Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy, Richard Johnson, praised Morocco’s efforts in the fight against weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation, making the Kingdom a model in the North Africa and Middle East region.

During this event, Morocco stressed the importance of a comprehensive and collaborative approach in the fight against the proliferation of WMD, taking into consideration the dynamics of interregional security between the Mediterranean and the transatlantic space, in accordance with the vision of HM King Mohammed VI, for international peace and security.

The director of the United Nations and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Redouane Houssaini, highlighted the need to understand the new regional and sub-regional dynamics in the fight against the proliferation of WMD and their impact on international security, namely the proven and growing links between terrorist groups, separatism, transnational organized crime and the threat of proxies to get hold of weapons of mass destruction.

The Moroccan diplomat recalled the importance of the Rabat Declaration, adopted at the first ministerial meeting of the African Atlantic States held in June 2022, in which these States reaffirmed their commitment to make the African Atlantic space an area of peace, stability and shared prosperity.

The Miami meeting was also an opportunity for Houssaini to highlight the significant efforts made by the Kingdom in the field of non-proliferation of WMD, recalling the accession of Morocco to almost all international conventions and the establishment of a legislative and regulatory framework in accordance with international instruments and resolutions of the UN Security Council in this area, which make Morocco a model country in its regional space.

The Kingdom, announced the Moroccan official, will soon organize, in cooperation with the United States, a meeting for Africa of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), with the aim of urging again the countries of the continent to join this important political and operational framework.

Morocco, as an active promoter of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), was the only Arab and African country to be invited by the United States to participate in this multilateral meeting dedicated to the exchange of best practices and experiences in terms of the fight against WMD between Western Hemisphere countries and a select group of countries with recognized experience in this area.

The close cooperation between Morocco and the United States in the framework of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) has materialized through the organization of several meetings, workshops and exercises on the subject, including the last one held in Tangier from 06 to 08 December 2022, with the participation of several African countries, which had the strategic objective of creating a community of interest and best practices around the challenges of non-proliferation of WMD.

The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), of which Morocco is an active member, is a voluntary and flexible multilateral cooperation framework launched in 2003 with the adoption of the « Paris Principles », also known as the « Interdiction Principles ». The objective of this initiative, which Morocco joined in 2008, is to strengthen cooperation between the various actors through operational measures to combat the illicit transport of WMD, their means of delivery and related materials.