Year 2022, Dynamic Strengthened with Morocco’s Brilliant Electoral Successes in International Organizations

Fifty-one Moroccan candidacies were successful in 2022, against 43 candidacies in 2021, i.e. an increase of 20%, reflecting the dynamics’ continuity, engaged by the Kingdom for the reinforcement of its presence within the international organizations.

These brilliant electoral successes attest, once again, to the relevance of the Moroccan diplomacy’s strategy, which goes in accordance with the Royal High Directions, to strengthen Morocco’s presence in international and regional organizations and consolidate its position as an active and responsible member of the international community.

These successive successes reflect the degree of confidence that the international community has in the Kingdom’s expertise and experience in various areas of multilateral system’s action, particularly in human rights, sustainable development, disarmament, and the development of information and communication technologies.

They also reflect Moroccan action’s credibility, in accordance with the Royal High Vision, for the advent of a result-oriented multilateralism at a time when the world is facing new, complex and interdependent challenges, in addition to the degree of mobilization of the whole diplomatic apparatus in favor of the success of Moroccan candidacies.

The Kingdom has, furthermore, achieved convincing electoral successes, allowing it to sit in bodies as prestigious as influential in the multilateral agenda of international peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development.

With regard to international peace and security, the Kingdom has been elected for a new term in the Peace and Security Council for the 2022-2025 period.

On the other hand, in recognition of its role as a major player in multilateral action for a maritime order based on international law, Morocco was elected, in the person of Professor Miloud Loukili, to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf for the period 2023-2028.

At the level of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the Kingdom recorded three electoral successes, through its re-election to the Executive Council for the period 2023-2025, to the Steering Committee of the OPCW Program for Strengthening Cooperation with Africa for the period 2022-2023, as well as its appointment as a member of the Organization’s Advisory Committee on Education and Awareness for the period 2022-2024.

Similarly, Morocco was re-elected, for a two-year term, to the Chairmanship of the Evaluation and Implementation Group of the Global Counter-Terrorism Initiative (GCITI), in the person of Redouane Houssaini, Director of the United Nations and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

With regard to human rights, the Kingdom of Morocco was brilliantly elected as a member of the Human Rights Council for the period 2023-2025.

In the same vein, Ambassador Omar Zniber, permanent representative of the Kingdom in Geneva, was appointed as co-facilitator of the process of strengthening and optimizing the Universal Periodic Review under the 4th cycle, which began in November 2022.

In addition, Morocco has been appointed as a member representing the African Group in the Human Rights Council Advisory Group for the year 2022.

In addition, the Kingdom was re-elected for a third consecutive term (2023-2027) as a member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, in the person of Hynd Ayoubi Idrissi. Morocco was also elected to the Executive Committee of the Community of Democracies, for the period 2022-2024.

In the field of sustainable development, Morocco was elected, for the first time, as President of the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6). The Kingdom was also re-elected for a new term (2023-2026), as one of the 48 members of the Council of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Morocco has also been re-elected as a member of the ITU Radio Regulations Board (RRB), in the person of Hassan Talib, a telecommunications engineer. He has been a member since 1998.

In the maritime field, the Kingdom has been elected to the post of Vice-Chairman of the Council of the International Maritime Organization, a body of which it has been an uninterrupted member 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 has been appointed « lead country » by the African Regional Group of the Food and Agriculture Organization, to lead the negotiations on the promotion of youth engagement and employment in agriculture and food systems of the Committee on Food Security.

In the area of global health, Morocco was elected to the World Health Organization’s Executive Board for the period 2022-2025, as a representative of the Eastern Mediterranean Group of States (EMRO).

In recognition of the leading role it has played in mobilizing international efforts to meet 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 co-facilitator of the negotiation process of the UN General Assembly Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response.

Jaouad Mahjour was reappointed as WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Emergency Preparedness and International Health Regulations.

Morocco was elected to the Committee on Programme and Coordination, which is the main subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly and Economic and Social Council (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.

Moreover, 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.

In recognition of its commitment to making education, science and culture levers of sustainable development, the Kingdom was elected, in the person of Ambassador Samir Addahre, President 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, held from November 28 to December 3, with the participation of 130 countries and more than 1000 participants.

Also within UNESCO, the Kingdom has been appointed President of the Global Network of Geoparks of UNESCO, in the person of Driss Lechhab.