In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs hailed "the efforts of the brotherly Kingdom of Morocco to make the dialogue a success and reach important compromises in order to achieve a political settlement in Libya".

According to the statement, the United Arab Emirates welcomed the announcement by Libya's "6+6" joint commission, tasked by the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, that its members had reached a compromise on the laws governing the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for the end of the year, after two weeks of meetings in Bouznika.

The Ministry expressed, in the statement broadcast by the Emirates News Agency (WAM), its hope that the Libyan parties will officially sign the electoral laws as soon as possible, as an important step towards ending the crisis and strengthening security and stability in Libya.

The United Arab Emirates reiterated its consistent position calling for a resolution to the conflict in Libya, and its full support for everything that preserves Libya's security, stability and unity, "in accordance with the outcome of the roadmap, the Security Council resolutions and the ceasefire agreement, capable of ensuring the success of the elections and the aspirations of the brotherly Libyan people to development, stability and prosperity".

This action plan, which follows on from the last meeting of the "Africa Focus Group", held on March 1-2, 2023 in Niamey, aims to support African states in the fight against terrorist groups and other non-state actors, including separatist movements that threaten security and stability on the continent.

The Africa Focus Group aims to strengthen the fight against Daesh by engaging members of the Global Coalition, coordinating with other regional and multilateral entities, combating the financing of terrorism, pursuing stabilization efforts in liberated areas, deterring the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and countering Daesh's extremist and violent rhetoric aimed at vulnerable populations.

Morocco's co-chairmanship of the Africa Focus Group confirms its leading role in the fight against terrorism, as a provider of peace and stability in Africa, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

It is also a recognition of the Kingdom's pioneering advocacy within the Coalition to adequately address the evolving terrorist threat in Africa.

In a statement, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the compromises reached by the "6+6" joint commission, tasked by the Libyan House of Representatives and Council of State with preparing the electoral laws relating to the organization of the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for the end of the year.

The Ministry also expressed its aspiration that these compromises will lead, over the next few days, to the official approval by the Libyan parties of the electoral laws in a way that meets the expectations and aspirations of the brotherly Libyan people.

The "6+6" joint commission announced on Tuesday that, after two weeks of meetings in Morocco, its members had reached a compromise on the laws governing the presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Bouznika meeting is a continuation of the series of meetings hosted by the Kingdom, bringing together the various Libyan parties with a view to deepening dialogue on ways and means of resolving the crisis in the country, following an approach that provides the right platform for dialogue and constructive consultation.

These meetings had led to important agreements favorable to the settlement process, led by the Skhirat Agreement (2015), the agreement between the speaker of the House of Representatives, Akila Saleh, and the president of the Libyan High State Council, Khalid El Machri in October 2022 on the implementation of the results of the Bouznika process concerning sovereign positions and the unification of executive power.

The Kingdom of Morocco is pursuing its commendable efforts to find a definitive solution to the crisis in Libya so as to guarantee its unity, stability and development by supporting its efforts to organize elections within an inclusive, participatory and pragmatic framework.

In fact, tourist arrivals in Morocco are booming at the start of this year, with 5.1 million tourist arrivals by the end of May 2023, representing growth of 20% compared with the same period in 2019, said the Ministry in a statement, pointing out that 2019 is considered the benchmark year for the sector.

The month of May, meanwhile, stands out for record growth of 55% with 1.1 million arrivals compared to 2019, the ministry added.

Several major source markets are driving this growth, notably Spain, the UK, Israel and Italy, with growth of 46%, 29%, 158% and 10% respectively.

Quoted in the statement, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy, emphasized: "We are very proud of these achievements, which are the result of the 2 billion Dirham emergency plan that the government has put in place to support professionals in 2022 and enable them in particular to upgrade the hotel offer, of the many offensive actions that we are carrying out in terms of air travel, promotion and referencing of Morocco with major Tour-Operators, as well as of the dynamism of operators in the sector. Not forgetting, of course, the achievement of the Atlas Lions, which propelled our country to the forefront of the international stage".

