Rabat: UNESCO and the Morocco 2030 Foundation have joined forces to enhance the sustainable impact of major sporting events in Morocco. This collaboration is part of the national momentum initiated ahead of several significant events, including the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (2025-2029), and the 2030 World Cup, which the Kingdom of Morocco will host, as stated by UNESCO in a press release.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, this marks the first agreement by the Morocco 2030 Foundation dedicated to addressing the social and educational aspects of sport. The partnership signifies a key milestone in the Foundation’s commitment to fostering sustainable regional development. Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, emphasized the transformative potential of sport in driving education and inclusion, asserting that major events organized in Morocco can be turned into sustainable actions benefiting the youth and local communities.

Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Morocco 2030 Foundation, highlighted the alignment of the partnership with the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. He noted that the agreement would strengthen the role of sports, particularly football, as a tool for sustainable development and social inclusion. The initiative “From stadiums to territories: sport as a driver of change,” funded by UNESCO and implemented with the Morocco 2030 Foundation, is the first project to emerge from this collaboration.

The project aims to embed the social legacy of AFCON 2025 through three components: community tournaments called “CAN de la citoyennet©” (AFCON for citizenship), a national campaign titled “Valeurs du sport” (Values of sport), and a festival dubbed “€°galit© et d©veloppement par le sport” (Equality and development through sport), which includes a module specifically dedicated to girls and women.