Andre Azoulay: Essaouira Embodies UN Sustainable Development Goals

Rabat – Essaouira is the perfect example of how Moroccan culture can help the country reach UN sustainable development goals, according to said King Mohammed VI’s advisor Andre Azoulay.

“It is Essaouira that will embody, for Morocco, the centrality of culture in the United Nations 2030 program for sustainable development,” Azoulay said on Friday.

Azoulay is the founder of the Essaouira-Mogador Association which promotes the history and culture of the city that used to be home to some of the Moroccan Jewish diasporic communities.

“Culture [plays a key role in] the reconquest of a universality reconciled with the respect of diversities,” he added.

The Moroccan advisor shared these statements during a two-day seminar that concluded on Friday. The event addressed culture as part of the UN 2030 agenda.

On February 17, Morocco organized a workshop on “the pilot implementation of the indicators of culture by 2030,” highlighting the contribution of culture to boosting the country’s sustainable development.

“The workshop is an opportunity to benefit from UNESCO’s proposed measures to allow culture to play a crucial role in the national economy, particularly through the development of the cultural market, both at the supply and demand levels,” said the Minister of Culture, Mohammed Bensaid.

In June 2020, UNESCO identified 22 indicators of culture within four core themes, environment and resilience, prosperity and livelihoods, knowledge and skills, as well as inclusion and participation. The indicators highlight the interconnectedness of culture, education, economy, and politics.

The Moroccan Ministry of Culture along with UNESCO and members of the society including Sourire de la Cité des Alizés have worked to implement the organization’s vision in Morocco with Essaouira being a model city with respect to the 22 indicators, said Azoulay.

UNESCO’s celebration of Moroccan culture extends beyond Essaouira to reach the capital city, Rabat.

On March 24, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay met with the Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch and Minister Bensaid to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Rabat becoming a world heritage site.

Since 1972, UNESCO has listed 1,052 world heritage sites in Morocco.