The report, presented by Ismail Chekkori, director of Global Issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, reviewed the dangerous evolution of the terrorist threat in Africa, with particular emphasis on the situation in the Sahel, and shared indicators on the dynamics and impact of this threat in conjunction with other security threats.

Through this exercise, Chekkori informed Coalition members of the progress made by the "Africa Focus Group" in coordinating the efforts of partners to combat the terrorist threat in Africa.

During the meeting, the various multidimensional axes of the "Africa Focus Group" Action Plan, adopted at the plenary meeting of senior officials in March 2023, were outlined.

Morocco co-chairs the “Africa Focus Group” of the Global Coalition against Daesh, in collaboration with the United States, Italy and Niger.

The Coalition currently has 86 member states and international and regional organizations.

Speaking at the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against Daesh, held Thursday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the director of Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Ismail Chakouri, praised the coalition's efforts, in particular the responses set out in the action plan adopted by the Africa Focus Group at its last meeting in Niamey in March, under the co-chairmanship of Morocco, Niger, Italy and the United States of America.

This action plan constitutes a clear Roadmap towards the enshrinement of the defeat of the Islamic State (IS), as it reflects the commitment of coalition members to implement the conclusions of the ministerial meeting held last year in Marrakech, particularly with regard to the identification of capacity-building priorities and needs, the confirmation of links between terrorist and separatist groups, as well as the adoption of a comprehensive approach focused on civil efforts, he stressed.

Chakouri added that achieving these priorities depends to a large extent on deploying effective responses at local level in the various hotbeds of the terrorist threat, while avoiding regional conflicts which significantly exacerbate terrorist threats.

On the other hand, he pointed out that the efforts of the global coalition have helped to roll back the terrorist threat of the Islamic State in the Middle East. This is evidenced, he explained, by the decline in terrorist attacks, the neutralization of the organization's leaders and the drying up of sources of funding and recruitment.

In light of these achievements, he added, the terrorist organization is tending to shift the focus of its activities to the African continent, particularly the Sahel and Sahara, where the terrorist threat is the main factor in the deterioration of stability and insecurity in the region.

In this respect, Chakouri stated that Africa is the only continent where three branches of the IS, as well as al-Qaeda, are active, in addition to 19 armed separatist movements operating in 22 countries, pointing out that in 2022, 43% of global terrorism victims were recorded in the Sahel region, compared to just 1% in 2007.

In addition, he reported an increase in terrorist attacks in the Sahel region of over 2,000% over the last fifteen years, stressing that terrorist groups continue to use advanced and modern technologies to achieve their goals, such as drones, virtual assets and encrypted communication platforms.

These data are sufficient to raise questions about the effectiveness of efforts to tackle the unprecedented expansion of the terrorist threat in Africa, as well as the reasons for the development of methods that create a fertile environment for the proliferation of the activities of transnational criminal groups and separatist movements, noted the Moroccan official.

The Foundation is deeply committed to protecting oceans. On May 28, 2023, it presented the Lalla Hasnaa Sustainable Coastline Trophies to the many economic partners, civil society associations and coastal communities that are working in the field to protect beaches, coastlines, seas and oceans, said the Foundation in a statement.

To this end, the Foundation has launched a number of awareness-raising initiatives. More than 900 schoolchildren, young environmental reporters and university students from Morocco's eight coastal regions, accompanied by Foundation partners, will visit sites where they will learn more about the oceans. Young people from the Agadir region will discover the Charif Idrissi scientific boat from the National Institute for Fisheries Research. Others will visit laboratories, historic lighthouses such as Cap Spartel and marinas in Marina Smir and Saïdia, the statement added.

At the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training, over 120 people were expected to attend a major awareness-raising conference. The idea is to present and explain the oceans from different points of view.

As summer approaches, the Foundation is gearing up for the 22nd edition of its flagship Clean Beaches program, which enables summer visitors to enjoy a clean, safe and lively space on over 100 of the Kingdom's busiest beaches. The #b7arblaplastic campaign will be launched for the 4th consecutive year, with a particular focus on recycling the tons of plastic waste collected each summer on beaches as part of this operation, the statement concluded.

