The Signing in Rabat of an Agreement for the Establishment of an International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Representation in Morocco

The Government of Morocco and the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) signed, on November 10, 2022 in Rabat, an agreement relating to the establishment of a permanent representation of the Center in the Kingdom.

Inked by Director General of Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Fouad Yazourh, and Director General of ICMPD, Mr. Michael Spindelegger, on the sidelines of the 3rd EUROMED Migration V Peer-to-Peer Conference, this agreement is likely to allow for stronger cooperation with the Center’s member states and financial partners for the launch of joint initiatives in areas of common interest.

These include migration and legal mobility, management of diaspora issues, the fight against trafficking and all forms of exploitation of human beings, asylum, international protection and border management.

The agreement also covers close and continuous consultation on the implementation of the actions adopted in the framework of the various regional fora for dialogue and cooperation on migration, including the Rabat process, and on the implementation of the objectives of the Marrakech Global Compact.

The establishment of an ICMPD office in Morocco, through this agreement, is also intended to create an African platform to foster tripartite cooperation with other countries on the continent on projects of common interest, such as training, capacity building, communication and joint reflection on positive migration management.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Spindelegger described the agreement as important, welcoming the establishment of an ICMPD headquarters in Rabat with an international team to implement a number of projects in close collaboration with the Moroccan authorities.

He said in this context that this office will be a platform for direct exchange on issues of common interest related to migration in order to provide appropriate responses.

« Migration is a significant subject and the opportunities for cooperation offered by this partnership are equally vast, » he said, adding that the ICMPD headquarters will be a link between Europe and Morocco in the field of migration management.

For his part, Mr. Yazourh said that the signing of this agreement reflects the quality and depth of relations between the two partners for several years, expressing the willingness to continue this joint action to achieve several objectives, including the identification of ways to implement the various action plans and declarations adopted.

He stressed, in this regard, the commitment of Morocco to implement the objectives of the Marrakech Pact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, those of the 5+5 Dialogue, as well as the conclusions of this Conference, held on 9 and 10 November in Rabat, with a view to strengthening the migration policy of the Kingdom.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.