In this issue, star reporter John Bennett traveled to Rabat "to find out the secrets behind Morocco's success" in football.

In particular, he visited the Mohammed VI Football Complex, which played a major role in the Atlas Lions' performance as the first African and Arab team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.

It is a state-of-the-art infrastructure, which extends over several hectares, with football fields as far as the eye can see, an Olympic swimming pool, hotels, numerous amenities, amphitheaters, training rooms and a football academy, explained the British media, noting that it is practically a small town where the men's and women's teams settle during the international events to prepare their games.

The Atlas Lions spent 16 days there before heading to Qatar, the BBC said, noting that the facility is also dedicated to developing of women's football in Morocco, as well as strengthening the technical learning for many Moroccan and African coaches.

In this journey behind the scenes of national football, John Bennett met with many personalities, including Omar Khyari, head of communications at the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), who explained that the complex is the result of the strategy initiated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in 2008.

For its part, the Mohammed VI Academy is dedicated to young talent, male and female, to train and qualify them, said Khyari.

These talks focused on ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the field of health, especially the pharmaceutical industry, reduce health risks and improve the medical supply through basic and continuing training and exchange of expertise, especially since the Kingdom has a pioneering experience in this area at the African level, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.

They are part of the strengthening of historical relations between the two countries and the expansion of prospects for bilateral cooperation, said the statement.

Initialled by the Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills Younes Sekkouri, the Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour, the OFPPT Director General Loubna Tricha, the Director General of the Renault Group Morocco Mohamed Bachiri, and the General Manager of SNOP-Groupe FSD Maroc Tajeddine Bennis, the two agreements aim to support the evolution and development of the automotive industry through preparing qualified human resources in line with the manufacturers' skill needs.

This Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is part of the roadmap to develop vocational training presented in 2019 before HM King Mohammed VI and meets the recommendations of the New Development Model (NMD) which places the training of human capital among the imperatives of economic growth in Morocco.

Speaking on this occasion, Sekkouri highlighted the importance of vocational training in supporting sectoral strategies, through developing human capital and improving business performance, stressing the role played by the OFPPT, the main training operator, as a locomotive for the preparation and mobilization of skills for its ecosystem, both nationally and internationally.

He also recalled the projects already initiated, under the PPP, for strengthening skills in the automotive sector, highlighting the contribution of cooperation between the OFPPT, the Renault Group and the company SNOP in this regard.

For his part, Mezzour said that developing national industry and maintaining its competitiveness remain dependent on a qualified, dynamic and scalable human capital, noting that the agreements signed today will allow the development of new skills and integration of young people in the national productive fabric.

In turn, Tricha said that the agreements signed reflect the shared desire of the various stakeholders to support the development of the automotive sector, as well as the common belief that the issue of skills development is that of all, public authorities, industry and training operators.

"The first partnership sealed with the Renault Morocco Group concerns the implementation of a training offer that meets the group’s specific needs, among others industry 4.0, the electric car and the automotive culture in general," she said, noting that the axes of collaboration include the development of a dedicated training engineering, the consultation on the choice of educational equipment and the development of trainers who will benefit from seminars and visits to Renault plants.

Regarding the second agreement signed with the company SNOP-Group FSD Morocco, Tricha said it concerns industrial maintenance, with the establishment of three training courses in the fields of robotics, automation, and hydraulics, indicating that the training will start in 2023 in Tangier, with the prospect of expanding it to the regions of Rabat and Casablanca from 2024.

Speaking at the Local and Regional Governments Day organized within the UN Water Conference (22-24 March), Lymouri expressed the Moroccan local authorities' readiness to strengthen cooperation relations in this field with stakeholders in Africa and elsewhere.

He cited, in this context, the African Support Fund for International Decentralized Cooperation of local authorities, established by the Ministry of Interior.

This support mechanism for South-South cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally, reflects Morocco’s commitment to the international effort to address the water problem in the context of an active and effective solidarity, he said at this meeting organized by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).

The speaker also highlighted the place enjoyed by Morocco in South-South cooperation and decentralized in Africa, stressing the AMPCC’s responsible membership, including in the context of the activities of Cities and Local Governments UCLG-World and UCLG-Africa, and this in accordance with the commitments of Moroccan local authorities on the implementation of the 2030 UN Agenda for development and the 2063 Agenda of the African Union.

Among these thematic sectors are ''Ocean Waves'' which aims to make Morocco a flagship destination for water sports, the ''Nature, Trekking and Hiking'', focused on the development of structured experiences and the ''City break'' which aims to consolidate the position of the Kingdom as a destination for short term travel with an urban destination, said Baitas in response to questions from journalists at a press briefing held at the end of the weekly Council of Government meeting.

This tourism offer also includes the "Beach and sun", to strengthen the existing seaside offer in the Kingdom, as well as adventures in the desert and oasis, to double the offer of travel in the Sahara, added the minister, noting that it also includes "business tourism" which focuses on enshrining Morocco’s place as a major destination for meetings, conferences and fairs, and "cultural trails" related to the multiplication of unusual experiences to immerse in the heart of the Kingdom’s heritage.

In addition, the new channels include "domestic tourism - Seaside", to stimulate the development of domestic tourism around summer activities in accordance with demand, as well as "domestic tourism - Nature and discovery", which aims to develop new experiences tailored to the needs and budget of local tourism, said the Minister.

