“However necessary they may be, climate negotiations are not - and must not become - an end in themselves. There is a time for negotiation and a time for action. And the time for action is now!”, said the Sovereign in his Speech to the World Climate Action Summit, organized as part of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) being held in Dubai.

“I propose that we adopt a Pact for Action, here and now,” HM the king noted, stressing that just as climate change is inexorably accelerating, the Conferences of the Parties must - starting here and now - move away from the logic of "small steps" which has characterized COPs for far too long.

In this regard, the Sovereign underlined that there is a gap between "small steps" on the one hand, and the looming climate challenges that need to be addressed immediately, on the other.

“Just as we need to believe in climate action, we also have to be convinced that between those who resign themselves to "small steps" and those who believe wholeheartedly in "big breaks" - driven by ideology and dogma - there is a course of action between the two one that is rooted in pragmatism, of course, but also characterized by voluntarism, ambition and vision,” HM the king said.

“That is the plan we must embrace, if our goal is still to live up to the commitments made at COP 21 in Paris, in 2015, and COP 22 in Marrakesh, in 2016,” the Sovereign insisted.

While admitting that the conclusions of the First Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement attest to a universal momentum around the climate issue, HM the king noted that “nevertheless, adaptation efforts remain fragmented, incremental and unevenly distributed across regions, particularly those most vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change”.

“Half-measures cannot be bold measures. Similarly, a partial vision only exacerbates risks, adds to the damage and increases material, natural and human losses,” the Sovereign added, pointing out that “global management of the climate crisis can only proceed from an approach that is better suited to national constraints, that focuses on sustainable qualitative growth and that is, above all, rooted in a humanist vision”.

HM the king stressed that Morocco's inherent conviction in this regard - as shown by a pioneering commitment to climate action - is reflected in a number of strategic and political levers, including an enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution in 2021. The Sovereign cited in this context the New Development Model which was designed with sustainability in mind as well as the National Strategy for Sustainable Development that was devised and is being implemented with a view to achieving a high inclusion rate.

“In Morocco, the boom in renewable, sustainable energy, the development of competitive green hydrogen sectors, our growing connectivity with global markets, and the 2023 football World Cup, to be hosted by two continents, attest to the vision we have of regional integration,” HM the king added.

Noting that it is this action-oriented approach that Morocco has advocated, the Sovereign said that the kingdom's ambition “manifests itself in concrete, precise sectoral actions. It is expressed through detailed, verifiable Action Plans for adaptation, mitigation and decarbonization”.

“Ambitious as they may be, our stated objectives are never just a whim or an international publicity stunt. On the contrary, they are the result of programs and projects carried out at national level, first and foremost for us, and by us. I personally attach the greatest importance to their implementation and follow-up,” HM the king underlined.

The Sovereign recalled that “in a global system that remains inequitable, Africa received USD 30 billion in annual climate financing flows in 2020, representing less than 12% of its needs. Penalized and disadvantaged, Africa has, nonetheless, all the assets needed to become the solution to the global climate issue - the answer to the major challenges of the 21st century.”

In this regard, HM the king pointed out that the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings held in Marrakesh concluded that there was a pressing need to reform multilateralism and development financing, two levers humanity came up with to meet the challenges of the 20th century.

“It is that conviction which is motivating my country as President of the United Nations Environment Assembly,” the Sovereign said.

True to its commitment to Africa, HM the king added, Morocco is “tirelessly pressing ahead with its efforts to implement the decisions of the First Africa Action Summit, held on the sidelines of COP 22, especially the operationalization of the three African Climate Commissions for the Congo Basin, the Sahel and African Island States”.

HM the King also drew attention to the situation of middle-income countries, which are leading the battle for socio-economic development as well as for sustainable development. “For these countries - including my own, the Kingdom of Morocco - I call for specific, more sustained attention on the part of the international community,” the Sovereign noted.

In this spirit, HM the king reiterated the hope that the “States Parties will be more ambitious, and that, together, we will find collective solutions to this common challenge”, reaffirming Morocco's commitment to pursuing its proactive action in order to “remain at the forefront of not just advocacy, but also solutions aimed at safeguarding the future of humanity on our planet”.