ECOSOC’s approval crowns "tireless work of academic diplomacy,” the organization said.
Rabat – The UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations has approved Moroccan NGO Association of Studies and Research for Development (AERED) for Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
In addition to AERED, the UN committee approved applications from 65 other organizations out of 637 total from every region worldwide.
The Moroccan NGO indicated in a press release that the UN Economic and Social Council’s approval recognizes 40 years of AERED’s work in training, studies, and research. The organization operates in the fields of economy, social protection, youth employment, rural development, and economic intelligence.
In addition to Morocco, AERED operates elsewhere in Africa and throughout the world. It draws notable operational success from its international network of experts from the Open University of Dakhla and the Economic Intelligence African Associations Forum.
The new Economic and Social Council special consultative status approvals, according to the same source, reward values of social solidarity, civic engagement, the defense of dignity and freedoms, and respect for the right to development that Moroccan NGOs and others across the world share.
For AERED, the approval crowns “tireless work of academic diplomacy, within the framework of an innovative collaborative international partnership” in favor of Morocco and its focus on peace, solidarity, security, and sustainable development.
The appointment follows ECOSOC’s September 14 election of Morocco’s Mohammed Amarti to represent Africa at the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. He will serve for a period of four years, from 2021 to 2024, alongside Egypt’s Mahmoud Ezzeldin.
Amarti is a university professor with over three decades of teaching experience. Also a member of Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH), Amarti presides over the council’s regional committee in the Oriental region.
In 2017, Morocco won a seat on the council for a term of two years.
The Economic and Social Council is one of the UN’s six main bodies and is composed of 54 member states. It works to promote economic, social, and environmental development by conducting cutting-edge analysis, agreeing on global norms, and advocating for progress.
Economist Driss Guerraoui is president of the Moroccan NGO that the Economic and Social Council approved for consultancy, and is also the president of Morocco’s Competition Council.
Additionally, the Africa Network of the International Organization of the Francophonie, headquartered in the southern city of Dakhla, recently appointed the Moroccan expert as its president.
