His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, sent a Message to the participants at the “Africa for the Ocean” Summit, co-chaired on Monday in Nice by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Representative of His Majesty the King, and the French President, His Excellency Emmanuel Macron.
Here is the full text of the Royal Message, which was read by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa.
“Praise be to God,
Prayer and Peace be upon the Prophet, his family, and his companions.
Mr. President of the French Republic,
Ladies and Gentlemen Heads of State and Government,
Mr. President of the African Union Commission,
Ladies and Gentlemen Ministers,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to commend the personal commitment of the President of the French Republic, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel MACRON, in favor of the oceans. This commitment perfectly aligns with the present times when Africa, with its voices, strengths, and vision, intends to fully express itself regarding its maritime destiny.
In this regard, I thank my African brothers and the high personalities of the Continent for their participation in this unprecedented Summit, dedicated to our common coastline of over 30,000 kilometers.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
While the African seas and oceans are rich, they are also vulnerable. Strategic, yet under-optimized. Promising, but still poorly protected. This paradox compels us to shift from a logic of potentiality to a logic of appropriation.
The environment is a major pillar of ocean governance, but it is not the only facet. The ocean represents our food sovereignty, our climate resilience, our energy security, and our territorial cohesion. It reflects who we are, what we consume, what we exploit, and consequently, what we will leave behind.
In this regard, Morocco advocates for a strategic re-reading of the African maritime role that revolves around three axes:
FIRST, A BLUE GROWTH.
The blue economy is not an ecological luxury: it is a strategic necessity. Sustainable aquaculture, offshore renewable energies, port industries, marine biotechnologies, responsible coastal tourism… All these sectors have a future provided they are structured, interconnected, conceived as a value chain, and endowed with substantial investments and adapted standards.
This is the essence of the national strategy, desired and deployed by Morocco, as a driver of growth, social inclusion, and human development.
In this context, the Kingdom has undertaken several structuring projects that have, in particular, reshaped the national port landscape, such as the major container port of Tanger Med and the future ports of Nador West-Med and Dakhla Atlantique, which will rely on a significant logistical and industrial ecosystem.
THEN, STRENGTHENED SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION AROUND OCEANIC SPACES
The effort must be collective, as the challenge is not only national: it is continental. It is not enough to share an ocean. We must also think about it together, manage it together, and defend it together. Only a coordinated African approach can optimize maritime value chains, secure trade routes, and capture a more equitable share of global ocean wealth.
Thus, Africa must be involved in the protection of marine biodiversity, genetic resources, and marine protected areas. It is up to it to establish maritime security mechanisms suited to its needs and to speak with one voice on the global oceanic stage.
FINALLY, MARITIME EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH ATLANTIC SYNERGIES.
The geopolitical dynamics in Africa cannot be subject to the inertia of geography, nor the burdens of the past. The Atlantic façade of Africa has been a particularly neglected axis, even though it represents an immeasurable potential for opening up, transit, and projection for the Continent.
It is in this spirit that we launched the Initiative of Atlantic African States aimed at making this façade a zone of strategic dialogue, collective security, mobility, and economic integration, endowed with unprecedented collegial, mobilizing, and pragmatic governance.
Our vision of an Atlantic Africa valuing this ocean does not only involve the coastal countries; it also extends to the brother countries of the Sahel, which have the responsibility to provide a structuring and reliable maritime outlet.
It is in this same spirit of solidarity and shared prosperity that we have also initiated the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project as an energy interconnection corridor and a vector of new geoeconomic opportunities in West Africa.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The ocean is and will remain a bond and a shared horizon that it is our duty to protect and develop into a space of peace, stability, and development. Africa, which is never stronger than when it speaks with one voice, is at the heart of this ambitious project, and Morocco, with its 3,500 kilometers of coastline and 1.2 million square kilometers of maritime spaces, is committed with energy and determination to play its part in this collective endeavor.
Wassalamou alaikoum warahmatoullahi wabarakatouh.”
MAP