A total of 24,858,084 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the number of fully vaccinated people (1st and 2nd doses) has reached 23,343,881, the ministry pointed out in its daily COVID-19 bulletin, noting that 6,560,167 people have received the third dose of the vaccine.

According to the same source, the number of COVID-19 cases reported since the start of the outbreak of the virus rose to 1,225,305, while recoveries increased to 1,183,869, i.e. a recovery rate of 96.6%.

The new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the regions of Casablanca-Settat (579), Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (402), Marrakech-Safi (230), Fez-Meknes (141), Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (135), Souss-Massa (114), Beni Mellal-Khénifra (60), the Oriental (35), Draa-Tafilalet (15), Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra (5) and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab (4).

As for coronavirus-related fatalities, they increased to 16,117, with one cases reported in the past 24 hours in the region of Casablanca-Settat.

The number of active cases has dropped to 25,319, while 7 severe or critical cases have been reported in the past 24 hours, bringing their total number to 182.

Speaking at an international research seminar organized by the Permanent Mission of Morocco to the UN, Vallbé noted that the legislative power of the region belongs to the regional parliament, which exercises the legislative function in full autonomy, without interference from the central government.

Comparing the Moroccan initiative to the experience of autonomy in the Canary Islands, which dates back to 1982, the Spanish expert highlighted the guarantees offered in Article 19 of the Moroccan initiative, particularly in terms of active participation of local populations and adequate representation of women.

The Spanish expert further noting that the first stage of a credible decentralization process must include a well-defined list of competences assigned to the regions and the central state, reviewing the major reforms that the Canary Islands have undergone in 1996 and 2018.

He explained that in the case of Spain, Article 148.1 of the constitution assigns a first set of competences to the regions, while Article 149 defines another set exclusively for the central state, although neither list is exhaustive and therefore other competences could be taken on by both levels of government in the future.

After pointing out that the Moroccan initiative specifies in its Article 12 the political areas over which the institutions of the Sahara region would exercise powers, the speaker considered it important to note that the powers defined by this same article cover a wide range of issues, ranging from the organization of local government within the boundaries of the region to key aspects of political power such as the ability to establish its own budget and taxation and pursue its own policy in areas such as infrastructure, energy, transportation, health, education, industry or environmental protection.

He said that Article 12 states that the Sahara autonomous region shall exercise powers over a list of competencies, but does not specify to what extent these powers will be exclusive to the autonomous region or shared in some way with the central state - for example, through the approval of framework legislation, suggesting that this will be refined and clarified during the negotiation in the political process of the round-tables.

In addition, he detailed other functions of the Sahara Parliament, such as which party holds the legislative initiative and to what extent the executive and legislative branches have veto power during the legislative process.

Regarding the balance of power between the regional executive and legislative branches, he noted that the Canary Islands model tends to give the executive more control, because once the Prime Minister is elected, the executive ultimately holds most legislative initiatives, although legislative control mechanisms such as votes of confidence or censure can give the legislature the ability to check the power of the executive. He suggested that the form of these inter-power checks still needs to be clarified in the Moroccan Initiative as it is negotiated by the parties.

Regarding the constitutional control of legislation, he noted that Article 24 of the Moroccan initiative for the Sahara region states that "laws, regulations and court decisions issued by the bodies of the autonomous region of the Sahara must be consistent with the autonomy statute of the region and the Constitution of the Kingdom."

He deemed it necessary to provide more details on the particular mechanism by which decisions will be taken on the conformity of regional legislation with the Constitution of the Kingdom.

The professor of political science at the University of Barcelona, moreover, indicated that in the case of Spain, the choice was made to the federal arbiter in the form of a Constitutional Court with the exclusive power to annul legislative acts that violate the Constitution, which also includes the Statutes of Autonomy of all regions.

Similarly, if the autonomy statute of the Sahara autonomous region is considered an integral part of the constitutional corpus of the Kingdom of Morocco, the constitutionality review should include a mechanism through which the autonomous region's institutions can defend its integrity when national legislation erodes it, he explained.

He concluded that the objective of the Moroccan Initiative is not to address every detail of the organization of the decentralization process, but it provides very relevant points towards an advanced level of decentralization for the Sahara autonomous region, "which will ultimately be shaped by the negotiation of the final agreement between the parties."

Chaired by Marc Finaud, Senior Advisor at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, this international research seminar was led by eminent experts, researchers and academics from Switzerland, France, Spain, the United States and Mauritius.

