The presence of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, at the ninth Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations, held in Fes, was a notable event and supported the efforts of Morocco. An informed source explained that this presence represents “recognition of the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and his support for the values of tolerance and respect between different cultures and religions.”
The source said that Guterres was keen to tell King Mohammed VI that he was keen to attend the Fez conference, given his strong commitment to Morocco’s role in promoting the values of tolerance at a time when the world is living in a rhythm of crises and conflicts.
On the question of the Moroccan Sahara, King Mohammed VI informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations of Morocco’s support for his efforts to find a lasting solution to this artificial conflict on the basis of autonomy within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty. He also expressed Morocco’s support for the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Staffan de Mistura, on the political process and support for MINURSO in monitoring the ceasefire.
Guterres’ visit takes place in the context of Morocco’s active initiative to grant autonomy to the Moroccan Sahara. The initiative is supported by 60 countries, including the United States of America, and European countries such as Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, Luxembourg, Romania … In addition, 42 percent of African countries have opened consulates in the Moroccan Sahara and most Arab countries also support Morocco.
On the other hand, Algeria and POLISARIO continue, according to the source, to defy the United Nations by preventing MINURSO from providing water and gasoline to their observation centers, continue to violate the ceasefire and refuse to participate in the political process. The source warned that Algeria’s hostile actions towards Morocco complicate the mission of the Secretary General and make it difficult for the UN envoy.
The source believes that the Alliance of Civilizations conference in Fez is taking place within the framework of Morocco’s participation in international affairs such as migration, terrorism, climate change, green energy and the promotion of tolerance and coexistence. This is in addition to Morocco’s efforts to support United Nations efforts to resolve conflicts in Libya, the Middle East, the Central African Republic and the Sahel.
