Rabat – UN Under Secretary General for Peace Operations Jean Pierre Lacroix has commended Morocco’s peacekeeping contribution, describing the country’s efforts as fundamental.
Lacroix made his remarks following a meeting with Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nassr Bourita as part of his first-ever official visit to the North African kingdom.
Lacroix described Morocco as one of the UN’s “strongest” partners in peacekeeping, recalling the country’s consistent contribution and support for initiatives to promote peacekeeping and provide responses to evolving crises.
“We look to the future with Morocco,” he said, emphasizing his determination to work along with Morocco to respond to the present challenges facing the UN in its peacekeeping operations.
The Moroccan FM also stressed the need for a new holistic and operational approach in line with the reality on the ground, involving all stakeholders to foster lasting political solutions to crises across the world.
Morocco has been contributing to peacekeeping operations for years. It ranked among the top 10 largest contributions to UN peacekeeping operations, with 1,724 peacekeepers operating in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan.
The UN frequently emphasizes the importance of Morocco’s peacekeeping contributions.
Earlier this year in May, the UN marked the 75th anniversary of United Nations peacekeeping operations by delivering Dag Hammarskjold medals for the 103 soldiers who lost their lives last year under the UN flag while trying to keep peace, among whom were seven Moroccans.
