Morocco Signs Brussels Declaration on Oceans and Climate Change

Brussels – State Secretary for Sustainable Development, Nezha El Ouafi, signed on Tuesday in the Belgian capital, on behalf of Morocco, the Brussels Declaration “The Ocean and Climate Change”.

The document reaffirms the outcomes of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related UN Ocean Conference as well as the “Because the Ocean Declaration” and recognizes the importance of cooperative ocean, climate and biodiversity related actions, both at regional and multilateral level, in fora and conventions (UNEP, UNCLOS, UNBCD, Ramsar…).

It also calls for the duly review of the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate and for taking its pathways into consideration.

The Declaration also calls on all UNFCCC Parties to join the Oceans Pathway Partnership; endorses the Talanoa Call for Action and urges all Parties to the Paris Agreement to start preparations of their NDCs to be submitted by 2020.

The Brussels Declaration reinforces efforts made by Morocco in the areas of marine conservation, the fight against climate change and the development of renewable energies.

The signing of this document took place on the sidelines of the High Level Conference on Climate Change and Oceans Preservation, held in Brussels.

Speaking on this occasion, Ms. El Ouafi highlighted Morocco’s proactive policy with regard to the adoption of renewable energies into the national energy mix.

She noted that this policy implemented thanks to the enlightened vision of HM King Mohammed VI reflects “a strategic and irreversible choice ensuring a close link between the development of renewable energies and the economic and social development of the Kingdom.