A total of 24,858,035 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the number of fully vaccinated people (1st and 2nd doses) has reached 23,343,818, the ministry pointed out in its daily COVID-19 bulletin, noting that 6,559,993 people have received the third dose of the vaccine.

According to the same source, the number of COVID-19 cases reported since the start of the outbreak of the virus rose to 1,223,585, while recoveries increased to 1,180,620, i.e. a recovery rate of 96.5%.

The new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the regions of Casablanca-Settat (1,301), Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (834), Fez-Meknes (374), Marrakech-Safi (238), Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (152), Souss-Massa (125), Beni Mellal-Khenifra (80), Draa-Tafilalet (63), the Oriental (58), Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra (45), Dakhla-Oued Eddahab (21) and Guelmim-Oued Noun (15).

As for coronavirus-related fatalities, they increased to 16,116, with three cases reported in the past 24 hours in the regions of Casablanca-Settat (1), Fez-Meknes (01) and Souss-Massa (01).

The number of active cases has reached 26,849, while 32 severe or critical cases have been reported in the past 24 hours, bringing their total number to 185.

"Under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, Morocco is working tirelessly to strengthen food and energy sovereignty at the national and regional levels," said the international expert in economic diplomacy and sovereignty, Amine Laghidi, who spoke at the event, which was marked by the presence of the Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio.

The expert, quoted in a statement of the agricultural sector of the Italian Confederation Coldiretti, highlighted the efforts made by the Kingdom in the energy field and its commitment to Africa and the Mediterranean, referring in this sense, the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project that "will help position the Kingdom as a hub between the southern shore of the Mediterranean and African countries exporting energy."

"Determined and ambitious, Morocco is now a locomotive of development in Africa and the region, rising as a true economic hub," said Laghidi, noting that the "Kingdom is full of huge investment opportunities in various areas that can attract the interest of Italian companies.

The expert also highlighted the favorable business climate in the Kingdom, "a haven of stability and peace" and the important political and economic reforms undertaken in recent years and which make Morocco a platform sought by foreign investment.

Morocco suffers the consequences of the difficult situation in some countries of sub-Saharan Africa, which are suffering from war and famine, noted Escrivá at a meeting, organized Saturday in Barcelona, by the Pere Tarrés Foundation.

According to the Spanish official, "we must understand the situation in Morocco", which is facing a strong migratory pressure. "The work that Morocco is doing is not easy." Moroccan authorities are facing an "extremely complex" situation.

Escrivá also stressed the importance of "showing the greatest empathy and sensitivity to the migration phenomenon and what it means."

Since the attempted group assault on the metal fence in the province of Nador, causing a huge stampede and fatal falls from the top of the fence, several Spanish officials have called to accompany the action of Morocco, which fully assumes its responsibilities in migration management, to protect its borders and curb the influx of illegal immigrants.

The president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, pleaded in this regard, for the support of Morocco, which suffers the consequences of the phenomenon of illegal immigration.

Morocco, as a country of transit, suffers from the illegal migration problem, and we must help it to manage the mafias of human trafficking and control migration flows,'' he said on Spanish Cadena Ser radio station.

The last report on the attempted forced crossing, in which 140 law enforcement officers were injured to varying degrees, stated that 23 illegal sub-Saharans died.

It was marked by the use of unprecedented violence by the candidates for illegal immigration against the elements of law enforcement, who acted with professionalism and respect for the laws and regulations.

Armed with stones, truncheons and sharp objects, these candidates for illegal immigration have put up violent resistance to the forces of order, mobilized to prevent them from crossing the fence.

"It is always extraordinary to be in Morocco, where I consider myself at home," Motsepe told the press on arrival. "I salute the contribution of Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, and through the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, in favor of soccer in the Kingdom and throughout the African continent."

"During my visits to African countries, I am charged with conveying thanks to Morocco for the support it has provided for many years" to soccer in the continent, said the official.

"I would like to be inspired by this model offered by the Moroccan people in terms of support to African soccer," he said, adding, regarding the women's AFCON, that he expects an extraordinary competition.

The 14th edition of the women's AFCON, scheduled to take place in Morocco from July 2 to 23, will be held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex, the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex in Rabat and the Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca.

The first four teams to emerge from this championship will qualify directly for the World Cup scheduled to take place in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.

All of Morocco's commitments are materialized through its migration strategy, which places the human being at the center of actions and initiatives undertaken in this sense, writes the newspaper.

