The Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries, Zakia Driouich, reaffirmed on Friday in Bouknadel Morocco’s firm commitment to sustainable ocean governance, in accordance with the High Royal Guidelines.
According to a statement from the Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries, Ms. Driouich, speaking at the opening of the high-level preparatory workshop for the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3), scheduled for June 9 to 13, 2025, in Nice, recalled that Morocco has established an ambitious roadmap for the blue economy.
This roadmap includes an integrated maritime legal framework, fishery management plans, the development of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the Secretary of State stated during this workshop, organized jointly by the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment and the French Embassy in Morocco, the statement reported.
On this occasion, Ms. Driouich praised the decisive role of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, particularly through its flagship initiatives such as Clean Beaches, Blue Flag, and #b7arblaplastic.
She emphasized the importance of involving youth and civil society in these efforts, recalling the participation of over 500 young people in the African consultation in Tangier in October 2024, and the involvement of more than 950 young African experts in the capacity-building program in oceanography launched in November 2024.
The Secretary of State also stressed the need to ensure a strong and coordinated African voice at UNOC-3, particularly drawing on the results of the structuring events organized in Morocco, such as the African consultation in Tangier, the Blue Africa Summit Forum, and the regional BBNJ workshop in Rabat.
In this regard, she called for valuing African initiatives in ocean governance, mobilizing blue financing, and strengthening North-South, South-South, and triangular partnerships.
Furthermore, Ms. Driouich reminded that Morocco is one of the first countries to ratify the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ), demonstrating its commitment to sustainable management of marine resources, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 14 related to aquatic life.
She concluded by reaffirming the Kingdom’s readiness, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, to share its experience and support African partners in developing an inclusive and sustainable blue economy, stressing the need to integrate these efforts into a vision of food sovereignty, regional integration, and shared prosperity.
Held at the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training, this workshop saw the participation of, among others, the special envoy of the President of the French Republic for the United Nations Ocean Conference and Ambassador for the poles and maritime issues, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, and the Senior Advisor for Environment, Urban Planning, and Mobility of the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tosi Mpanu Mpanu.
MAP