The Head of Government Represents HM King Mohammed VI at the Middle East Green Initiative Summit

On behalf of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, May God Assist Him, The Head of Government, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch participated in the Middle East Green Initiative summit, hosted in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Monday, October 25, 2021, where he represented His Majesty the King, may God protect him, and headed the Moroccan delegation participating in this event, which includes in particular Mrs. Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, in the presence of the Ambassador of Morocco to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Mustapha Mansouri.   
The summit witnessed the participation of a number of heads of state and government, CEOs of major international companies, heads of international organizations, academics, and representatives of civil society actors, who studied a set of themes that highlight the efforts made to contribute to preserving the environment, especially in light of the climate changes that the world is witnessing, and the challenges it poses at various levels. 
In a speech on the occasion, the Head of Government, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch, praised this initiative, which reflects the vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to face the main challenges related to the environment and the phenomenon of climate change, and expresses its firm commitment to develop a clear and ambitious roadmap that enables the strengthening of efforts to protect the land and nature in the region, and contributes strongly and effectively to international efforts to consolidate the foundations of sustainable development that preserves the environment and ensures a bright future for future generations.
 Mr. Aziz Akhannouch stressed that the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals are two pivotal points to promote global climate action and shift towards low-carbon development, on the one hand, and to promote environmental awareness as well as to consolidate a culture of integrating sustainability in all vital economic sectors, on the other hand.
The Head of Government pointed out that the Kingdom of Morocco, in application of the political will stemming from the directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, has voluntarily adopted an integrated approach based on an integrated, participatory and responsible approach to the country's climate policy, in line with the challenges and objectives of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development, which aims to transition to a green economy, in harmony with international efforts in this field, and with the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Experts and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr. Aziz Akhannouch also recalled the climate issues and the negative repercussions of climate change on the process of sustainable development, on the vitality of ecosystems, the safety of natural environments and resources, as well as on public health, recalling that Morocco, aware of the need to promote a development process with a low carbon footprint, initiated the preparation of the National Climate Plan 2020-2030, which aims to strengthen adaptive capacity, accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, implement national climate policies at the local level, encourage innovation and raise the level of Awareness to respond to the challenges of combating climate change.
The Head of Government recalled that the Kingdom of Morocco, in accordance with the strategic and comprehensive vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, has prepared the National Priority Program for the Supply of Drinking Water and Irrigation Water 2020-2027, at an estimated cost of about $ 11 billion. This program aims to save water resources and save water, especially in the field of agriculture and wastewater reuse, in addition to desalination of seawater. 
The Head of Government stressed the need to strengthen regional cooperation on issues related to climate change, and to adopt a more coherent, efficient and integrated approach among the various components of the international community, each according to its location and influence, to unify visions, overcome barriers to access to climate finance, and raise the level of interaction and complementarity between multilateral finance and national climate finance.