Morocco calls on UN Security Council to enact sanctions against those responsible for humanitarian aid diversion

Morocco has called on the United Nations Security Council to adopt sanctions against those responsible for diverting humanitarian aid.

This call was made by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Morocco to the UN, Omar Kadiri, during a public debate on famine and conflict-induced food insecurity, chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of August.

The diplomat recalled that 5 years ago, the Security Council had unanimously adopted resolution 2417 which highlighted the link between armed conflicts and violence, on the one hand, and conflict-induced food insecurity and the threat of famine, on the other hand.

This resolution strongly condemns, among other things, violations of international humanitarian law, such as the intentional obstruction of the delivery of humanitarian aid, noted Kadiri, adding that as stipulated in operational paragraph 9 of this resolution, the Council must adopt sanctions against the persons or entities responsible for the diversion of humanitarian aid and who obstruct the delivery, distribution, or access to this aid.

The diplomat also deemed it appropriate to strengthen the role of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) to make food security a central element of the consolidation and sustainability of peace, taking into account the specificities of the countries concerned, and by mobilizing the necessary efforts to this end.

Food security and the sustainability of food systems are strategic priorities for Morocco at the national, regional and international levels, he stressed, pointing out that these priorities are at the center of Morocco’s South-South cooperation with brotherly countries, particularly in Africa, in accordance with the guidelines of King Mohammed VI.

He recalled that Morocco launched, at the King’s initiative during COP22 held in Marrakesh, the Triple A Initiative for the Adaptation of agriculture to climate change, and the Triple S initiative, to support sustainability, stability and security in Africa through the vector of agriculture.

Similarly, during the African Summit for Action, organized on the sidelines of COP22, three Climate Commissions were created in Africa to fight climate change – the main contributor to food insecurity – he said, adding that Morocco accompanies politically, financially, and technically the effective implementation of their important mandates.

The Deputy Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations also pointed out that in the context of strengthening food security in Africa, the Kingdom allocates to the continent millions of tons of fertilizers, adapted to African soils and crops. He noted in this connection that Morocco devotes in 2023, more than 4 million tons of fertilizer to African farmers, more than double the volume of 2021, thus providing support to more than 44 million African farmers.

Morocco also allocates millions of tons of fertilizer to developing countries in other regions, and is continuing to implement its large-scale program to address food security in Africa through a scientific and holistic approach, he said, adding that the Kingdom’s action aims to mobilize and align the government resources, development partners, and private sector funding to unlock Africa’s food production potential through South-South and triangular cooperation, with a view to ending food insecurity, and thereby preventing potential conflicts.

He reiterated Morocco’s full support to the Secretary General for the implementation of the Response Group to the Global Crisis on Food, Energy and Finance, while calling for active international solidarity to put an end to the serious threats posed by hunger and food security in several regions of the world, particularly in Africa.

The diplomat further noted that the world is currently going through a multitude of tensions which have exacerbated a multidimensional crisis – food, energy, climate and financial – which particularly impacts the most vulnerable countries and economies, mainly in Africa.

In such a fragile context marked by interconnected crises, “which erodes our collective response capacity, the implementation of SDG 2 on ending hunger, ensuring food security, and improving nutrition, is greatly at risk”. This situation requires a collective response that is humanitarian, development-friendly and peace-oriented, as well as a strengthening of the peace and food security nexus, with a particular focus on prevention, he said.