Rabat – Morocco signed the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) Declaration on Wednesday, July 13, reiterating its commitment to the sustainable development of oceans.
Six countries gathered in Washington DC to sign the cross-Atlantic declaration including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cabo Verde, South Africa, the United States, and Morocco.
Rick Spinrad, Administrator at the US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), noted prior to the signing that the agreement is “essential” for the Atlantic Ocean, as it serves as “an invaluable resource shared by all Atlantic nations, and beyond.”
He further stressed that “effective cooperation in marine research and innovation is required to inform the sustainable management of human activities and to ensure a healthy ocean for all the communities that depend on it now and in the future.”
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Representatives of Columbia, Norway, Ghana, the United Kingdom, and the Dominican Republic also attended the signing ceremony, underlining their support of the initiative and their respective commitment to research and collaboration in the Atlantic Ocean.
In conjunction with the signing, scientists and officials from the Atlantic countries have participated in a series of discussions during the All-Atlantic Forum in Washington. The participants tackled pressing issues such as pollution reduction, sustainable ocean economy, and sustainable aquaculture, as well as the need to boost ocean literacy and build research capacity.
These issues have also shaped the international agenda named Ocean Decade for 2021-2030, which aims to deliver “solution-oriented research” and consolidate ocean literacy worldwide to help protect maritime resources.
Morocco has reiterated its support and commitment to the Ocean Decade objectives on numerous occasions. The North African country has also launched the plastic-free law “Zero Mika” and beach cleaning projects to reduce the pollution of oceans.
However, Morocco currently produces more than 570,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste annually, making it the 10th largest plastic producer in Africa. Additionally, few Moroccans practice recycling, and recycling bins have yet to become commonplace.
