Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 11:07 AM
The Ambassador of Morocco to Mali, Mr. Driss Isbayene, reviewed the Kingdom’s policy on migration and its experience in mobilizing the resources and skills of Moroccans around the world.
Mr. Isbayene was speaking during his participation in Bamako in a workshop held as part of the work of the Moroccan-Malian Diaspora Forum for the mobilization of skills and productive investment, which ended on Saturday.
He explained that the Moroccan community established abroad is estimated at nearly 5 million people, representing all regions of Morocco, with a high rate of feminization and a majority of young people and who are equipped with highly qualified skills. in different domains.
The diplomat pointed out that the annual average of their financial contributions to the national economy is estimated at around 10% of gross domestic product (GDP), which is the first revenue, well ahead of official development assistance and foreign direct investment.
Mr. Isbayene indicated that Morocco has put in place various strategies aimed at mobilizing the resources and skills of “Moroccans of the World”, especially financial and technological, adding that until the end of the 1980s, Moroccans of the World were qualified as “Moroccan workers abroad” with associative structures as intermediaries between them the Moroccan authorities.
He recalled that in the early 1990s, a Ministerial Department for Moroccans residing abroad and the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) were created, which been decisive in strengthening the ties of Moroccans around the world with their country of origin, by giving importance to the Moroccan migrant not only on the social and cultural levels, but above all as an economic actor.
Mr. Isbayene added that since the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, the process of mobilizing Moroccans around the world has accelerated in form and substance, for a positive approach to the act of migration in order to transform it into development and modernization support.
From 2002, he recalled, we witnessed the creation of a ministerial portfolio for Moroccans residing abroad, the establishment of the National Day of Migrants, the creation of the Council of the Moroccan Community in abroad (2006), and the launch of the FINCOME program (International Forum of Moroccan Skills Abroad) (2003-2009), the birth of the Moroccan Investment Network (Moroccan Invest Network) in December 2007, with the adoption of a new strategy with three centers of interest (financial transfers, mobilization of skills, and co-development including the contribution of civil society organizations) and the establishment of a program of appeal to Moroccan skills abroad.
The Ambassador continued that following the creation of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad in 2007, it was institutionalized in 2011 with the adoption of a new Constitution, stressing that the 2011 Constitution enshrined, as a right constitutional, the participation of Moroccans in the development of their country of origin.
Mr. Isbayene indicated that the Moroccan authorities are working to broaden the scope of participation of the diaspora in the political field and that the report of the New Development Model, dated May 25, 2021, made the Moroccan community residing abroad one of the five important levers for launching the New Development Model and supporting its implementation.
He highlighted that the report of the Special Commission for the New Development Model highlighted many areas in which Moroccans around the world can bring their experience, in order to participate in the development of the nation, referring to the proposals made to the policy of attracting Moroccans from around the world with high qualifications and working in cutting-edge sectors, through media technologies, communication, biotechnologies and renewable energies, as well as with regard to the creation of a Moroccan agency for cultural action abroad.
Mr. Isbayene stressed that Morocco is ready to transmit its experience and expertise in this field to Mali, which has nearly 4 million people abroad, or regarding 20% of the country’s population.
The forum knows the participation of Malians from the diaspora to discuss investment and development issues in Mali. The meeting also saw the participation of Moroccan institutions and companies operating in Mali.
The organization of this forum is part of the South-South cooperation between Morocco and Mali on migration issues, and the sharing of experiences and expertise in this area.
It is initiated by the Ministry of Malians Abroad and African Integration, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, the European Union and the German government.
