HM the King Addresses the Africa for the Ocean Summit
His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco sent a message to the participants of the “Africa for the Ocean” Summit, held in Nice and presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
In the message, read aloud by Princess Lalla Hasnaa, the King commended President Macron’s commitment to ocean preservation. This initiative aligns with a new vision where Africa seeks to assert its maritime destiny, supported by its strength, voice, and leadership.
King Mohammed VI expressed gratitude to African leaders and participants for their dedication to a shared coastline stretching over 30,000 kilometers. Despite the continent’s rich marine resources, these remain underutilized and vulnerable. This contradiction, the King noted, calls for a shift from potential to ownership.
He emphasized that while environmental protection is essential, Africa’s maritime agenda must go beyond ecology. The ocean is a strategic asset representing food security, climate resilience, energy independence, and territorial integrity. What Africans extract and protect from the sea will define the legacy they leave for future generations.
The King outlined three strategic pillars to redefine Africa’s maritime role:
Promoting Blue Growth
The blue economy is not a luxury but a necessity. Sectors like sustainable aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, marine biotechnology, responsible coastal tourism, and port industries are essential for the continent’s future. Morocco has already advanced this vision through large-scale projects like Tanger Med, and upcoming ports such as Nador West Med and Dakhla Atlantique, forming the backbone of an ambitious maritime logistics network.
Enhancing South-South Cooperation
Maritime development requires collective action. Africa must embrace a unified approach to managing and protecting shared ocean spaces. Through regional collaboration, the continent can enhance maritime value chains, secure trade routes, and equitably share global marine resources. Africa must also defend marine biodiversity and adopt tailored maritime security systems while speaking with one voice on the global maritime stage.
Leveraging Atlantic Synergies
Africa's geopolitical vision must not be confined by static geography or historical burdens. The Atlantic coast, long marginalized, holds transformative potential. The King highlighted the Atlantic African Initiative as a platform for strategic dialogue, economic integration, and regional security, extending even to landlocked Sahel nations by providing regulated maritime access.
In line with this solidarity, Morocco has launched the Africa-Atlantic Gas Pipeline a symbol of energy cooperation and a driver of geo-economic opportunities in West Africa.
The King concluded by reaffirming that the ocean should be a shared space of peace and development. With its vast maritime domain, Morocco is committed to contributing to Africa’s united maritime future.
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