"Morocco is a key player in the fight against terrorism, not only because the Moroccan security forces regularly carry out successful operations, but also because, since 2003, the Kingdom has developed a multidimensional approach to counter terrorism,'' he told MAP, in the wake of the arrest in recent days by the Moroccan security services of several terrorists linked to Daesh for their involvement in acts already committed or which were likely to be committed.

The Moroccan approach is based on five key pillars, two of which are directly effective in the field of prevention, said Chauprade, adding that the first is religious, because by promoting a moderate, tolerant and open Sunni Islam, backed by the institution of the Commandery of the Faithful, "the Moroccan state pulling the rug out from underneath the feet of those who advocate an aggressive approach turned to violence."

The second preventive pillar is the work undertaken on the socio-economic field, noted the French expert in geopolitics, underlining that sensitizing young people from disadvantaged backgrounds is a "real success in Morocco".

Regarding the security and legal component, Chauprade, author in 2019 of the book ''Geopolitics of a King, Essay on a modern and multipolar Morocco'', emphasizes that the Kingdom has "understood very early that the dispersion between compartmentalized skills and the 'chapel quarrels ' constituted a danger for the fight against terrorism.

The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) established in March 2015 has brought together the actions of different departments and stakeholders, he added.

The criminal code was also tightened in 2015 with regard to terrorist offenses, he noted, arguing that the 2011 Constitution has significantly increased the rule of law and the defense of human rights in Morocco, with the creation of "several institutions and tools", including the National Council for Human Rights, the Ombudsman and the Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights.

Finally, the fifth and not least pillar is international cooperation, said the geopolitologist, adding that with the United States, but also with several countries of the European Union, Morocco has increased its cooperation in the fight against terrorism, with more intelligence sharing, but also more joint reflection to act together.

Co-Chair of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF), Morocco has developed with the Netherlands the Hague-Marrakech Memorandum on Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF), he said, recalling that the Kingdom and the European Union have agreed to establish an initiative under the GCTF on "education to prevent and combat violent extremism leading to terrorism.”

With a budget of about 128.6 million dollars, the "Industrial Land" activity aims to support the government in the design, deployment and promotion of a new model for planning, development, revitalization and management of industrial zones, meeting market needs and emphasizing the public private partnership (PPP) and the promotion of environmental and social sustainability.

This seminar was an opportunity for the various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade, to welcome the significant results achieved under the three components of the activity "Industrial Land", to discuss lessons learned and best practices identified, to promote the sustainability of achievements and duplication of approaches tested in the pilot projects.

Thus, the "Technical Assistance" component, implemented in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), was marked mainly by the support provided to the Ministry in preparing the draft law No. 102.21 on the development, management and valorization of industrial zones and the deployment of a capacity building program for stakeholders concerned with the industrial land.

A total of 12 thematic modules related to the different stages of creating and exploiting industrial zones have been developed, digitized in interactive tutorials and put online in a public way, in addition to six didactic tools and knowledge products have also been produced to promote learning.

This component has also focused on developing and launching the new electronic platform dedicated to the industrial land in Morocco (https://www.industrial-estate.gov.ma/) and the realization of the diagnosis of 114 industrial zones in Morocco totaling more than 10,400 Ha and the recommendation of action plans to improve their overall performance.

In addition, the implementation of the "Pilot Sites" component will strengthen the supply of industrial land in the Casablanca-Settat Region through the rehabilitation, extension or construction of 3 industrial parks in a PPP model, totaling an area of 136 ha and should eventually house 500 companies for a total estimated investment of $ 486 million and generate 27,000 direct jobs.

In addition to the mobilization by the public party of a land rehabilitated and connected to the infrastructure off-site achieved, (drinking water, electricity and sanitation networks, wastewater treatment plants, hydraulic works, access roads ... ), the revitalization of existing areas, the progress of work in-site extension of the industrial area of Bouznika and the entry into force of PPP agreements on the development, marketing and management of industrial parks Had Soualem and Sahel Lakhyayta were the main highlights of this component.

On the other hand, the assessment of the implementation of the third component of the "Industrial Land" activity reports the support by the Fund for Sustainable Industrial Zones (FONZID), under its first edition, 9 projects aimed at improving governance, sustainability and social inclusion of industrial zones, totaling an investment of 80 million dollars, including a contribution of project holders of about 46 million dollars and should generate eventually 57,000 job opportunities.

