This anniversary is indeed an occasion to commend the enlightened vision of the late HM Mohammed V, who, as soon as Morocco regained its independence, entrusted the late His Majesty Hassan II, then Crown Prince, with forming the first nucleus of the Royal Armed Forces, as well as the great concern of His Majesty Hassan II, then His Majesty King Mohammed VI, for this institution, in order to modernize and equip its units and provide it with all the necessary means, with a view to defending the Nation and preserving its sacred values and achievements.

This anniversary is also an opportunity to pay tribute to the men and women of the Royal Armed Forces, who ensure the implementation of the noble missions for which this institution was created on May 14, 1956, including defending the homeland and contributing to the building of modern Morocco.

The Royal Armed Forces are the pride of all Moroccans, a bulwark against any attempt to undermine national unity, and a tireless ambassador of the Kingdom's authentic values.

The year 2023 was marked by the distinguished presence of the Royal Armed Forces on several fronts, in particular through military service, support for the victims of the Al Haouz earthquake and for populations affected by bad weather, as well as participation in humanitarian missions and peacekeeping operations in several regions of the world.

The FAR also made a remarkable contribution to the relief effort for the victims of the Al Haouz earthquake.

In the same spirit of discipline and dedication that characterizes their efforts within the Kingdom, the Royal Armed Forces continue to carry out their noble missions within the framework of peacekeeping operations around the world, with a view to contributing to the defense of the universal values of peace and solidarity, through the deployment of several contingents, under the banner of the United Nations, in several countries.

For several years, Morocco has chaired the Non-Aligned Movement Coordination Group on UN Peacekeeping in New York. The Kingdom was also behind the creation of the Group to combat hate speech and misinformation against UN peacekeepers.

In this respect, Morocco ranks among the world's top ten contributors to UN peacekeeping operations.

Morocco reaffirmed, at the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference held on December 5 and 6 in Accra, its determination to pursue its resolute action to renew and adapt the UN's peacekeeping policy frameworks, in line with the High Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

With regard to commitments in the eight priority action areas, the Kingdom has announced that it will provide training at the Center of excellence for peacekeeping operations in Benslimane, in the fields of civilian protection, combating disinformation, digitization, telemedicine, mental health and environmental protection.

Regarding women in peacekeeping operations, Morocco will be increasing the representation of women in its units and organizing training courses for military advisors in the gender approach.

In the health sector, Morocco will provide the United Nations with a fourth-level hospital and training in telemedicine, mental health and first aid.

The Royal Armed Forces continue to make great sacrifices and perform commendable actions in the service of the homeland, citizens and humanity in general.