The daily also focused on the vision of HM King Mohammed VI in favor of a South-South cooperation based on efficiency, solidarity and pragmatism, adding that Morocco has always expressed its willingness to cooperate with all parties involved in migration in order to ensure stability in the region.

In addition, the media highlights Morocco's efforts to welcome the "thousands of Sub-Saharans who have decided to settle in the country", and who benefit from all the necessary government services.

The newspaper further states that Morocco has always been considered an "open" country and a "welcoming" land, praising the Kingdom's commitment to "adequately" accommodate the large number of Sub-Saharans who decide to live there.

"For Morocco, the policy of integration of migrants is a strategic path that enriches the diversity and vitality of Moroccan society, an open land at the crossroads of civilizations for millennia," said the publication.

The daily adds that the Kingdom also intends to strengthen its policy of voluntary return of migrants to their countries of origin, in respect of their rights and dignity and in coordination with the embassies of African countries brothers and friends.

According to the media, Morocco calls for an active solidarity between the North and the South, through structural solutions for sustainable development and the encouragement of legal flows.

Referring to the grouped assault by illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa against the metal fence in the province of Nador, the news site believes that in addition to the dimension of "human tragedy", this drama demonstrates "the extreme danger and violence of human trafficking networks, which are willing to take any risk without taking into account the sanctity of human life.

The media laments the extreme violence of the attackers, noting that the strategy of assault denotes "a high sense of organization, a planned progression and a hierarchy of seasoned and trained leaders, with profiles of militiamen experienced in conflict zones."

"The attackers infiltrated through the border with Algeria, taking advantage of the country's deliberate laxity in controlling its borders with Morocco," the newspaper writes, reporting that the attackers, armed with sticks, machetes, stones and knives, attacked the security forces injuring 140 Moroccan officers, one of whom is still hospitalized.

On the other hand, "Axar" notes that throughout this event, the police have shown a great sense of control and professionalism.

The news site has, in this sense, stressed that Morocco, which reiterates its commitment to strengthen the anchoring of its migration governance humanistic and supportive in terms of protection of vulnerable migrants and victims, will not let trafficking networks deviate in any way the noble dimension of migration.

These detainees have criticized the authorities, denounced state corruption or expressed solidarity with those in detention, Amnesty International said in a statement.

The same source recalled that in May 2022, local observers reported that at least 266 activists and protesters are languishing in Algerian prisons for merely exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly, stressing that the Algerian authorities are called upon to "drop all charges against these individuals without delay."

"The unjustified imprisonment of activists and demonstrators must stop," said Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"It is shameful that the Algerian authorities continue to invoke overly repressive and vaguely worded laws to prosecute people solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

She said that many protesters are being held in pre-trial detention for excessively long periods, while others have been sentenced to up to five years in prison on overly broad and fabricated charges such as "undermining" state security, "undermining national unity," "insulting" a public official, "inciting unarmed assembly," spreading false information, and terrorism.

According to a statement from the Ministry, this decision comes within the framework of updating the national strategy of vaccination against the new coronavirus, to consolidate the achievements made by our country in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and in light of recent developments in the epidemiological situation.

In this regard, and based on the recommendations of the Scientific Committee, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection calls on people over 60 years -in particular- as well as people with co-morbid conditions from 18 years, to take a booster dose of vaccine against Covid-19 six months after receiving the third dose.

The Ministry also calls on incompletely vaccinated people to promptly take a third dose of "booster" vaccine four months after receiving the second dose.

For those with recently confirmed Covid-19 infection, they can receive a booster dose four weeks after the end of the infection episode.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare emphasizes to citizens the need to respect preventive measures such as the correct use of masks in closed public spaces and during gatherings, while ensuring hand washing and physical distancing, especially on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha and the summer vacations to preserve a safe situation for all and avoid any epidemiological relapse.

Speakers at the meeting praised the counter-terrorism strategy adopted by Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, noting that this strategy is based on a comprehensive and integrated vision involving different components and also based on other internal mechanisms that have strengthened its ability to cope with the dangers posed by terrorist groups.

They were unanimous in stressing that Morocco, unlike many other countries, has succeeded in adopting a proactive approach to the fight against terrorism, highlighting the important steps taken by the Kingdom in restructuring the religious field.

They also welcomed the efforts made to preserve mosques from exploitation and improve education and training to promote religious values and citizenship.

The speakers, including the journalist and actor Bachir Znagui, the researcher in the issues of political Islam and extremist organizations, Said Lakhal, and the writer Salah Boussrif have also highlighted the important contribution of Morocco to international efforts to fight terrorism, including alongside the Global Coalition against Daech.

