Moroccan Diplomat Elected President of UNICEF Board of Directors

Morocco’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, Omar Hilale, was elected president of the UNICEF board of directors for the year 2019.

The election of the Moroccan diplomat, which follows the endorsement by the Group of African States in the United Nations, translates the international community’s trust in the role of Morocco inside the United Nations and its various Agencies, and its unwavering commitment to the rights of children.

The election is also a recognition of the valuable actions and initiatives undertaken by the North African country to preserve and promote the best interests of children, thanks to the personal involvement of Princess Lalla Meryem, chairperson of the National Observatory for the Rights of Children.

Technically, the UNICEF Executive Board is the governing body overseeing all the activities of this UN agency. It ensures, in particular, that the Organization’s operational projects for children meet the needs and priorities of the beneficiary countries and correspond to the guidelines set out by the General Assembly and the UN Economic and Social Council as well as international instruments on the rights of the child.

This new responsibility devolved to Morocco at the head of the UNICEF Board of Directors is of particular importance given the various important and high-level deadlines on the agenda of this body during the year 2019.