Day: June 19, 2024

United Nations - Morocco's permanent representative to the UN, ambassador Omar Hilale, highlighted, Tuesday in New York, Morocco's firm and permanent attachment, under the far-sighted leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, to the values ??of coexistence and to the fight against hate speech and intolerance. Hilale was speaking at a high-level event co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Morocco to the United Nations and the UN Office for the Prevention of Genocide on the occasion of the 3rd International Day for Countering Hate Speech under the theme "Investing in the Power of Youth on Countering and addressing Hate Speech'. This Day, celebrated on June 18, was proclaimed by the UN in July 2021 at Morocco's initiative. During this event, the ambassador stated that His Majesty King Mohammed VI has given His High Instructions to place the Moroccan youth at the heart of any integrated development strategy, by adopting policies that focus on the principles of equal opportunities, quality education, good c itizenship, intellectual and professional empowerment. The aim is to ensure that Moroccan youngsters are protected against any marginal risky behavior and empowered to act as vectors of change in the society, he said, adding that the involvement of the Moroccan youth in combating and reducing the rhetorics of extremism and hatred in society has proven to be very useful in combating all forms of social exclusion, hence the relevance of the Moroccan Integrated National Youth Strategy (2015-2030). He further affirmed that Morocco attaches great importance to the indispensable role of civil society and youth associations, hence the establishment, in July 2011, of the Consultative Council for Youth and Associative Action. 'To date, Morocco has around 50,000 associations present throughout the national territory. These associations operate in several areas covering education, including social inclusion, health, sport, political leadership, the defense of human rights and youth development', he indicated, saying that the work of these associations helps shield the Moroccan youth from the scourge of hate speech and empower them as actors of change. Hilale further stated that His Majesty the King reiterated the importance of youth inclusion in his Royal Speech delivered during the opening ceremony of the Ninth United Nations Alliance of Civilisations Global Forum, held in Fez in November 2022, when the Sovereign underlined that: ''Dialogue is inter-generational, meaning that it should involve young people and be concerned with the present as well as the future. Young people do not only represent the generations we must shield form the scourge of war and hate speech; they are the ones already making peace.'' Other speakers at this event praised the role and leadership of the Kingdom in the fight against hate speech, in all its forms, including in the digital space. They also indicated that this international Day serves as a reminder of the importance of standing together against hate speech and mobilizing the efforts of all components of society, including young people, to overcome this scourge. The holding of this high-level event recognizes the role of Morocco, under the far-sighted leadership of His Majesty the King, as a regional and international leader in the fight against hate speech. It is also a recognition of the actions that the Kingdom continues to undertake to promote the virtues of coexistence, living together and dialogue in the world. The event was marked by a message from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In this message, the senior UN official notably indicated that young people are often the most affected by hate speech, particularly online, believing that these young people must be part of the solution. 'Governments, local authorities, religious, business and community leaders have a duty to invest in measures to promote tolerance, diversity and inclusion, and to combat hate speech in all its forms', he recommended. For his part, the President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis insisted in his pre-recorded message on the need to reflect the values ??of harmony, tolerance, understanding and respect which are fundamental for healthy societies. "This is how we must involve the 1.2 billion people on the planet. Young people, who represent 16% of the world's population, are the most connected online. They are often the first to be exposed to hatred online, as targets, victims or spectators, and they have an essential rule to play as actors of positive change,'' he said. Several ambassadors and diplomats accredited to the UN participated in this event which as marked by the interventions of young people and a number of UN officials, namely the UN Under-Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, the Special Adviser on rights of children at UNICEF, the Special Adviser of the Office on the issue of violence against children, the Representatives of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

