Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians Observes One-Minute Silence in Memory of Morocco's Earthquake Victims
The participants in the Ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, held in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, on September 15-17, 2023, expressed their condolences and sympathy with the Kingdom of Morocco following the earthquake that struck several provinces, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries and leading to the destruction of buildings and infrastructure.
During the Conference that featured the participation of more than 300 parliamentarians from over 70 Member States of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, UN experts, academics, accredited ambassadors of the participating countries, and representatives of international organizations, the participants expressed their heartfelt sympathy and sincere solidarity with the Kingdom of Morocco following this natural disaster. In the same regard, they commended the efforts of the Government authorities and civil society to support the victims' families, provide them with different sorts of aid, rebuild the impacted areas, take care of injured victims, and rehouse them.
During the Session he chaired on "Promoting the respect for cultural diversity in support for sustainable development," Cllr. Kamal Ait Mik, head of the Moroccan parliamentary delegation, expressed the gratitude of the Kingdom of Morocco to all the participants in the Conference for this highly valued solidarity gesture. On the same occasion, he expressed pride at the huge international support the Kingdom enjoyed from friendly and brotherly countries in light of this distress.
The Ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, on "The role of youth in accelerating the achievement of the SDGs through digital transformation and innovation," was an opportunity for Cllr. Kamal Ait Mik to shed light on the achievements of Morocco under its 2030 Digital Transition Strategy in terms of advancing the digital infrastructure, consolidating the legal arsenal related to digital transition, training of executives in digital transition, and establishing good governance in the field.
For her part, Rep. Khaoula El Khourchi highlighted the major features of digital innovation within startups in Morocco, which witnessed a significant development in the national entrepreneurial and economic fabric. In the same regard, she noted that the sector of startups has proven its efficiency during the COVID-19 period and after that. The Representative also called for granting this promising sector the importance it deserves to empower youth and integrate them into the national entrepreneurial fabric through orientation, training, facilitation of access to bank financing, and fiscal incentives.
For his part, Rep. Omar El Baz underscored the cultural diversity marking the Moroccan national identity. In this regard, he shed light on the projects launched by our country under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah glorify him, in order to promote the national cultural heritage and launch innovating and leading projects that encourage cultural industries.
The Conference concluded its proceedings by adopting the final report on "The Role of Youth in Digital Transition and Innovation in Service of Sustainable Development." The document calls for accelerating digital transition to achieve the 2030 SDGs.