“Religious tolerance is a hallmark of Morocco’s history — from its welcoming of refugees fleeing the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the 15th century to late King Mohammed V’s efforts to protect Jews during World War II,” says the report released by the Office of the US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism.

The document underlines the role of Bay Dakira, noting that the goal of this space is “to help preserve Morocco’s ancient Jewish heritage by revitalizing a historic synagogue, signifying the country’s goodwill toward its Jewish population.”

“The site serves as a symbol of Morocco’s commitment to multiculturalism and the preservation of its rich Jewish heritage,” the report stresses.

The document also underlines the importance of the action of the Mimouna Association, saying that this NGO “seeks to expand awareness among Moroccan youth regarding the rich Jewish cultural history that has existed in the country for thousands of years.”

“Mimouna was created by a group of young Muslim students that aspired to promote and preserve Moroccan Jewish heritage,” the report points out, adding that “the bulk of Mimouna’s operations are centered around educational programs that elevate interfaith dialogue and encourage cultural pluralism in Morocco.”

The US report identifies more than 40 programs, policies, and actions from around the world that counter antisemitism.

    
Madrid, 29/09/2023 -(MAP)- The unanimous designation of Morocco to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025) is "an excellent boost" for the tripartite Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid to host the 2030 World Cup and a "great source of joy for all friends of Morocco," emphasized the Andalusia-Morocco friendship association "Forum Ibn Rochd".

"We would like to express our joy at Morocco's victory, designated by the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football to host AFCON 2025, the most important football tournament on the continent," the association stated in a press release.

The same source then highlighted that Morocco's "well-deserved" selection is not a coincidence but the result of a combination of factors, including a "bold and coherent" state policy in this area, "massive and indisputable public support" for sports, both men's and women's, particularly football, and a "very high level in terms of quality and quantity of top-level athletes and international football stars," as evidenced from its Olympic medals as well as the "outstanding performance" of the national team at the World Cup in Qatar.

"In Andalusia, we are aware of this because we are privileged to have some of the greatest figures in Moroccan football in our teams," said the association.

"Morocco's triumph in hosting AFCON-2025 will be an excellent point of support for our countries, Spain and Morocco, along with Portugal, in their bid to host the 2030 Football World Cup, symbolizing the profound twinning between our cultures, our societies, and our continents," concluded the same source.

The arrangement will support Morocco’s transition to a greener economy and help strengthen its preparedness and resilience against natural disasters, including from climate change, the Washington-based institution pointed out in a release.

The 18-months arrangement "will help Morocco address climate vulnerabilities, bolster its resilience against climate change, and seize the opportunities from decarbonization", the financial institution underlined.

"It would also help the Moroccan authorities strengthen preparedness for natural catastrophes and stimulate financing for sustainable development", it said.

"The IMF concluded a staff-level agreement with Morocco to provide $1.3 billion in financing over the long term" so that the Kingdom can build more strength to face disasters in the future that may take place because of the climate crisis, the IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, had told the Moroccan news agency.

The IMF chief noted that climate change is among the main challenges facing the international community.

"Beyond the world powers, the electric mobility revolution also involves Morocco, rich in mineral resources and renewable energies," writes the prominent geopolitical magazine Formiche, emphasizing the Kingdom's "globally competitive" potential in cobalt and phosphate.

The media outlet points out that Morocco possesses 70% of the world's rock phosphate reserves, and its cobalt reserves rank eleventh. Access to renewable energies is also noted as a "stimulating" factor for foreign investors.

According to the magazine, the abundant availability of materials, combined with the potential for using renewable energies, positions Morocco as an ideal platform for focusing on LFP (lithium iron phosphate) materials. These materials can offer a cost advantage of 70% per kilogram over traditional NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) materials and reduce the risk of toxicity due to the presence of elements like manganese oxide.

Highlighting Morocco's determination to become a manufacturing hub for electric batteries, the publication notes that Rabat's goal is to increase materials production to support the capacity for 1 million vehicles (both thermal and electric) by 2025, compared to the current 700,000.

For its part, Start Magazine underscores Morocco's advantageous geographic and geopolitical positioning, which can serve as a manufacturing base for companies interested in exporting to the United States, thanks to the free trade agreement between Rabat and Washington. The Kingdom also maintains strong trade relations with Europe and offers strategic geographic proximity, along with its "enormous" potential for phosphate, a key ingredient for LFP batteries, known for their cost-effectiveness compared to traditional batteries.

