Dubai- Elmahjoub Dasaa
The governments of Morroco and Oman recently signed an agreement that would allow them to further cooperate on environmental and sustainable development issues. The agreement was signed in the Morocco Pavilion at the ongoing UN Climate Summit venue.
Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leila Benali and the president of the Omani Environment Authority, Abdallah bin Ali bin Abdallah Al-Amri, signed the agreement.
The agreement embodies both parties’ awareness of the challenges posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the need for an economic revival that considers environmental and sustainable development aspects. In addition, the agreement aims to define a framework for bilateral cooperation in the environment and sustainable development based on a win-win approach.
According to what was agreed upon between Morocco and the Sultanate of Oman, the agreement covers bilateral cooperation in the fields of climate change, implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions, energy transition, environmental governance, monitoring and assessment, waste and chemicals management, circular economy and protection of biodiversity and natural resources.
The agreement also concerns desertification control, ecotourism, air quality monitoring, marine and coastal environment protection, environmental information exchange, industrial pollution control, and environmental and sustainable development awareness.
The agreement provides for the exchange of experience, information, and knowledge in the environment and sustainable development field, technical assistance, and capacity building in the implementation of multilateral international environmental agreements.
“The agreement is a cornerstone in strengthening the distinguished bilateral relations between Morocco and the Sultanate of Oman,” said Minister Leila Benali.
In a statement to the press, they said this agreement reflects the commitment of both countries to environmental protection and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Moroccan Minister also noted that Morocco has focused on establishing an integrated and open economic development model by adopting several ambitious strategies, including the National Sustainable Development Strategy, which provides a unified framework for promoting the integration of sustainability into sectoral and regional development programs.
This article was produced as part of the 2023 Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP) program, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