They also warned against terrorist threats in Africa, the Middle East and other regions in the world, stressing the need to provide concrete responses to thwart extremism in the African continent.

In this sense, they stressed the importance of launching a deeper debate to face the new challenges, expressing their concern about the rise of terrorism in Africa.

The speakers also stressed the need for the Global Coalition Against Daech to support Africa, in order to create development opportunities to combat extremism and terrorism.

The seminar was led by leading experts, researchers and academics from Switzerland, France, Spain, the United States and Mauritius. It was attended by about fifty diplomats, including several ambassadors in New York, senior UN officials and media accredited to the United Nations.

This meeting offered the opportunity to compare the autonomy initiative proposed by the Kingdom of Morocco for the Sahara region with other autonomy experiences in the world, especially in terms of devolution of legislative powers in autonomous regions.

The seminar, which was chaired by Marc Finaud, Senior Advisor at the Geneva Center for Security Policy, brought together a number of international experts who had the opportunity to share the experiences of the Canary Islands, New Caledonia, Puerto Rico and Rodrigues Island.

In his opening speech, he recalled the provisions of the Moroccan Initiative for the autonomy of the Sahara region, stressing that "it has been qualified as serious and credible in more than a dozen resolutions of the UN Security Council, and approved by a growing number of countries.

He said that the Moroccan Initiative includes several provisions that guarantee the exercise of legislative power in the Sahara region. In this context, he reviewed the guarantees established in Articles 5, 12, 19, 20, 22 and 24, concluding that "the Moroccan proposal for the Sahara region is generous. It is, moreover, open to negotiation and will be developed and completed.

In his presentation, Dr. Joan-Josep Vallbé, professor of political science at the University of Barcelona, presented the development of the legislative system in the Canary Islands since they were granted autonomy in 1982, through the major reforms that have occurred in 1996 and 2018.

He stressed that the legislative power of the region belongs to the regional parliament, which exercises the legislative function in full autonomy, without interference from the central government.

Referring to the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, he described Article 12 as "too open", proposing to establish a list of areas of exclusive competence of both the central government and the region. On the other hand, he welcomed the guarantees offered in Article 19, particularly in terms of active participation of local populations and adequate representation of women.

For her part, Carine David, professor of law at the University of the West Indies in France, compared the legislative powers of New Caledonia with those provided for in the Moroccan autonomy initiative, noting that the primary function of the Congress of New Caledonia is the exercise of legislative power, which is materialized by the power granted to the local Assembly to adopt laws.

Specifying that the State, being divested of the competences it has transferred to New Caledonia, in an irreversible way, can no longer intervene in these matters, pointing out moreover that the parity between men and women is respected in the New Caledonian context, proposing, as such, that the Moroccan Initiative gives more details on the reference "appropriate female representation".

For his part, Dr. Jorge Farinacci Fernos, professor of law at the University of Puerto Rico, spoke at length about the different aspects that mark the relationship of Puerto Rico with the United States of America, in the context of its exercise of legislative power on local issues.

He also made a comparative exercise between the constitutional status of Puerto Rico and that of the different states that make up the United States. Regarding the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, he focused on Articles 5, 6, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20 and 24, which, for him, are the most relevant articles to the exercise of legislative power in the Sahara region.

He described the definition of the "Statute of Autonomy of the Region", highlighted in Article 24, as "the very foundation of the Initiative". In the case of Puerto Rico, there are several structural limitations that impede the exercise of legislative powers, he noted, explaining that the U.S. Congress exercises the power to unilaterally modify its agreement with Puerto Rico or to abolish it completely.

Finally, Marie Valerie Uppiah, head of the law department at the University of Mauritius, presented one of the African examples of devolution of legislative powers, discussing the case of the autonomous territory of Rodrigues Island, which obtained its autonomy from Mauritius in 2002.

In this context, she explained that the autonomous status allows Rodrigues Island to set up its own system of governance. Along with the three branches of government that exist in Mauritius, Rodrigues Island has established its own institutions that govern and regulate its administration, including a regional assembly with legislative power, commissions that manage the executive, and courts that are part of the judiciary, she said.

At the same time, she stressed that "the Moroccan autonomy initiative is an appropriate solution for the Sahara region", as "it has various advantages for both Morocco and the constituents of the Sahara region".

She concluded that autonomy will give the Sahara region more powers and capabilities to conduct its own internal affairs, as it includes, among others, the legislative, executive and judicial powers, which are the three fundamental powers necessary for good governance and administration of any state.