Rabat - Nineteen people were killed and 2,968 injured, 124 of them seriously, in the 2,191 road accidents that occurred in urban areas from June 10 to 16, according to the General Directorate for National Security (DGSN). These accidents were mainly due to drivers' inattention, failure to give priority, speeding, failure to keep a safe distance, loss of vehicles' control and pedestrians' inattention, DGSN pointed out in a press release. With regard to the control and repression of traffic offenses, the security services drew up 36,222 tickets, 5,548 reports submitted to the public prosecutor's office, while 30,674 transactional fines were collected, according to the same source. The sums collected from these fines amounted to over 6.56 million dirhams, according to the statement, which also mentioned the impounding of 3,727 vehicles, the seizure of 5,548 documents and the withdrawal of 186 vehicles from circulation. Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

Dubrovnik - President of the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA), Latifa Akharbach, called on Tuesday in Dubrovnik for Africa's involvement in global digital platform governance. "Africa must have an important role in the governance of global digital platforms," she said in a speech at the opening of the International Conference on Digital Platform Governance, held by Unesco and Croatia's Electronic Media Agency, to mark the International Day against Hate Speech. Ms. Akharbach, who was also speaking in her capacity as President of the African Communication Regulation Authorities Network (ACRAN), made the case for Africa's essential contribution to the establishment of a universal framework for the regulation of digital platforms, based on a global consensus that respects diversity. "As the world's youngest continent, with 65% of its population under the age of 35, Africa must, in the digital domain, be both able to access progress and protect itself against disruptions," she pointed out. T he situation is urgent as the lack of governance of the actions of big tech giants is already affecting the continent in many ways, Ms. Akharbach pointed out. Africa is already having to deal with the "brain drain" and the "data drain" in the context of the ultra-fast development of technology and the insufficiently regulated uses of artificial intelligence (AI), she observed. While expressing her support for Unesco initiative to create a Global Forum of Regulators, the HACA chief called for best practices dedicated to tailoring the governance of giant platforms to the challenges of technological, cultural, and media sovereignty in Africa. In this regard, she mentioned the recent agreement signed between Morocco, UNESCO, and the AI Movement Center of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University to set up a center of excellence in the fields of AI and data science, with a focus on Africa's needs in terms of ethical issues, data management, impact on employment, and transparency. Several senior Unesco officials, C roatia's ministers of Culture and Justice, representatives of the EU, as well as regulators from 70 countries on five continents attended the opening ceremony. Held under the theme "Building a Global Network Forum," the two-day conference aims to rally international networks of audiovisual media, electronic media, online regulators, and digital platform representatives against the exponential spread and proliferation of hate speech, discrimination, and xenophobia online. The highlight of the event is the launch of the Global Forum of Networks of Regulators, bringing together regulatory authorities to establish a global, collaborative space for discussions and the exchange of best practices in the regulation of digital platforms. Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

The Kuwaiti Cabinet on Wednesday commended Saudi Arabia's distinguished efforts and care for pilgrims, congratulating Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz on this year's successful Hajj season. In a statement following its weekly meeting, the cabinet also spoke highly of the proper organization, security measures, and medical services that enabled pilgrims to perform their rituals so smoothly and comfortably. The great efforts of the Kuwaiti Hajj Mission, together with volunteers and medical staff, in providing all necessary services to Kuwaiti pilgrims, were also appreciated. Locally, the ministers voiced thanks and appreciation for the response of the Ministry of Interior, General Fire Force, Ministry of Health, and Kuwait Municipality to the recent tragic fire that claimed the lives of scores of people. Spearheaded by First Deputy Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Youssef Saud Al-Sabah, the ensuing inspection campaign targeting violating buildings and facilities nationwide was greatly commended during the meeting. In this context, the efforts of Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan and officials of other ministries and state bodies involved were also extolled during the weekly cabinet meeting, presided over by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Furthermore, the cabinet applauded the humanitarian initiative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for handing out donations to the victims and airlifting their corpses to their homeland. In view of the power cutoff, Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy and Minster of State for Housing Affairs Dr. Mohammad Abdulaziz Bushehri kept the cabinet up to date on the causes of the power outage affecting some parts of the country earlier in the day, citing high power consumption at peak hours. The minister reassured that maintenance c ontracts and tenders for revamping the efficiency of power plants were approved on June 11. Source: Kuwait News Agency