The exhibition at the National Library in Rabat will open to the general public on November 14.
Rabat – Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces (FAR) are set to reflect on their contribution to peacekeeping operations and humanitarian action around the world with a public exhibition at the National Library in Rabat from November 13 to 15.
The exhibition coincides with FAR celebrating 60 years of international service and comes on the heels of the 45th anniversary of the Green March, as well as the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN.
Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations Office in Rabat, and FAR will jointly host the exhibition.
A statement from FAR quoted by Morocco’s state media said the exhibition illustrates the country’s permanent commitment to the service of international peace and security.
Since King Mohammed VI ascended the throne in 1999, humanitarian solidarity has occupied a prominent place in foreign policy, the statement added.
King Mohammed VI’s address to the First World Summit of Humanitarian Action in Istanbul in May 2016 emphasized that “noble humanitarian action is a fundamental and structuring pillar of the Kingdom’s foreign policy.” Morocco is proud of its contribution to the mitigation of humanitarian crises, especially in the Global South.
With the exhibition, the hosts intend to shed light on Morocco’s humanitarian solidarity, particularly its deployment of FAR Field Medico-Surgical Hospitals (HMCC) and the delivery of direct humanitarian aid to countries struck by crises or natural disasters. Morocco has deployed 17 HMCCs in 14 countries, providing more than 2,650,000 medical services for the benefit of local populations and refugees.
The FAR exhibition will include a space dedicated to the visits King Mohammed VI has made to HMCCs in Gabon, Niger, Congo Brazzaville, Jordan (Zaatari), Mali, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and South Sudan.
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The exhibition also seeks to highlight the experience and expertise that more than 74,000 of Morocco’s military personnel on 14 peacekeeping missions have acquired over the decades to promote the universal values of solidarity and dignity, as well as to provide training and humanitarian assistance under the aegis of the UN across the globe.
More than 300 photographs will illustrate Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces’ engagement in global peacekeeping and humanitarian actions.
“This contribution of the Kingdom for the defense and promotion of human values and ideals is an extension of centuries-old traditions and values and of the duty of solidarity with different peoples to support international legitimacy and contribute to the triumph of the principles of law, legality, and humanitarian aid,” said the FAR statement.
The exhibition also includes a special space to pay homage to FAR personnel who lost their lives during peacekeeping missions.
The inaugural ceremony of the exhibition at the National Library in Rabat is set for Friday, November 13, at 10 a.m.
Representatives of the UN and the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Rabat as well as senior officers of the General Staff of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces will attend the morning ceremony. Meanwhile, military attaches accredited to Rabat will visit the exhibition in the afternoon.
The exhibition will open to the public on Saturday, November 14, at noon.