His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco – manifestation of the light of hope for the evolutionary future

During the 2007, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid occupied his official state duties under the powers and responsibilities of the legitimate heir to the Moroccan throne under the constitutional provisions. As a result, His Royal Highness carried out publicly approximately 200 initiated projects and activities (including the Kingdom’s two most costly venues the Hassan II Golf Trophy and Marrakech International Film Festival). His Royal Highness' carefully selected activities range far and wide into many spheres and many areas related to the well-being of his subjects, the security and stability of his nation and the world at large, and national and international cohesion.

Throughout this past year, His Royal Highness has paid regular visits to his subjects in all the regions, especially in remote and chronically impoverished areas.

His Royal Highness has continued working on issues of national and global concern, including core matters such as international relations, peace, intercultural and interfaith understanding, rural and community development, youth and community empowerment, the welfare of underprivileged children, education, primary health care and raising awareness on issues pertaining society on the local, regional and international levels.

His Royal Highness received in audience people from various fields, including several political, humanitarian and business leaders.

His wide-ranging interest, combined with his academic knowledge and pragmatic approach based on culture and wisdom, have enabled the poor, the underprivileged and the disenfranchised to lead a more hopeful and positive life, and in that way strengthening the social fabric of society, national unity and identity.

Giving personal touch to official diplomatic ties

His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid exercised to the full his prerogative monarchist power to maintain, deepen, establish or normalize diplomatic relations with exchanged a number of high level foreign visits and meetings. These high-level exchanges resulted in the accelerated development of bilateral cooperation relations, regional and international developments, and exploration of number of avenues for greater cooperation in areas such as economic, investment and trade domains, education and training and peace process.

In the past year, His Royal Highness also paid five official visits to foreign countries, which included France (February), Saudi Arabia (March), United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia (October) and France (November).

As for State Guests from abroad, His Royal Highness networked twenty-two times with world leaders counting Saudi Arabia Crown Prince (March 5th), Prime Minister of Spain Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (March 12th), President of the 61st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), President of Latvia, King of Saudi Arabia (May 17,18 and June 18), Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Congo-Brazzaville’s President, France’s President, Gabon’s President, Crown Prince of Span, Duke of York HRH the Prince Andrew, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (November), Palestinian President, King of Bahrain.

In addition, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid held talks with the President of Comoros and President of Mauritania on the sideline of the 19th Arab Summit.

Message of Peace and Cross-Cultural and Interfaith Understanding

Turning to the issue of peace and stability, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid works tirelessly to promote intercultural and interfaith dialogue to spread His message of global peace. His Royal Highness fostered many opportunities and communications projects to create a new dialogue and exchanges on common concerns of mutual understanding and to build bold proposals for sustainable peace. His Royal Highness stressed the importance of role in supporting efforts to realize peace throughout the phase of international diplomacy and to make the peace process a success.

To raise the level of collective commitment to peace and security issues, His Royal Highness participated in the 24th Franco-African summit, which took place at Cannes, on the French Mediterranean coast, from 14 to 16 February 2007.

In March 28-29, 2007, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid lead the Moroccan delegation in the 19th Arab Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where He outlined his vision on the Middle East peace.

In April, His Royal Highness took his passionate works for peace and intercultural and interfaith harmony to London, United Kingdom, where He inaugurated the Three Faiths Exhibition, entitled: "Sacred - Discover what we share" and hosted a friendship dinner in an effort to endorse a mutual spirit of acceptance and to highlight the imminent need to continue to foster interfaith and intercultural dialogue providing a platform for educational exchange to share the differences and similarities in cultures and religions.

In November His Royal Highness was in France to make a firm effort to bring the 2012 World Expo to Morocco, were He delivered a keynote speech calling for the need of what he called a collective victory carrying the seal of universal citizenship.

On national front, His Royal Highness spearheaded several projects and events delivering the message of intercultural and interfaith acceptance, including the Marrakech International Film Festival and inauguration of the Instituto Cervantes - Spanish Cultural center in Marrakech.

In religious context, His Royal Highness embraces the significance of Islamic virtues and practice. Part of this is manifested through his pilgrimage to perform Umrah annually in the Holy City of Mecca.

Philosophy of development programs and sustainable economy

To achieve the Millennium Development Goals, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid continues to actively spearhead and support the development of Moroccan communities and devotes much of his time to carry on social development projects stemming from his conviction and personal dedication to the well-being of people.

His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid embarked on significant principles of development that reflect fittingness to the geographical and social conditions with proper promotion of knowledge and current technology, based on the values of sustainable protection of natural resources.

As has been the case every year, His numerous development projects are carried out to assist his people with a better future to improves and upgrades the socio-economic status, livelihood and well-being in such fields as agriculture, forestry, and industries.

