Speaking at the opening of a workshop on Maghreb's urban heritage and culture, organized jointly by the UNESCO Office for the Maghreb and the Essaouira-Mogador Association, Azoulay stressed that these achievements should not be considered as "patents of good conduct" but rather as a "contract of shared responsibility."

"We are co-owners and co-responsible for this exceptional heritage," he said, calling for greater ownership and a stronger commitment from all stakeholders involved in its preservation and development.

Azoulay further stressed that culture and heritage "were at the heart of Essaouira's rebirth, amibition and DNA."

He pointed out that as "a city that is open to all horizons and all winds, Essaouira has preserved its sense of togetherness that is not a matter of agreed posture and rhetoric alone but embodies the most consensual daily life of the city's society."

These values are "the compass that will allow Essaouira to move forward without losing the course," he concluded.