This bill aims to alleviate overcrowding in prisons and to enable the beneficiaries of alternative sentences to integrate into society, said Baitas, who was answering questions from journalists at a press briefing held at the end of the weekly meeting of the Government Council, praising the courage and boldness of the Executive in enacting this piece of legislation in a short space of time.

After recalling HM the King's speech on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People in 2009, in which the Sovereign called for the development of alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation, arbitration and conciliation, and the application of alternative penalties, the Minister stressed that the government was taking this major reform step for the first time, with the aim of introducing these amendments to maintain a balance between human rights and the rights of society.

Alternative sentences are an opportunity offered by the judge as part of his discretionary power, when he considers that the offender can be reintegrated into society, explained Baitas. Thus, the judge implements these alternative penalties (performance of community service, electronic surveillance or restriction of certain rights with the imposition of control, treatment or qualification measures) in the light of a judicial procedure to be followed, until all contentious avenues have been exhausted.

Alternative sentences will only be applied to offenses where the sentence does not exceed 5 years, he said, adding that cases involving terrorism, international trafficking in narcotics and psychotropic drugs, human trafficking, rape, state security, embezzlement, treason, corruption, abuse of influence, misappropriation of public funds, money laundering and sexual exploitation of minors or people with disabilities are not eligible for alternative sentences.

This bill is designed to keep pace with developments in the world of public rights and freedoms, by introducing alternatives to short-term custodial sentences. It also aims to limit the negative effects of such sentences, and to promote the qualification of beneficiaries and their integration into society, with a view to reducing prison overcrowding and rationalizing costs.

This bill includes objective provisions, in line with the general principles contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as other formal provisions relating to the execution of sentences, in accordance with the rules of criminal procedure. It provides for a series of alternative penalties adopted after taking into account several comparative experiences, while taking into consideration the specific features of Moroccan society, so that they are effective and applicable and can achieve the desired objective.

It excludes alternative sentences for serious crimes and repeat offenders.

In a statement, the MAU General Secretariat stressed that it had followed with great satisfaction the meetings of the "6+6" joint commission held in Bouznika, which on Wednesday led to a compromise between all the Libyan parties concerning the laws governing the presidential and parliamentary elections, guaranteeing the organization of these elections within a comprehensive and inclusive framework, while taking into account party representation and the participation of women.

After recalling the results achieved at the Bouznika meetings, in particular the 2015 Skhirat Agreement, as well as the compromises on sovereignty positions and the unification of executive power, the MAU General Secretariat expressed the hope that the compromise on the laws governing the elections would have a direct impact on the organization of these long-awaited elections, and lead to a definitive solution to the Libyan crisis, so as to guarantee the unity and stability of Libya and strengthen the security of the entire Maghreb region.

The "6+6" joint commission, tasked by the Libyan House of Representatives and High Council of State with drafting electoral laws, had announced that its members had reached a compromise on the laws governing the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for the end of the year, following two weeks of meetings in Morocco.

During the meeting, which took place as part of the Knesset speaker's first visit to Morocco, Ohana praised the farsighted leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, and the Sovereign's role in achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians, according to a statement by the House of Representatives.

"HM King Mohammed VI has the confidence of all parties and a deep understanding of the issues and challenges we face," he said, adding that this enables the Sovereign to play the role of mediator between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority in favor of peace in the region.

Referring to the question of the Kingdom's territorial integrity, the speaker of the Knesset affirmed that "the Sahara is Moroccan and will remain so, as history attests", adding that the Israeli Prime Minister would be making an official announcement to this effect very shortly.

For his part, Talbi El Alami stressed that the Kingdom is considered a land of peace, dialogue and coexistence between different civilizations, cultures and religions, recalling several initiatives carried out in this field under the impetus of HM King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful.

He announced that the Moroccan Parliament and the Inter-Parliamentary Union would be organizing an international parliamentary conference on interfaith dialogue in Marrakech next week, under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI.

The meeting was attended by chairman of the Morocco-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group in the House of Representatives, Noureddine El Harouchi, and chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs and Moroccan Expatriates Committee, Nadia Bouaida.