In Her speech, Her Royal Highness highlighted the main achievements and flagship initiatives of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment for the year 2023.
HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa recalled in this context Her strong commitment to African youth through the African Youth Climate Hub (AYCH) initiative during Her opening speech at the first annual High-Level meeting of the “Partnership for Green Education,” organized by UNESCO and the Ministry of Education of the United Arab Emirates, on the sidelines of COP28.
In this speech, Her Royal Highness emphasized the importance of equitable data sharing with Southern countries, while calling for concrete actions to reduce the digital divide on the African continent.
Reaffirming Her role as the Patron of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development, an initiative overseen by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), Her Royal Highness announced in this speech several projects launched by Her Foundation, notably during the third dialogue of Foundations held in Monaco in June 2023.
These projects, complementary to programs already in place for many years such as the “Clean Beaches” program, which is linked to the “Lalla Hasnaa Sustainable Coast Awards” and the “Bharblaplastic” operation, aim to support the community of African university students in promoting ocean knowledge.
In collaboration with the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training, these projects translate into the creation of training resources, primarily online, intended to be used within the framework of the Ocean Decade.
The Foundation’s commitment to the decarbonization of the national economy was also a key point in Her Royal Highness’s speech, where She mentioned the training provided to partner companies on the use of the carbon footprint calculation tool to measure their emissions and training on climate finance aimed at local authorities.
The highlight of Her Royal Highness’s speech was the announcement to the members of the Council of the inauguration of the historic Lahboul park in Meknes, a restoration project carried out in collaboration with various partners of the Foundation.
Her Royal Highness concluded Her speech by warmly thanking all partners for their continued support and unwavering commitment to the environmental initiatives led by the Foundation, thus contributing to a more sustainable and balanced future.
The Board of Directors approved the accounts, following the auditor’s opinion which certifies that the summary statements are regular and sincere and provide, in all their significant aspects, a true picture of the results of the operations for the years 2022 and 2023.
The Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment was established in 2001 at the initiative of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in order to contribute to raising citizens’ awareness of crucial environmental issues.
The central mission of the Foundation is to educate and raise awareness among all audiences about environmental protection. It primarily targets youth, from early childhood to students, then citizens, civil society, businesses, administration, local authorities, universities, and research.
The Foundation has dedicated teams for its numerous programs, and the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training, its academic arm that strategically aligns with the Foundation’s educational approach for, by, and around the environment, thus placing Education for Sustainable Development at the heart of its concerns.
It conducts selected environmental protection programs for which it brings together numerous local and international partners.
Its action is deployed along five axes: “Education for Sustainable Development,” “Coastal and Ocean Protection,” “Air Quality, Climate, and the Preservation and Development of the Marrakech Palm Grove,” “Sustainable Tourism,” and “Restoration of Historical Parks and Gardens.”