Head of government, Saâd Dine El Otmani, reaffirmed, on Tuesday before the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Morocco's commitment, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, to multilateralism following a "forward-looking and interactive approach" to address global challenges.

"In accordance with the vision of HM King Mohammed VI, the Kingdom of Morocco embraces a renewed and efficient multilateral diplomacy and opts for a forward-looking and interactive approach with global issues, in a balanced manner, and with realism and efficiency, which allows it to effectively engage, through targeted initiatives, in addressing the global challenges of concern worldwide," said El Othmani who takes part, on instructions from HM the King, in the general debate of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. The multilateral action to which the Kingdom aspires, he added, "must guarantee Africa the place it deserves as an actor on the international scene and defend its status as equal to that of other international actors". "Also, HM King Mohammed VI has repeatedly urged, from this rostrum, our Organization to attach crucial importance to a renaissance of Africa commensurate with its aspirations and potential," he recalled, adding that "Morocco's return to its institutional family, the African Union, on 30 January 2017, is the logical outcome of this conviction and of the bilateral and regional partnerships, forged by the Kingdom over time, with its continental environment" as part of fruitful, efficient and supportive South-South cooperation at all levels. In this regard, El Otmani recalled that the Kingdom has devoted two thirds of its foreign direct investment to Africa, making it the second largest investor on the continent. "The strength of multilateral action lies in its ability to adapt to change and establish appropriate partnerships to accelerate the response to different challenges," El Otmani pointed out. Listing these challenges, he cited the fight against security threats, including terrorism, through the establishment of effective, operational and multidimensional cooperation. Referring to the issue of migration, the head of government stressed that no one country alone can meet this challenge or provide conclusive answers. "Morocco was one of the first countries at the regional level to adopt a national migration policy, which is human in its philosophy, global in its content, realistic in its approach and responsible in its methodology," noted El Otmani. On the issue of climate change, El Otmani said that the holding of COP 22 in Marrakech in 2016 is one example, among many others, of the Kingdom's commitment to combating the effects of this phenomenon, which threatens the future of humanity. With regard to human and sustainable development, the government chief stressed that a multilateral system that respects the specificities and differences between different countries and regions is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. "The United Nations Agenda 2030 is an integrated approach that offers countries the opportunity to develop their own strategies to achieve development goals," he noted. "The multilateralism to which we aspire also includes the consolidation of international peace and security, which is the main mission of the United Nations," El Otmani added. Concerning developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, El Otmani noted that the lack of prospects for relaunching the peace process has become a cause for concern for the Kingdom of Morocco and a new source of instability in the Middle East. The Kingdom of Morocco, he said, is proud to be on the side of the Palestinian people, especially since HM King Mohammed VI is the Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee. Morocco rejects any attack on the status of the Holy City and opposes the policy of colonization, the head of government underlined. "We are convinced that there can be no just and lasting peace without the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to the creation of an independent State with Al-Quds as its capital," he said. Turning to the question of the Kingdom's territorial integrity, the Head of government stressed that Morocco is working seriously towards a definitive political solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, affirming that the Kingdom's total sovereignty over its southern provinces is an absolutely non-negotiable issue. The Kingdom of Morocco reaffirms, from this rostrum, that the autonomy initiative, described since 2007 by the United Nations Security Council as serious and credible, is the solution that can definitively resolve this artificial conflict, El Otmani said. In this regard, he welcomed the efforts of the UN Secretary General to reach a realistic, pragmatic and lasting political solution based on compromise, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2468 adopted in April 2019. In this regard, the head of government highlighted the deplorable situation of the Tindouf camps populations, which continues to be a source of great concern for Morocco, reiterating the call on the international community to work to get the host country, in view of its legal and humanitarian responsibilities, to register the populations of these camps and to guarantee respect for their systematically violated fundamental rights.