Morocco Re-elected to Executive Council of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

Paris – Morocco was re-elected to the Executive Council of the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) for 2017-2019.

This re-election “is in line with the clear and determined will of our Sovereign to consistently maintain a firm position on matters relating to sustainable development, research, and protection of the environment, including marine environment”, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Morocco to UNESCO, Zohour Alaoui, told MAP.

Morocco’s presence in the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), which is of particular importance in national public policies for sustainable development, will provide the country with the tools to understand and support the perception of the problems related to IOC activities.

Established in 1960, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO, is the only competent organization for marine science within the UN system.

The purpose of the Commission is to promote international cooperation and to coordinate programmes in research, services and capacity-building, in order to learn more about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas and to apply that knowledge for the improvement of management, sustainable development, the protection of the marine environment, and the decision-making processes of its Member States.