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Join on Telegram Rabat – Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Omar Hilale, stressed the country’s commitment to UN principles, including sustainable development and respect for state sovereignty, on June 26, UN Charter Day.
“As the United Nations celebrates its 75th anniversary, we must recommit to the collective present and future that we want for ourselves and the coming generations,” Hilale said in a video message posted on the UN web page dedicated to the significance of the charter.
Friday marks 75 years since initial UN member states signed the charter on June 26, 1945. Morocco established itself as a permanent member to the United Nations in November 1956, the same year it gained independence.
Central to the charter are commitments to uphold human rights and maintain international peace and security.
The Moroccan representative emphasized the importance of the charter’s respect for state sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national unity. “Morocco will resolutely continue to play its active role and make its determined contribution” to United Nations principles, he said.
Hilale, who was recently appointed to co-lead a review of UN human rights mechanisms, has consistently reiterated the value of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan in Western Sahara as the most credible and pragmatic solution to the decades-long territorial dispute.
The UNSC and UN member states have expressed growing appreciation of Morocco’s efforts to establish sustainable peace in the southern provinces in line with international standards on human rights.
Morocco’s alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals
Morocco has also expressed a strong commitment to prosperity for all in its adoption and active pursuit of UN Agenda 2030, composed of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Hilale emphasized Morocco’s pledge to advance the SDGs, saying, “The present and the future we want is a peaceful, sustainably developed and environmentally friendly world, where Agenda 2030 is a reality for all and where human rights are fully a part.”
While the SDGs target a broad range of social, economic, environmental, and governance challenges, for all of which Morocco has expressed its support, the North African country is perhaps best known for its achievements towards goals regarding climate action and sustainable energy infrastructure.
Morocco is a leader in the green energy transition, both in Africa and globally. It is home to the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant, the NOOR complex in Ouarzazate, and aims to source 45% of its energy through renewables by the end of 2020.
It is also one of only two countries worldwide on track to meet the 1.5° Celsius temperature rise cap urged by the 2015 Paris Agreement, along with the Gambia, according to Climate Action Tracker.
The SDGs are a blueprint for a prosperous future for all, from eradicating poverty and hunger to ensuring good health, gender equality, and good governance. In line with these principles, Hilale stressed that the international body is “continuing to deliver on the most pressing issues for humanity.”
COVID-19: A time for exceptional global cooperation and solidarity
The 75th anniversary of the signing of the charter comes amid the pandemic that the body describes as “one of the most significant challenges the United Nations has faced since its inception.”
At a time of unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19, the United Nations strives to address humanity’s most urgent challenges, said Hilale. He went on to praise the UN secretary general’s leadership through the global crisis: “We welcome and commend the strong leadership of Secretary General Antonio Guterres during this trying time.”
For the Moroccan diplomat, the UN’s response to the challenge further demonstrates its importance as a central global institution.
“The United Nations has continued its activities amidst the current global pandemic. For us, this is an eloquent testimony to the important and central role of our organization in our world today and in the future.”
Hilale further emphasized the importance of collaborative UN efforts in meeting challenges going forward. “The present and the future we want has a strong United Nations at its core. A world that supports the strength of multilateralism, solidarity and unity to respond to collective challenges.”
