Round Table on MENA Climate Strategy in Morocco

With the increasing environmental and climate challenges globally, it is important to adopt effective strategies to address them and achieve sustainable development. In this context, Hanns Seidel Foundation launched its strategy on climate and environmental change in the Middle East and North Africa. This initiative comes in light of the current environmental conditions facing the region, which includes challenges related to climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and other important environmental issues.

  A roundtable was organized in Oujda, Kingdom of Morocco, on October 19, 2023, with the aim of consulting with partners on the priorities of the strategy in the MENA region and examining opportunities and challenges related to environmental and climate issues in the region. The session included the participation of a large number of partners from various sectors and fields, such as education and training, elected bodies, the United Nations agency, liberal professions and civil society and associative actors.

Ms. Nisreen Boushafaa opened the session with an explanatory speech represented in presenting the general framework of the round table and encouraging positive interaction between partners. This was followed by an orientation speech by Dr. Mounir Azzaoui, Regional Delegate of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Morocco  and Mauritania, who highlighted the importance of this meeting in strengthening cooperation and coordination between the various actors.

During the session, three main points were focused: raising the awareness of elected officials on the issue of environment and climate, supporting civil society associations in the field of environment and climate, and improving societal dialogue between actors. Emphasis was also placed on the two pilot projects that the Hanns Seidel Foundation would like to work on in the east and Tangier-Tetouan regions.

This roundtable provides a unique opportunity for partners to exchange ideas and experiences and prioritize joint action in addressing environmental and climate challenges. The overall objective of this discussion is to develop a collaborative and strategic approach to responding to these challenges regionally.

This roundtable is part of the Hanns Seidel Foundation's ongoing efforts to achieve democracy, peace and sustainable development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, a region characterized by multiple environmental and climate challenges. The focus on Morocco in this context comes as part of the Foundation's strategic vision, as the environmental and climate situation in Morocco is typical of the challenges and opportunities available in the region in general.

At the beginning  of the discussion, the regional delegate of the Hanns Seidel  Foundation in Morocco and Mauritania provided an overview of the forthcoming strategy that an expert worked on   with the Foundation in the MENA region, which focuses on supporting resilient food and water systems and protecting biodiversity and ecosystems. Emphasis was placed on the added value that the Foundation and its partners can provide in these areas, while encouraging dialogue and interaction between partners to identify common goals and develop common strategies to deal with issues. Environmental and climatic in the region.

Following the presentation on the Foundation's strategy and objectives, the meeting was organized around two main themes with the aim of ensuring that all talking points related to objectives, solutions and recommendations for each axis were discussed and covered. These arrangements consisted of moving towards the development of detailed work agendas that would be presented later, which would clearly reflect the points discussed and agreed.

In light of the discussions and recommendations presented during the roundtable, it appears that there is a broad consensus among partners on the priorities and actions required to strengthen the response to environmental and climate challenges in Morocco and the region in general. The discussions and recommendations presented reflect a strong commitment by all partners to achieve sustainable development that is sensitive to the environment and climate.

This roundtable represents an important step towards strengthening cooperation and coordination between the various partners and actors in Morocco and the region in general with regard to environmental and climate issues. The findings and recommendations provide a strong basis for the development of future strategies and programmes aimed at achieving sustainable environmental development in the region.