Rabat- The Moroccan Observatory for Digital Sovereignty (OMSN) organized the first national conference on digital sovereignty on November 10 in Rabat. The event provided an opportunity for reflection and discussion on Morocco’s digital sovereignty, technological infrastructure, and digital development.
Speaking to Morocco World News, Mustapha Meloui, the President of the Moroccan Observatory for Digital Sovereignty (OMSN), said: “Today, digitalisation is a driving force behind social and economic development, and the topic of digital sovereignty interests everyone.”
“Through the organization of this conference, we hope to open a national debate around this topic [digital sovereignty], dissect the current situation by diagnosing the state of Morocco’s technological infrastructure in terms of data center, cloud, and so on,” Meloui said.
“I think it’s very important to have initiatives like this because they give us the chance to engage in conversation with leaders and decision-makers and to connect the unconnected,” Social innovator and entrepreneur Ahmed Larouz said.
As a member of the Moroccan diaspora, Larouz told MWN: “We are attempting to contribute to this emerging digitalization in Morocco, as well as to add value from our global expertise and determine how to draw more diaspora.”
“This initiative comes as evidence that Morocco is accelerating its digital development; there are a lot of projects being done on the legal side of the digital industry, as well as on the technology and education sides,” tech entrepreneur and CEO of Algo Consulting Group, and co-founder and President of La Marocaine des e-Services Tarik Fadli noted.
Tarik Fadli speaking at the OMSN conference
Fadli noted the partnership agreement Morocco’s national police department (DGSN) signed earlier this week with the nation’s central bank, Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM), and the National Commission for the Control of Personal Data Protection (CNDP) to strengthen data security in the country.
The tech entrepreneur described the agreement as a significant step toward Morocco’s provision of online public and private services.
Digitizing government services
Speaking on the sidelines of the OMSN conference, Sarah Lamrani, Secretary General of the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform, highlighted the significance of the event while noting that digital sovereignty is one of the main challenges that must be addressed in order to mobilize technology for Morocco’s development.
Sarah Lamrani speaking at the OMSN conference
Lamrani added that the new development model has specifically emphasized the significance of strengthening the legal framework to uphold the stakeholders’ and users’ digital trust.
Morocco is implementing several strategies to achieve digital sovereignty, including the acceleration of the production of legal texts on cybersecurity. It is also strengthening its legal framework with the adoption of several laws, including Law No. 05.20 on cyber security among others.
Additionally, Morocco has ratified several international conventions, including the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection, and the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.
Building the ecosystem
Ali Khoujmane and Ahmed Larouz speaking at the OMSN conference
OMSN Vice-President Ali Khoujmane praised the observatory’s initiative, noting that Morocco is a leader in Africa and serves as an example to other countries, which is why it must continue to progress in its digitization process.
Khoujmane also stressed the need for an ecosystem that promotes research, youth, and collaboration, while noting that there are many challenges to innovation, particularly on the legal front, which is why organizations like OMSN are important because they help coordinate work with government entities.
An ecosystem rich in expertise within the legal industry, IT, data management, and security could help to accelerate digital transformation, provide comprehensive solutions, and foster a proactive approach.
Mustapha Meloui the President of OMSN
The OMSN is Morocco’s first observatory dedicated to digital sovereignty. It was established through collaboration between academics, professionals in data, new technologies, and data management.
The OMSN’s primary goal is for Morocco to develop a self-sufficient technological infrastructure and digital sovereignty.