The investment made it possible to set up a land offer of 100 ha serviced and equipped, 71 industrial buildings with a total area of 47,000 m2 and buildings covering a total area of 20,000 m2 dedicated to services offered to companies and employees (one-stop shops, business centers, catering, health services, transport, training and job search areas, nurseries).

The seminar was attended by the Director General of the Millennium Challenge Account-Morocco (MCA-Morocco), Malika Laasri, and the Resident Director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in Morocco, Carrie Monahan.

Placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this event, which brought together several thousand people in one week, "embodied, in sharing, a precious and unique moment because it is that of an unprecedented momentum that we Moroccans, Muslims and Jews, are living in a context marked by the seal of exception, a context that is that of the renaissance, recognition and refoundation of this part of Morocco's inclusive history," said the Advisor to HM the King in a video message from Bayt Dakira in Essaouira.

This week rich in lights and emotions has highlighted "the depth of the Moroccan-Jewish civilization that tells all others, with pride and determination what our Nation and our People, strong of the committed and pioneering leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, that of his late father HM Hassan II and the exemplary legacy of the late HM Mohammed V, have embodied for us Moroccans of the Jewish faith," said Azoulay.

He stressed that Morocco today is the "result of the addition of all civilizations that have succeeded: Arab-Muslim, Amazigh, Jewish, Mediterranean and African."

"We have a software that makes us add all that these civilizations have taught us and bequeathed. Today, all around us and very widely in the world, this Moroccan software of the addition of the richness of all our diversities and their convergence has unfortunately been replaced by another software, that of subtraction, or denial and sometimes confrontation," said Azoulay, noting that "in Morocco, we Moroccans of the Jewish faith, we live something else, we live another dynamic where diversity is at the heart of the reactor of our social modernity.”

"Thank you again for inviting this evening Morocco to this social modernity, the one of all possibilities, the one of our collective responsibility, so that this Path of Reason and Peace will be taken tomorrow by the Israeli and Palestinian children, in the hope to see them living with each other, each one respecting the other, each one assuring the security of the other,” concluded André Azoulay.

This musical evening was animated by the artists Abderrahim Souiri, Charly and Lior Elmaliah, the latter coming especially from Israel to participate in this show, rich in colors, and which transported a room of nearly a thousand participants, in a dream journey between the Moroccan and Jewish melodies.

The show took place in the presence of leaders of the Jewish community, Morocco's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Ambassador Samir Addahre, several consuls general of the Kingdom in France and members of the Jewish and Moroccan communities, among others.

The Jewish-Moroccan cultural week, organized at the initiative of the Israelite cultural association of Creteil (ACIC), in collaboration with several institutions in Morocco and France and Franco-Moroccan associations, has highlighted the Jewish-Moroccan heritage and underlined the secular living together between Jews and Muslims in the Kingdom.

The public was present for a week with a rich and varied cultural program, including round tables, debates, exhibitions, film screenings and concerts.

In a reaction to the Moroccan news radio RIM Radio, German Blanco added that this friendship group, composed of ten members from the main political forces of the Senate belonging to both the majority and the opposition, reflects the interest of the Senate to establish "healthy" relations with Morocco.

"We are all interested in healthy, transparent and equitable relations with a friendly state like the Kingdom of Morocco. The diversity of political tendencies that have supported this initiative clearly shows the importance for us, as a Congress, of these diplomatic and parliamentary relations with Morocco, which are a matter of consensus," said German Blanco, who was Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

The president of the friendship group with Morocco, who belongs to the Colombian conservative party (member of the ruling coalition), highlighted the fact that of the ten members of the group, seven belong to parties that form the ruling coalition. It should be noted that the Senate Speaker and two vice-Speakers are members of the friendship group.

He also said that "governments change, but relations between states must be preserved over time, hence our responsibility, as congressmen, to work in this direction and demonstrate that Morocco has enough support within the Colombian political class, regardless of the parties they are in government or in opposition."

German Blanco recalled in this sense the motion adopted by a majority of 63 senators out of 108 in the Senate and in which the majority signatories expressed "their disagreement with the establishment of relations with a separatist group that affect the ties between Colombia and Morocco.”

The Kingdom also advocates for adequate political and technical support to initiatives aimed at facilitating cash transfers, such as the Rabat Forum on reducing the cost of transferring funds from the African Diaspora, said Ambassador Mohamed Arrouchi, the Kingdom's Permanent Representative to the African Union and UNECA.

Arrouchi, who is leading the Moroccan delegation to the 22nd session of COM2023, stressed the need to focus on long-term growth through high-return investments in education, research and development and infrastructure projects.