As for the cross-cutting sectors to develop intangible heritage, part of this project, they are about gastronomy and local products, festivals and moussems, sustainable development, crafts and local know-how, as well as alternative housing, said Baitas, adding that these sectors are focused on promoting the Moroccan offer.

HM the King's ambassador in Santo Domingo Hichame Dahane represents the Kingdom at this summit under the theme "Together towards a fair and sustainable Ibero-America".

Speaking at the meeting of observer member countries associated with this conference, Dahane recalled the ties between Morocco and this interregional grouping since its accession in 2010.

While reiterating the Kingdom's attachment to the Ibero-American area, due to the strong historical, cultural, linguistic affinities and the deep values of solidarity and mutual respect that it shares with the entire Ibero-American community, the diplomat highlighted the various sectoral strategies undertaken, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, to ensure sustainable social, human and economic development, which can serve as a model for the region.

The ambassador mentioned, on this occasion, the joint bid of Morocco, Spain and Portugal to organize the 2023 World Cup, noting that this is a pledge of friendship and an irreversible commitment of the Kingdom to strengthen its relations with the Ibero-American community and its influence at the international level, through bringing peoples together by sport and culture.

He also emphasized the contribution that the Kingdom is committed to make in the framework of the work agenda for the period 2023-2024, in which all observer states participate through the implementation of joint cooperation actions in various areas of common interest.

The diplomat stressed that the areas of cooperation that Morocco proposes to develop are the field of education, capacity building and the development of triangular cooperation programs with cooperation agencies of member countries of this grouping.

This presentation focused on the contents of the projects related to the 2023-2030 National Plan to fight and prevent human trafficking, the National Strategic Action Plan for implementation for 2023-2026 and the referral mechanism for victims of human trafficking crimes, the government spokesman, Mustapha Baitas, said during a press briefing after the council.

This step reflects Morocco's firm commitments in the field of the fight against this phenomenon which requires a unified, comprehensive and integrated vision as embodied by the National Plan as a roadmap serving as a reference for an effective national response to this type of crime, added Baitas.

It is to identify the strategic priorities and measures to implement these commitments in the framework of a humanistic approach and in full respect of the sovereignty of the law and universal rights, he stressed.

In his speech at the beginning of the Council of Government, Akhannouch assured that the supply of markets "takes place in normal conditions," said the Minister Delegate for Relations with Parliament, Government Spokesman, Mustapha Baitas, at a press briefing held after the Council.

On this occasion, the head of government reiterated his call to the Ministers of Interior, Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Industry and Trade and Economy and Finance, for a general mobilization of their services to preserve the stability of prices for various consumer products, ensure the daily monitoring of markets during this blessed month and strengthen the monitoring and control, while cracking down firmly against speculators.

This hearing will focus on the theme of ethical rules relating to the problems of attribution (activity allowing to attribute responsibilities after observations of technical traces), the CNDP in a statement said Thursday.

Continuing to advance on studying documents provided by Amnesty International, the CNDP has, in the same spirit, sent an invitation for a hearing to the Citizen Lab, stating that it remains open to holding working meetings with other entities interested in the subject.

The Commission recalls, in this sense, that the first hearings held with national and international experts have noted the importance of work on the technical side to understand the various mechanisms, according to a dispassionate approach, impartial and far from any preconceived ideas, noting that this dynamic begins to bear fruit and its first results will be made public as soon as they are finalized.

The first hearings held with national and international experts have also highlighted the importance of the establishment, as announced in Tangier on February 25, 2023, of an international network to define regulations for the ethical use of technologies.

 The CNDP continues, in order to prepare its conclusions, to exchange with national and international experts and to study different reports and testimonies, according to the scientific, technical and ethical standards of use, concludes the statement.

Speaking at an interactive dialogue held Wednesday as part of the United Nations Water Conference, Baraka said that this approach is a "key tool" to ensure the water development in a sustainable manner.

He noted that in Morocco, the water resources integrated management is implemented since 1995, with the enactment of the first law 10-95 on water that allowed the creation of 10 hydraulic basin agencies (ABH) as bodies responsible for the development of water resources at the basin level.

The role of basin agencies in the implementation of integrated water resources management has been strengthened in the new Law 36-15 on water, he noted, adding that this text has further boosted the consultation at local level through the creation of hydraulic basin councils, responsible for examining and giving their opinion on issues related to planning and water management, including master plans for integrated development of water resources and local water management plans.

These documents are the reference of the national water plan which is being updated for a period of 30 years, he said at this meeting co-chaired by China and the European Union.

Baraka, who is also President of the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO), also considered that basin organizations worldwide can play a catalytic role in water and sustainable development with all stakeholders in the water sector at the level of basins and territories, leading eventually to more sustainable societies. He stressed the importance of providing the necessary means to these organizations and strengthen their capacity for the development and management of water resources.

The Minister has also indicated that Morocco has started a "very important" desalination program of sea water, which aims to develop the desalination of water for coastal cities, to relieve pressure on conventional water resources in a context of scarcity and enhance the existing agricultural perimeters. The goal of this program is to reach 1.3 billion m3/year by 2030 for drinking water supply, agriculture and industry, he said.