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At the United Nations in New York, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita co-chaired a ministerial meeting marking the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P) principle.
The session, convened jointly by Morocco, Luxembourg, and Guatemala on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, brought together Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel and Guatemala’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mónica Bolaños Pérez.
In his remarks, Bourita deplored the persistence of “mass atrocities, mainly targeting civilian populations,” recalling that the UN was created to “once and for all end genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing after the Second World War.”
Gaza reveals failure of international community
Turning to the crisis in Gaza, Bourita described the situation there as “marked by famine, massacres, and forced displacement,” which he argued “illustrates the total failure of the international community to protect this civilian population and reveals the enormous gap between lofty speeches and harsh reality.”
He warned that what is happening in Gaza “simply demonstrates the incapacity of the UN, its organs, and its member states to uphold a principle they have defended for at least 20 years.”
Against today’s global backdrop, Bourita maintained that the notion of responsibility to protect “has never been more relevant, given the alarming number of civilian victims around the world.”
“As we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of adopting the R2P agenda, this concept must evolve, because the world is undergoing a profound transformation,” he noted.
He pointed out that the principles of the UN Charter, international humanitarian law, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “are tools at our disposal, whose effectiveness has been demonstrated, especially in the context of UN peacekeeping operations.”
Morocco’s peacekeeping credibility in Africa
Bourita underlined that guided by the vision of King Mohammed VI, Morocco has acquired valuable experience and know-how in peacekeeping operations, particularly in Africa.
He remarked that “through its presence, actions, and contributions on the ground, Morocco has managed to win the trust of civilian populations – an essential element for restoring lasting peace, despite the complex challenges of our time, notably disinformation and hate speech.”
Bourita concluded by recalling that Morocco has made the political and moral choice to join the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect.
He pledged that Morocco “will remain committed to placing the protection of human beings at the center of its national and international priorities, while stressing the importance of preserving human dignity and preventing atrocities through collective and responsible action.”
MWN with MAP
