Bouknadel: Morocco’s Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries, Zakia Driouich, reaffirmed on Friday in Bouknadel Morocco’s strong commitment to sustainable ocean governance, in line with the High Royal Directives.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Driouich, speaking at the opening of the high-level preparatory workshop for the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3), scheduled from June 9 to 13, 2025, in Nice, noted that Morocco has adopted an ambitious roadmap for the blue economy. This roadmap includes an integrated maritime legal framework, fishery management plans, the development of Marine Protected Areas, and the fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing.

Driouich emphasized the importance of involving youth and civil society in these efforts, recalling the participation of over 500 young people in the African consultation held in Tangier in October 2024. Additionally, she highlighted the engagement of more than 950 young African experts in the oceanography capacity-building program launched in November 2024.

She also stressed the need for a strong, coordinated African voice at UNOC-3, drawing from key events organized in Morocco, such as the African consultation in Tangier, the Blue Africa Summit Forum, and the regional BBNJ workshop in Rabat. In this context, she called for the promotion of African initiatives in ocean governance, the mobilization of blue financing, and the strengthening of North-South, South-South, and triangular partnerships.

Furthermore, Driouich recalled that Morocco was among the first countries to ratify the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), demonstrating its commitment to the sustainable management of marine resources, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 on life below water.

She concluded by reaffirming the Kingdom’s readiness, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, to share its experience and support African partners in developing an inclusive and sustainable blue economy. She also stressed the need to anchor these efforts in a vision of food sovereignty, regional integration, and shared prosperity.