United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres traveled to Morocco this week to attend the 9th Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations in Fez before being received by King Mohammed VI at the Royal Palace in Rabat. Here are the reasons that explain the context of Guterres’ presence in Morocco and his meeting with the King.
Morocco has distinguished itself in recent years by an active dynamic at two levels both in the fight against terrorism and in the promotion of peace and living together. This double hat that the kingdom wears gives it a unique and singular position in the world, especially since it is also a multi-confessional land and the main crossroads between Europe and Africa.
In a current highly disturbed and troubled global context, the UN Secretary-General traveled to Morocco to convey a strong message, that of his recognition of the Moroccan model and the leadership of King Mohammed VI in promoting the values of tolerance, dialogue and understanding, living together, and respect between different cultures, religions and civilisations.
It is on this subject that he welcomed the adoption of a strong and binding declaration, more necessary than ever in this current international context, but also praised the constructive and constant contribution of the Kingdom for the maintenance and the consolidation of peace, the strengthening of stability and the promotion of development, particularly in the African continent.
Guterres made a point of being present in Fez, because he is convinced that the values defended by the United Nations are fully found in Morocco. The kingdom has distinguished itself by the adoption of the Marrakech Pact on migration in 2018, the organization of COP22 in addition to being definitively turned towards green energies and concerned about climate change, its co-presidency of the Global Forum against terrorism, while being a country advocating tolerance, coexistence and peace.
Morocco is also a partner of the UN in several conflicts around the world, such as in Libya, the Central African Republic, the Sahel and the Middle East. Antonio Guterres underlined in this sense Morocco’s constructive and constant contribution to the maintenance and consolidation of peace, the strengthening of stability and the promotion of development, particularly in its home continent, in Africa.
Naturally, the Sahara was discussed during the meeting between King Mohammed VI and Antonio Guterres, since the latter was able to see Morocco’s support for his efforts in this matter to find a lasting solution based on compromise, namely the autonomy initiative, and within the framework of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom.
Guterres was also able to see Morocco’s support for the efforts of its Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, for the political process and the UN ceasefire monitoring mission Minurso. This showed in his balanced relationships and his benevolence.
Moreover, the subject is part of an international dynamic of support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative where almost all the Arab countries support the territorial integrity of Morocco, the same thing for the African countries (including nearly half have opened consulates in the Sahara), in addition to the United States and several European countries like the former colonial power Spain.
And in the face of international support for Morocco and its territorial integrity, which is based on international legality and is explained by the kingdom’s full respect for the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, there is on the other side , two other actors in this file, Algeria and its proxy the polisario who persist in rejecting peace offers, defying the United Nations, hindering the work of Minurso, Staffan de Mistura and rejecting the political process of the round tables .