Morocco was elected President of the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), for a two-year term, this Wednesday in Nairobi.
Morocco was represented by Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, and was elected to the presidency after being nominated on Monday, following a majority vote reflecting broad support within the African group.
As the continent’s representative in this post, under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the highest authority on environmental matters in the UN system, the Kingdom will assume for the first time the presidency of this body, which is the most important high-level global forum on the environment in the world, and whose mission is to discuss and make global commitments for environmental protection.
In a statement to the assembly, Benali expressed her thanks “to the various countries for the confidence and trust in Morocco,” saying she was “honored to take on this responsibility.”
“It is an honor for Morocco and for all of Africa,” said the official, while addressing her congratulations to the President of UNEA-5, Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Climate and Environment of Norway, “for his leadership and his role in advancing discussions on all issues raised within the framework of the Assembly’s Agenda.”
Highlighting the current environmental crisis, Minister Benali noted that “the threshold of irreversibility will soon be passed if immediate action is not taken,” in order to avoid the worsening of the climate crisis.
“In a spirit of continuity and efficiency, we want to consolidate the achievements of our predecessors and accelerate the implementation of resolutions already adopted,” said Benali, who also expressed her plans to “effectively contribute to the implementation of the sustainable development goals agreed upon years ago.”
She also stressed “the need to translate the resolutions into concrete actions, starting with those related to plastic pollution and chemical products and wastes.”
The government official also affirmed her determination to “spare no effort and work with all regions, in order to consolidate the authority of UNEA as an institution setting the global environmental agenda.”
“In addition to efficiency, the key to our success lies in the partnerships we will succeed in forging between governments, the private sector, and civil society,” the Minister continued, stressing the importance of multilateral cooperation and international solidarity in the fight against environmental challenges.
With its accumulated leadership in environmental protection and its ambitious clean energy initiatives, Morocco has seemingly gained the confidence of the international community in this area.
The consecration of Morocco, which is the result of intense diplomatic mobilization, reinforces the strategy of the Kingdom to ensure greater visibility and an influential presence on the international scene, in accordance with the high royal guidelines.
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