Morocco strengthens global migration leadership with IOM Resilience Fund contribution

Tuesday 09 December 2025 - 15:48

By: Dakir Madiha

Morocco strengthens global migration leadership with IOM Resilience Fund contribution

Morocco’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Omar Zniber, reaffirmed on Monday the country’s leadership in promoting humane and dignified governance in migration. Speaking at the launch of the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) 2026 Global Appeal, Zniber announced Morocco as the first contributor to the IOM Resilience Fund, solidifying its commitment to global migration cooperation.

Zniber highlighted Morocco’s pioneering role in migration governance, recalling its adoption of the Global Compact for Migration in Marrakech in 2018 and its position as the first chair of the “Champion Countries” group. “Morocco showed early leadership and solidarity in migration governance,” he noted, commending the country’s long-standing efforts to support migration as a global public good.

The ambassador emphasized Morocco’s community-centered approach, citing the Rabat Process, which fosters intercontinental dialogue between Europe and Africa. Supported by civil society and migrant participation, the initiative aligns with Morocco’s vision of migration as a driver of development, humanitarian responsibility, and opportunity.

“Our support for the IOM, especially its programs focused on livelihoods, integration, and protection, reflects Morocco’s strategic direction,” Zniber stated. He also pointed to recent data from the High Commission for Planning (HCP), which highlighted a significant rise in foreign residents in Morocco, affirming its role as a destination for settlement and opportunity.

Zniber called on other nations to join Morocco in supporting the IOM Resilience Fund and expanding the Champion Countries group. He stressed the importance of collective responses to ensure migration is managed with dignity, solidarity, and shared responsibility. “Migration is not a challenge to be eliminated but an opportunity to be valued,” he concluded.

Morocco’s partnership with the IOM focuses on linking migration to development, encouraging regular migration pathways, and promoting the role of remittances and diaspora communities. The country’s migration strategy prioritizes the rights, integration, and protection of migrants, reflecting its vision of migration as a long-term structural reality that requires institutionalized governance and resilience-building.

Zniber underscored Morocco’s financial and political support for the IOM as a vital contribution to both national priorities and the international migration framework, calling the organization “a global public good” and a key instrument in implementing the Global Compact for Migration.