Morocco, 2014

His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Sovereign of the

Kingdom of Morocco, asked me to convey to the

Assembly his greetings. He also asked me to deliver

the following statement, prepared for the sixty-ninth

session of the General Assembly:

“It gives me great pleasure to take part in the

sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly, for

which President Kutesa has suggested ‘Delivering

on and implementing a transformative post-2015

development agenda’ as the central theme. That

is a very relevant choice, which is fully in line

with our Organization’s priorities, especially as

it encompasses economic, social, environmental,

security and political considerations. I have

therefore decided to devote my address to that

important topic, knowing that the Kingdom of

Morocco’s standpoint regarding other items on

the session’s agenda will be presented during the

General Assembly committee meetings or at the

ministerial meetings, which will be held on the

sidelines of the General Assembly.

“Achieving sustainable development is one of

the pressing challenges facing humankind. It is

particularly important, in that respect, to strike a

balance between the requirements for economic

and social progress and the protection of the

environment, on the one hand, and the safeguard

of the rights of future generations, on the other.

Aware of those critical challenges, we have sought

to set up a distinctive development model rooted

in the culture and in the specific national values of

the Moroccan people — a model which also takes

into account the need for positive interaction with

international principles and objectives in that area.

“Morocco has therefore managed to develop

a pioneering national initiative for human

development, together with ambitious programmes

in the field of renewable energy — especially solar

and wind power generation — which are a key

component of sustainable development. However,

I am not here today to discuss my country’s

experience or our achievements. I am here to make

an appeal for developing countries to be treated

fairly, especially in Africa, and for the development

issue to be addressed objectively.

“As the Assembly knows, sustainable

development is not something that can be achieved

through decisions and ready-made prescriptions,

nor is there a single model in that area. Indeed,

every country follows a path of its own, taking into

consideration its historical development, cultural

heritage, human and natural resources, specific

political circumstances, as well as its economic

choices and the obstacles and challenges facing

it. What applies to the West should not be used as

the sole criterion for determining the efficiency of

other development models; nor should one make

comparisons between countries, however similar

their circumstances may be, even when those

countries belong to the same geographical area.

“As a result, the first call I should like to

make from the rostrum regards the need to respect

the characteristic values and principles of every

country as it builds its own development model.

That is particularly true for the developing countries

that are still suffering from the consequences of

colonialism. Colonialism caused severe damage to

colonized countries. For many years, it hindered

their development process, exploited their resources,

as well as the energies of their sons and daughters,

brought about profound change in the customs

and cultures of the peoples concerned and sowed

the seeds not only of division between members

of the same community, but also of conflict and

discord between neighbouring countries. Although

many years have passed, the colonizers bear a

historical responsibility for the tough — and at

times tragic — circumstances experienced by

some countries of the South, particularly in Africa.

Today, given the adverse consequences suffered,

former colonial Powers have no right to ask the

countries of the South to introduce radical change

rapidly, on the basis of a frame of reference with

which they are unfamiliar, be it in terms of their

cultures, their principles or their values. It is as if

no development were possible other than through a

single model: that of the West.

“I now turn to the second appeal I would

like to make to the international community. We

need more realism and wisdom when dealing

with those countries. There should also be greater

consideration for their circumstances and the

paths they choose to achieve democracy and

development. Some Western countries — which

asked for no one’s authorization to colonize

countries of the South — instead of currently

providing the necessary assistance to the people of

those countries, continue to impose on them harsh

conditions, thereby hampering their ability to make

progress. Furthermore, all Western countries and

their affiliated institutions do is give lessons, and,

at best, a few pieces of advice. As for support, it

is very limited and is always conditional. What is

more, they ask the countries of the South to achieve

stability and development within a very short time

frame and according to imposed conditions, without

taking into account those countries’ development

processes or their specific national circumstances.

“There can be no stability without

development. By the same token, development

cannot be achieved without stability. Both hinge

on respect for the sovereignty of States, their

territorial integrity, culture and customs, as well as

on a dignified life for all their citizens. Moreover,

the rating and classification of those countries,

according to current standards, raises a number of

questions. The rating process has not only shown

its limitations, but also how far removed it is from

the reality of the countries of the South and how

incapable it is of giving an objective account of

the level of human development achieved by those

countries. As inadequate as it unfortunately is, the

aid granted is often based on those ratings and their

quasi-impossible conditions. We therefore appeal

for intangible capital to be one of the primary criteria

for measuring wealth and rating nations. As clearly

shown by World Bank studies, intangible capital

takes into consideration a series of factors related

to the living conditions of the population, such as

security, stability, human resources, institutional

development and the quality of life and of the

environment, all of which are elements that have

a major impact on crafting public policies. The

evolution of those countries should not be governed

by any rating or classification; instead, it should be

viewed as a historical process based on the positive

experiences of each country. Similarly, every

country’s characteristics should be respected.

“The reference to the negative impact of

colonialism does not mean we wish to put any party

in the dock of a law court. It is simply an earnest

appeal for justice for the countries of the South and

a reconsideration of the way they are dealt with and

supported in their gradual march towards progress.

In my address in Abidjan, in February, I insisted on

the fact that Africa did not need humanitarian aid as

much as it needed mutually beneficial partnerships.

I also stressed that Africa needed to turn the page

on its past and overcome its political, economic

and social problems — that it needed to rely on its

own resources to achieve its development. That is

exactly what Morocco has sought to accomplish

through a series of important agreements signed

with a number of African sister nations. In that

respect, I wish to mention in particular the strategic

agreement signed with Gabon for the production

of fertilizers for African markets in order to

contribute to development and food security on the

African continent, which is home to a staggering

60 per cent of the world’s unexploited land. That is

an outstanding model of South-South cooperation

that reflects our capacity as African countries to

develop the continent by relying on ourselves and

investing in the natural resources of our countries.

“As the Assembly knows, achieving

development does not hinge merely on a set of

projects and on funding; nor is underdevelopment

synonymous with the countries of the South. Indeed,

the problem has nothing to do with Africans’

attributes and skills. Africans have proved their

ability to produce and create whenever the right

conditions are met, and whenever they are able to rid

themselves of the oppressive legacy of colonialism.

Similarly, development in Africa has little to do

with the nature of the land or the weather, as harsh

as they may be in some parts of the continent. It

is more closely related to a deep-rooted economic

dependence, a lack of support and funding and

the absence of a sustainable development model.

As a result, providing aid to those countries is not

an option or an act of generosity so much as it is

a necessity and a duty. What States really need,

though, is fruitful cooperation, grounded in mutual

respect, so that they can create the right conditions,

in theory and in practice, to move on to the next

stage of the process of promoting both democracy

and development, without any interference by

others in their internal affairs. In return, they must

commit to good governance.

“The world stands at a crossroads today. Either

the international community supports developing

countries in their quest to achieve progress and

ensure security and stability, or we shall all face

the consequences of more conflicts and greater

fanaticism, violence and terrorism — all of which

feed on feelings of injustice and exclusion — and no

part of the world will be safe. As people grow more

acutely aware of the cross-border threats posed by

the lack of sustainable and human development,

and as we realize that ours is ultimately a common

destiny, I am sure that eventually there will be a

global awakening regarding the need to work for a

more secure, equitable and humane world.”