Morocco received the award from the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Agency. The award was presented in Nairobi at the end of the 7th Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN).
The distinction recently awarded to the Moroccan Kingdom by NEPAD is the product of long efforts. Nezha El Ouafi, Moroccan Secretary of State for Sustainable Development, received the prize for “distinguished contributions to environmental management and environmental governance in Africa”. It was during the ceremony organised by the NEPAD on the sidelines of the 7th Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) held in Kenya from the 17th to 19th of September 2018, with focus on the theme: “Transforming environmental policies into actions for innovative solutions”.
The NEPAD award encourages Moroccan efforts in environmental protection and sustainable development. The Cherifian kingdom has distinguished itself in recent years as an African leader in the renewable energy sector. Egypt, South Africa, Congo, Burkina Faso, Kenya were also congratulated during the ceremony for their efforts in the fight against climate change.
Morocco is not a major global polluter, but the country has made sustainable development a priority on its institutional agenda. Its global policy in this area is defined through the Climate Change Competence Centre of Morocco, 4C Morocco. It is a platform for strengthening the skills of the various actors (public sector, private sector, research, civil society, local authorities) and a hub for information on climate change (CC) open to its regional and African environment.
The NEPAD Agency launched the award to hail the efforts of countries, institutions and individuals who play a key role and contribute significantly to the protection of the environment in Africa and to the quality of their environmental governance. The NEPAD Agency was established in 2010 following the integration of NEPAD into the structures and processes of the African Union (AU). It is the armed arm of the AU, which in turn facilitates and coordinates the development of AU programmes and projects across the continent. The AU also ensures that resources are mobilised to involve the international community, economic and regional actors as well as Member States in the implementation of these projects.
Luchelle Feukeng
