Prince Moulay Rachid reiterates Moroccan support to “Alliance of Civilisations” project

HRH Prince Moulay Rachid reiterated on Wednesday in Paris Morocco's engagement to support the “Alliance of Civilisations” project, launched by the UN to promote intercultural understanding.

Speaking during the first conference organised on the fringes of the “Euro-Mediterranean-Gulf Cultural Workshop”, the Prince affirmed that “during recent years, the Kingdom of Morocco has resolutely engaged in a continuous process of political, economic, social, and cultural reforms.”These reforms aim at “reinforcing the citizens' freedom and development, while preserving the sacred and traditional specificities of our country,” Prince Moulay Rachid told the attendees of the workshop held on Sep. 13-15.

The Prince stressed that the reform of the Family Code and the education sector, the upgrading of political and administrative institutions, and the National Initiative for Human Development are a few examples of the Kingdom's moves to combat exclusion, poverty and intolerance.

HRH highlighted the great interest Morocco attributes to the themes discussed during the workshop, underlining that an open dialogue on education, the media and shared values is very important to improve the cultural perceptions.

The workshop taking place in Paris is bringing together some 250 participants from 40 European, Mediterranean and Gulf countries. Other similar meetings are scheduled in Feb. 2007 in Seville (Spain) and in June in Alexandria (Egypt).

The Alliance of Civilizations project was launched by the UN in July 2005. “The initiative is intended to respond to the need for a committed effort by the international community -- both at the institutional and civil society levels -- to bridge divides and overcome prejudice, misconceptions, misperceptions and polarisation which potentially threaten world peace,” UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had said on the occasion.