It was attended by about fifty diplomats, including several ambassadors in New York, senior UN officials and media accredited to the United Nations.

This meeting offered the opportunity to compare the autonomy initiative proposed by the Kingdom of Morocco for the Sahara region with other autonomy experiences in the world, especially in terms of devolution of legislative powers in autonomous regions.

International experts had the opportunity to share experiences from the Canary Islands, New Caledonia, Puerto Rico and Rodrigues Island.

Referring to the aspect related to the election of members of parliament, the expert noted that in the case of the Canary Islands, elements such as electoral thresholds and the number and size of constituencies determine the entire proportionality of the electoral system. "This, in turn, is essential to produce a type of representation where all sectors of society can feel as fair and fully democratic," he said.

Vallbé pointed out that Article 19 of the Initiative stipulates that members of the Sahara Parliament will be elected by universal suffrage, saying that further details on the electoral system could help ensure that fair representation results from such elections.

Regarding the internal organization of the parliament and its relationship with the region's executive authority, the expert noted that Article 20 of the Moroccan initiative refers to a parliamentary model in which the head of government (the regional prime minister) will be elected by the regional parliament, stressing that this is a model similar to that of the Spanish regions.

Dakhla hosted the first Moroccan-Spanish investment forum, which was attended by some 250 Spanish entrepreneurs, including 60 from the Canary Islands, who discovered the opportunities offered by the city and the entire region, says the daily.

The participants took advantage of the forum to examine the various possibilities in a region that offers a wide range of opportunities, thanks to its natural resources and the sustainable development of several sectors of activity, says the author of the article

During this forum, the first of its kind organized in the southern provinces of Morocco, particular emphasis was placed on cultural proximity, economic, political and social stability, the sound legal framework and the variety of natural resources as tools for investing in Dakhla, argues the publication

Fishing, tourism and renewable energy are all sectors that are developing rapidly in Dakhla, notes La Provincia.

Initiated by the Council of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, this forum aimed to consolidate economic relations, promote the economy of the region and publicize its potential and investment opportunities with Spanish businessmen.

This event also aimed to continue the new dynamic of diplomatic, economic and cultural cooperation between Rabat and Madrid since last March, by opening the region to new direct Spanish investment.

The Ministry of Culture wishes to bring the popular art of Abidat Rma at the global level so that it is included in the list of intangible heritage of humanity, said Mr. Boujmid in a statement to the press on the sidelines of the 21st edition of the national festival of Abidat Rma held from 1 to 3 July under the patronage of HM King Mohammed VI.

Boujamid said in this regard that this operation requires huge efforts from all stakeholders, noting that the Department of Culture is working to inventory all data relating to this ancestral heritage which is the reputation of several cities in the Kingdom in view of its inclusion in the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO.

Regarding the national festival of Abidat Rma held this year in Khouribga, Bejaad and Oued Zem, he noted that this annual event is part of the efforts made by the Department of Culture to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage.

"It's been more than 20 years that the Ministry of Culture to organize this event each year with the assistance of several partners to ensure the continuity of the popular art of Abidat Rma and encourage the rising generations to engage in it, "he said.

About forty troops Abidat Rma from different regions of the country participate in this edition held under the sign "Abidat Rma, living art and eternal heritage.

This 21st edition of the national festival of "Abidat Rma" is a consecration of the cultural and artistic influence of this important appointment on the agenda of heritage festivals in Morocco.

The opening ceremony of this edition was marked by the tribute paid to Aboul Kaddour and Mohamed El Rhazouani, two deans of Abidat Rma.

The national festival Abidat Rma is part of the strategy of the Ministry to preserve the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Kingdom.

This annual cultural event brings together the best folk troops Abidat Rma with the aim of promoting this authentic musical genre that links the past to the present in a symbiosis reflecting the richness of Moroccan culture.

With her unique musical style that draws from different cultures and crosses borders, Natacha Atlas performed an anthology of her hit songs, as well as pieces from her latest album "Strange days".

Singing in Arabic and French, she offered the audience an immersion in her musical universe open to world music and merging with harmony Eastern and Western rhythms.

On this occasion, Natacha Atlas shared her joy to find the Moroccan public, rejoicing her 1st participation in Jazzablanca, whose public has particularly appreciated the fusion between jazz and oriental music.

She added that she began to mix jazz and oriental melodies for several years, estimating that the fusion allows the artist to widen its fields of creativity and improvisation.

In a statement, the Ministry of Relations with Parliament said that announcements circulated on social networks containing false calls to record the data of citizens to receive support provided by the government on the occasion of Eid Al Adha.