The media reports on the interest from foreign investors, particularly from Asia, including the recent announcement by South Korea's LG Chem, in collaboration with China's Huayou, to establish two plants in Morocco for the production of LFP cathodes and lithium conversion, essential components in the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles.

The electronic media outlet Internazionale.it adds that other South Korean and Chinese investors in the sector of minerals essential for the ecological transition and the battery supply chain are also expressing enthusiasm for Morocco.

"In the global reconfiguration brought about by the ecological transition and geopolitical shifts, one country is emerging as a success story: Morocco," comments the media.

"Injured last week in the European Cup, Zakaria Aboukhlal (23) had a successful operation. However, our striker will probably be unavailable until the end of the season," stated the club's on their X (formerly Twitter) account.

At the beginning of the season, the Moroccan international, who has earned 21 caps and scored 3 goals for his country, had made a notable impact with three goals, making him the top scorer for Les Violets. The club emphasized on its website that Aboukhlal's injury is a significant setback for the team.

The Moroccan international is "not expected to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be held in Côte d'Ivoire on January 13, 2024," according to the same source.

"In compliance with the High Royal Directives, the health sector is currently undergoing an innovative reform process that will enable it to establish a robust health system, with strategic institutions capable of efficiently and resiliently addressing current and future challenges," said Akhannouch at the official opening ceremony of the 2nd African Conference on Health Risk Reduction.

In this regard, he emphasized that the achievements made under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic have bolstered the resilience of the national health system in the face of health crises. The coordinated efforts of various departments and partners have enabled more effective and efficient management of these crises.

The Head of Government underscored the importance of this year's event theme, "Health in Africa: Water, Environment, and Food Security", highlighting the close relationship between these three elements and the health and well-being of African populations. He stressed the necessity of pooling efforts and taking collective action to strengthen health and environmental security in Africa.

Water, the environment, and food security face significant challenges, especially in the current context marked by the adverse consequences of environmental degradation on the health of Africans and the planet, the government chief noted. He added that the prevention of health risks is vital in reducing illnesses and deaths resulting from environmental degradation, water quality issues, and malnutrition. This strategy also helps alleviate the burden on the healthcare system and the economic strain on families, health insurance institutions, and state resources.

Given the environmental and climatic challenges worldwide, Akhannouch emphasized the importance of transforming food systems and agri-food value chains to enhance sustainability and resilience, ensuring the country's food security. Water security is a crucial prerequisite for achieving food sovereignty, especially as Morocco has been grappling with an exceptional drought for over five years due to climate change. This has placed increased pressure on food systems, making them more vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks.

Akhannouch mentioned the government's increased investment in the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation 2020-2027 and noted that the Executive is developing a new vision to establish a strategic water reserve through this program, supporting the country's food sovereignty.

He also highlighted Morocco's efforts to ensure a consistent supply of essential food items to the national market, double the gross domestic product of agriculture, and improve the living conditions of farmers, while prioritizing the protection of citizens' health and food product safety through various institutions, including the National Office for Food Safety.

This international conference, placed under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, aims to shed light on the reality of health and food safety systems in Africa. It seeks to develop a common African framework based on country experiences and expert opinions in the field of public health. Additionally, it aims to discuss effective measures for preventing and mitigating the humanitarian, social, political, and economic effects of health crises.

Speaking at a panel organized as part of the 2nd African Conference on Health Risk Reduction, with the theme "Risk Reduction and Tomorrow's Ecosystems: The African Equation and South-South Cooperation", Ait Taleb underscored that health is a central concern that will soon face significant challenges. He noted that risk reduction is a multidisciplinary endeavor, requiring alignment among various public policies.

These challenges, including the various mutations observed in the field, particularly those associated with technological advancements, have repercussions on the scope and cost of healthcare. Ait Taleb explained that no health insurance or public financing in the future will be able to fully cover healthcare expenses.

Technology is transforming the healthcare profession, he added, highlighting that future medicine will be personalized and will rely more on genomics and metabolomics, hence the importance of a shared vision and resilience in the face of health risks.

In this regard, the Minister argued that the African continent must take proactive measures, foster greater convergence, and become a trailblazer in social protection to mitigate such challenges, stating that "Africa's time has come."

Placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this three-day conference is organized at the initiative of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fishing, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, in collaboration with the African Global Health (AGH) association.

The program includes a series of roundtable discussions focusing on natural disasters, food security, global warming, and natural resources and their exploitation.

On this occasion, the Minister and the delegation accompanying her visited the mobile social assistance unit, a space equipped with several services provided by the ministry in charge, National Assistance and the National Institute National Assistance for Social Action (INAS) aimed at ensuring social assistance and psychological support for people affected by the earthquake, with a particular focus on women and children.

The visit was made in application of the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to mobilize all necessary human and logistical resources, with the necessary speed and efficiency, to assist and support the affected populations.

On this occasion, the Minister was briefed on the actions taken by the Ministry and the National Assistance to help those affected, including the creation of a steering and coordination committee in Tahanaout and support centers in the prefectures and provinces affected, namely Marrakech, Taroudant, Chichaoua, Ouarzazate and Azilal, and the setting up of social support and psychological support units in the affected areas.

All human and logistical resources will also be mobilized, including 60 psychological managers in Al Haouz and 158 in the other affected provinces, 75 psychological specialists and volunteer social workers in Al Haouz and over 210 in the other affected provinces, in addition to 45 equipped trucks.

The Minister also took note of the deployment of teams from National Assistance, the ministry in charge and other partners, as well as the various services and actions carried out on behalf of victims, from the very first hours following the earthquake, at the level of six other similar social assistance units, set up in the areas of "Tahanaout", "Ouirgane", "Talat'N'Yacoub", "Amezmiz", "Imlil" and "Sti Fadma".

Under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco has become "a model for Africa, particularly in terms of its high-quality sports infrastructure, which has enabled it to organize several major competitions," says the media outlet.

The organization of the AFCON-2025 is the reward for a development process carried out by the Kingdom for more than two decades in various sectors, it noted, adding that Morocco will have the opportunity to "deploy its vast experience in the organization of major events in all fields, thanks to a network of modern and developed infrastructures.”

According to the online media, the stadiums dedicated to the event meet CAF requirements and are ready to host the competition, in Rabat as well as in Casablanca, Tangiers, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir. The Kingdom also boasts over 200 artificial turf training pitches and almost 20 natural turf pitches, equipped with top-level lighting, it said.

According to the media outlet, these high-quality sports facilities have enabled Morocco to organize several major sporting events in recent years, including the Club World Cup, the African Nations Championship (CHAN), the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the U17 and U23 teams, the Women's CAN, as well as the African Women's Champions League.

Faro Di Roma emphasized that "on the strength of its capabilities and wealth of experience in organizing major sporting competitions, the Kingdom's ambition is to make the second African Cup of Nations to be held on its soil, after the 1988 event, a successful event at every level, and one that will stand out from the 34 previous editions.”

Highlighting ''Morocco's determination to contribute to developing African football,'' the portal notes that this vote ''reaffirms the Kingdom's commitment, under the High Royal Instructions, to consolidate South-South cooperation with African countries, on the path to their development in various fields.”

"It is also the finest reward for a people passionate about football," it adds, noting that this major event is "a first step, which initiates and strengthens the bid for the 2030 World Cup, presented jointly with Spain and Portugal.”

"After more than five years of hard work and preparations, I am confident that these meetings will showcase the strength of Morocco, the Moroccan people and the Moroccan authorities," Kozack pointed out at a press conference.

The IMF official, who recalled that these meetings were originally scheduled to be held in Marrakech in 2020 before being postponed because of the pandemic, noted that these meetings will be held while being respectful of the situation in the country following the Al Haouz earthquake.

"We are conducting the meetings very mindful of the people of Morocco," she said, adding that this is the first time in 50 years that the Annual Meetings will be held on the African continent.

This global event is also an opportunity to bring the global community together in a particular time, as the global economy is gradually healing from a series of chocs, including the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis, the IMF official stressed.

"We see this as a time to bring the global economy together to discuss how we can come together as a global community to overcome these challenges which are particularly affecting low income and vulnerable countries," she added.

Kozack also underlined the importance of climate resilience, which, she said, will be a major topic at the Marrakech meetings.

The Annual Meetings will bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives, civil society, media and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, global financial stability, poverty eradication, inclusive economic growth and climate change.