with Canada of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum and the holding in Marrakech, on May 11, 2022, of the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
It affirmed that “the threats posed by separatist groups to political and security stability in many regions are as dangerous as those posed by terrorist and extremist groups, given their alliances and their access to financial and tactical means, which requires the adoption by Member States of a comprehensive approach to strengthen efforts to combat the main factors in the spread of extremism, terrorism and separatism.”
The Council also commended the donation of one million dollars, granted by Morocco, on High Royal Instructions, for the benefit of the Yemeni people, on the occasion of the holding, on March 1, 2021, of the high-level meeting on the Humanitarian Response Plan in this country, as well as the assistance provided by the Kingdom to the Union of the Comoros, concerning medical equipment to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Moroccan delegation to this session also includes Hamid Chabar, Morocco’s Ambassador to Mauritania, Fouad Akhrif, Director of Mashrek, Gulf and Arab and Islamic Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Abdelali Al-Jahed and El Hassan Badri, respectively Head of Division of Arab and Islamic Organizations and Head of OIC Department at the Ministry, as well as Othman Rehhou, Deputy of the Kingdom’s permanent delegate to the OIC.
This two-day session, which was attended by the Director in charge of the management of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency, Mohamed Salem Echarkaoui, focused on other issues including the Palestinian issue, developments in Afghanistan and the Sahel region.