While denying these announcements whose authors and purpose remain unknown, the government stresses that government communication is done through the usual official channels, according to the statement.

A total of 24,858,035 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the number of fully vaccinated people (1st and 2nd doses) has reached 23,343,818, the ministry pointed out in its daily COVID-19 bulletin, noting that 6,559,993 people have received the third dose of the vaccine.

According to the same source, the number of COVID-19 cases reported since the start of the outbreak of the virus rose to 1,223,585, while recoveries increased to 1,180,620, i.e. a recovery rate of 96.5%.

The new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the regions of Casablanca-Settat (1,301), Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (834), Fez-Meknes (374), Marrakech-Safi (238), Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (152), Souss-Massa (125), Beni Mellal-Khenifra (80), Draa-Tafilalet (63), the Oriental (58), Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra (45), Dakhla-Oued Eddahab (21) and Guelmim-Oued Noun (15).

As for coronavirus-related fatalities, they increased to 16,116, with three cases reported in the past 24 hours in the regions of Casablanca-Settat (1), Fez-Meknes (01) and Souss-Massa (01).

The number of active cases has reached 26,849, while 32 severe or critical cases have been reported in the past 24 hours, bringing their total number to 185.

"Under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, Morocco is working tirelessly to strengthen food and energy sovereignty at the national and regional levels," said the international expert in economic diplomacy and sovereignty, Amine Laghidi, who spoke at the event, which was marked by the presence of the Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio.

The expert, quoted in a statement of the agricultural sector of the Italian Confederation Coldiretti, highlighted the efforts made by the Kingdom in the energy field and its commitment to Africa and the Mediterranean, referring in this sense, the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project that "will help position the Kingdom as a hub between the southern shore of the Mediterranean and African countries exporting energy."

"Determined and ambitious, Morocco is now a locomotive of development in Africa and the region, rising as a true economic hub," said Laghidi, noting that the "Kingdom is full of huge investment opportunities in various areas that can attract the interest of Italian companies.

The expert also highlighted the favorable business climate in the Kingdom, "a haven of stability and peace" and the important political and economic reforms undertaken in recent years and which make Morocco a platform sought by foreign investment.

Morocco suffers the consequences of the difficult situation in some countries of sub-Saharan Africa, which are suffering from war and famine, noted Escrivá at a meeting, organized Saturday in Barcelona, by the Pere Tarrés Foundation.

According to the Spanish official, "we must understand the situation in Morocco", which is facing a strong migratory pressure. "The work that Morocco is doing is not easy." Moroccan authorities are facing an "extremely complex" situation.

Escrivá also stressed the importance of "showing the greatest empathy and sensitivity to the migration phenomenon and what it means."

Since the attempted group assault on the metal fence in the province of Nador, causing a huge stampede and fatal falls from the top of the fence, several Spanish officials have called to accompany the action of Morocco, which fully assumes its responsibilities in migration management, to protect its borders and curb the influx of illegal immigrants.

The president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, pleaded in this regard, for the support of Morocco, which suffers the consequences of the phenomenon of illegal immigration.

Morocco, as a country of transit, suffers from the illegal migration problem, and we must help it to manage the mafias of human trafficking and control migration flows,'' he said on Spanish Cadena Ser radio station.

The last report on the attempted forced crossing, in which 140 law enforcement officers were injured to varying degrees, stated that 23 illegal sub-Saharans died.

It was marked by the use of unprecedented violence by the candidates for illegal immigration against the elements of law enforcement, who acted with professionalism and respect for the laws and regulations.

Armed with stones, truncheons and sharp objects, these candidates for illegal immigration have put up violent resistance to the forces of order, mobilized to prevent them from crossing the fence.

"It is always extraordinary to be in Morocco, where I consider myself at home," Motsepe told the press on arrival. "I salute the contribution of Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, and through the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, in favor of soccer in the Kingdom and throughout the African continent."

"During my visits to African countries, I am charged with conveying thanks to Morocco for the support it has provided for many years" to soccer in the continent, said the official.

"I would like to be inspired by this model offered by the Moroccan people in terms of support to African soccer," he said, adding, regarding the women's AFCON, that he expects an extraordinary competition.

The 14th edition of the women's AFCON, scheduled to take place in Morocco from July 2 to 23, will be held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex, the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex in Rabat and the Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca.

The first four teams to emerge from this championship will qualify directly for the World Cup scheduled to take place in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.