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Marrakech – Morocco, represented by Ambassador Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, was elected vice-president of the third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries on Tuesday.
The announcement came during a plenary session of participating delegations at the conference being held in Awaza, Turkmenistan, from August 5-8.
“Morocco’s role has been praised through my election to the vice-presidency of the conference, which will allow us to be more active in debates and parallel meetings,” Hilale stated in a declaration to MAP news agency.
The Moroccan diplomat pointed out the importance of this event, which brings to light the difficulties and challenges faced by landlocked countries and offers the international community an opportunity to discuss ways to assist them.
According to Hilale, landlocked developing countries represent 9% of the world’s population and one-sixth of UN member states, illustrating their significance. He noted that the conference comes at an opportune time after being postponed twice.
The conference will result in a political declaration of solidarity with landlocked developing countries, giving them more attention while collectively working to strengthen support.
This will be accomplished through an action plan focused on building resilience and adaptation capacity, encouraging trade, facilitating commercial exchanges, attracting investments, and improving access.
Hilale mentioned King Mohammed VI’s vision regarding aid and cooperation with landlocked developing countries.
He cited two major initiatives: the Atlantic Initiative aimed at guaranteeing Sahel countries free access to the Atlantic Ocean, and the initiative to open up Sahel countries, which he described as an essential and strategic action of South-South solidarity.
Morocco is placing landlocked African countries at the core of its cooperation strategy
Transport and Logistics Minister Abdessamad Kayouh, leading Morocco’s delegation, affirmed that Rabat has made cooperation with landlocked countries, particularly in Africa, a strategic priority of its cooperation policy.
“In a spirit of solidarity and shared development, Morocco continues, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, to provide concrete support to landlocked African countries through strengthening South-South and triangular development projects,” Kayouh stated during the plenary session.
Like Hilale, Kayouh explained that this commitment has materialized through several initiatives, notably the Royal Initiative aimed at providing Sahel countries access to the Atlantic Ocean.
This initiative seeks to lay the foundations for a new framework of cooperation and common development by sharing Moroccan experience and making road, rail, and port infrastructure available to these countries.
According to Kayouh, landlocked countries face major structural challenges such as isolation from international markets, high transit costs, and increasing exposure to global fluctuations, which accentuates their fragility and vulnerability to external shocks.
He called on the international community to inject a new dynamic of cooperation for these countries through adapted support and innovative partnerships capable of provoking deep structural transformations.
These partnerships must focus on meeting the essential needs of these countries, particularly their effective integration into global markets, development of transport and connectivity infrastructure, and promotion of high-value-added sectors.
Morocco will participate in three parallel sessions of the conference to showcase the royal strategy for supporting these countries, the country’s policy within the general framework of the 2030 Agenda, and solidarity actions carried out by Morocco, particularly in Africa.
The conference aims to rethink the development path in landlocked countries and serves as a meeting platform for high-level delegations, international officials, investors, and organizations.
They will discuss strategies for integrating issues specific to these countries into global policies, investment plans, and developing ideas related to the Sustainable Development Agenda.
The first UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries was held in August 2003 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, while the second took place in November 2014 in Vienna, Austria.
The current Awaza Action Plan for 2024-2034 reflects a collective commitment to consolidating international cooperation for inland low-income countries.
Read also: Morocco and the Alliance of Sahel States Countries: Towards a Common Area of Shared Prosperity?
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