The Moroccan delegation noted the importance of implementing progressive fiscal policies, particularly in terms of taxes and spending, in order to reduce extreme poverty and return to a pre-pandemic growth trajectory, while mobilizing domestic revenues without harming the poorest and most vulnerable, notably through a gradual increase in property and carbon taxes and the broadening of the personal and corporate income tax base.

This 55th session, which is being held face-to-face and by video conference, aims to renew attention and action on reducing poverty, inequality and other factors that make Africa's population continuously vulnerable to these scourges.

The opening session of this session was marked by the confirmation of the members of the Bureau of the 55th Conference, including Morocco in its capacity as 2nd Vice-Chairman and the adoption of the agenda and work program.

Arrouchi, who was speaking at the 55th session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (COM2023) held in person and by video conference under the theme "Fostering recovery and transformation in Africa to reduce inequalities and vulnerabilities", stressed that following the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, Morocco has opted for an approach aimed at countering the adverse impacts of the pandemic and transforming its challenges into opportunities through strengthening the national health system, engaging a collective reflection on the concept of social protection, economic recovery, employment and green transition.

In this context, and in order to adapt its development strategy to the current multidimensional and unprecedented challenges, the Kingdom has opted in 2021 for a New Development Model, which capitalizes on the achievements of previous initiatives and aims to strengthen women's empowerment, promote inclusion and development of youth to ensure the structural transformation of the Moroccan economy into a productive one, creating wealth and quality jobs, noted Arrouchi who leads the Moroccan delegation to the 55th session of the COM2023.

Addressing the situation on the continent, the Moroccan diplomat said that Africa is now facing a particularly complex and difficult situation.

If the coronavirus crisis had slowed the momentum of growth and implementation of sustainable development goals set out in the 2030 Agenda and the 2063 Agenda of the African Union, the Ukrainian crisis had strongly impacted the model of resilience that the African continent has managed to build in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and had led, because of its nature, disastrous consequences for millions of Africans and their ability to ensure their most basic needs, especially in terms of food, said Arrouchi.

Ambassador Mohamed Arrouchi, the Kingdom's Permanent Representative to the African Union and UNECA, leads the Moroccan delegation to this session under the theme "Fostering recovery and transformation in Africa to reduce inequalities and vulnerabilities".

This 55th session, which is being held face-to-face and by videoconference, aims to renew attention and action on reducing poverty, inequality and other factors that make the African population continuously vulnerable to these scourges.

The opening session of this session was marked by the confirmation of the members of the Bureau, including Morocco in its capacity as 2nd Vice President and the adoption of the agenda and work program.

The Conference focused on the "theme of the fifty-fifth session of the Economic Commission for Africa", "the Adebayo Adedeji 2023 Memorial Conference", "Governance, social contract and economic development in Africa: Looking Back and Looking Forward," "Policies and Interventions to Foster Resilience and Reduce Poverty and Inequality in the Context of Global Shocks," "Socio-Economic Implications of Climate Change and Opportunities to Leverage Green Finance," and "Leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area for Economic Resilience and Inclusion."

The Conference brings together Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development from African Member States, Central Bank Governors, United Nations entities and Pan-African financial institutions, African academic and research institutions, development partners, intergovernmental organizations and other key stakeholders.

The second place went to the other Ugandan and Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei (1h02:09).

In the women's race, Kenya's Hellen Obiri took first place with a time of 1:07:21, breaking the competition record set last year by Ethiopia's Senbere Teferi with 14 seconds.

This year, Teferi came in the second place (1:07:55) while Norway's Karoline Bjerkell Grovdal finished third (1:09:53).

Some 25,000 athletes participated in the New York City Half Marathon. They ran more than 21 kilometers from Brooklyn to Manhattan through the mythical Times Square.

The MASI.20, an index of the 20 most liquid stocks, as well as the MASI.ESG, an index of companies with the best ESG rating, as published by Moody's ESG Solutions, gained 0.42%, respectively to 836.48 pts and 792.8 pts.

Thanks to the goal of Ahmed Hammoudane in the 62nd, the Military reach the first place in their group with ten points and secure one of the two tickets to the quarters, as their direct competitors, Pyramids and Future FC, who have 8 units, will face each other in the last day.

In the other match of this group, the Egyptian Future FC beat Asko Kara of Togo at home by 3 goals to 0. 

For the sixth and final day on April 2, the Military will travel to Asko Kara, last in the standings with 1 point.