His Royal Highness coordinates, organizes and sponsors various research projects in different disciplines comprising economy, social, religion, culture and science and technology. Most of the programs organized with the assistance and support from various organizations to achieved collective objectives.

His Royal Highness the Prince also encourages young people to seize a main role that adheres to the national strategy for human development and therefore lead them to become force of change.

Strong advocacy of youth empowerment and education

His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid has at all times carried on the adherence to the diligently in the promotion of education. His Royal Highness always stresses the importance of education as the basis for the making a successful livelihood, which in the final analysis contributes to the development of the country in all fields.

This past year, numerous of His projects deal with youth empowerment issues, setting up new schools or launching rural social center for girls, like one in Melloussa.

In November, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid in the framework of implementation of the National Development of Junior Golf officially opened 2007-2008 golf seasons with primary target to integrate the unprivileged children into the program.

As a President of Moroccan National Federation of Scouting, His Royal Highness undertook leading role with development projects for youth, fight against illiteracy, help to vulnerable youth, service of patriotism, and promotion of values of friendship, solidarity, tolerance and partnership. Together they organized action the Holidays for all, the 3rd session of the International Meeting of Scouts and Solidarity under the motto “Friendship Meeting”, the National forum on Communication entitles “Only one world, only one currency”, etc.

As another international milestone, His Royal Highness chaired in October the 62nd United Nations (UN) Day as a part of his humanitarian efforts. Challenging the complexities for continuing the humanitarian efforts in the world, His Royal Highness noted that good progress has been made, but the concerns are still devastatingly serious, as every year, more than 10 million children under the age of five die from entirely avoidable deaths.

Compassion for healthcare in rural region

His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid has always been concerned about the condition of healthcare in rural and remote regions. He has acquired first-hand experiences during his frequent trips to those areas stressing lack of health facilities for the sick and poor.

His Royal Highness endless support seeks to improve access to primary health care services in under-serviced rural communities. His Royal Highness championed the cause of this often invisible section of the deprived population, emphasizing the need for better health care.His Royal Highness is keenly involved with the leading rural healthcare providers and institutions, pointer of his commitment to ensure and meet the health needs of inhabitants in targeted remote areas.

As the Honorary President of the Grand Heart Association, His Royal Highness continued to exert efforts to focus on welfare of the underprivileged children suffering from heart malformations that cannot afford to seek treatment.

His Royal Highness also leads significant awareness in promoting vision health and enhancing independence for people with vision loss.

As the President of the Federation of Moroccan Scouting, His Royal Highness organized several development project related to the health issues, including the organization of a training session under the topic “Role of scouting in the satisfaction the needs of handicapped people” on February 4-5.

Improving the livelihood with cultural and sport tourism

As in every year in the past, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid has continued to play a central role by developing strong policies to build, initiate and support important initiatives to promote cultural and sport tourism in the Kingdom.

His Royal Highness expressed a strong desire to improve and enhance methods of way in which rich Moroccan cultural attractions, including museums, art galleries, monuments and heritage attractions, are shaped for used by cultural tourists.

His Royal Highness’ keenness to attract and retain cultural and sport tourism is mark by stream of high-level international events and projects, from festivals to championships, celebrating most enthusiastically through words, arts and sport. These first class tourism products support to increase awareness of and promote Morocco as a world-class all season tourism destinations.

With these approaches His Royal Highness inaugurated the 13th edition of the Casablanca International Book Fair. He showed remarkable perseverance in an effort to promote the cultural tourism provided by a welcome source of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which took place from December 7th to 15th.

In October, the Hassan 2 Golf Trophy - the biggest Moroccan sport event, endows with a long-term solution to the sport tourism. His Royal Highness also graciously commanded one of the country's most ambitious project ‘Royal Moroccan Golf Tour’, which integrates Maroc Telecom tournament in the stages of its circuit.

As a President of Royal Moroccan Federation for Hunting Shotgun Shooting, His Royal Highness hosted several world, African and national championships of Universal Trench or Compak Sporting.

In April, under His Presidency, the Royal Moroccan Motorsport Federation organized the 14th edition of Maroc Classic Rally under the motto “The Road of Heart”. At the same time, the international event encourages improvement of living conditions and fight poverty as a part of the country's development process.

As an Honorary President of Royal Moroccan Yachting Federation and Royal Moroccan Skiing and Mountaineering Federation, His Royal Highness established and advanced several initiatives and projects to preserve and enhance sport tourism opportunities.

Moreover, His Royal Highness graciously gave his honest support and personally chaired several sport events to make progress in life of the entire populace, in particular, 8th National Championship of Traditional Equestrian Arts, the Throne Cup 2006-2007, etc.

This year, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid as a President of Moroccan National Federation of Scouting has accepted the presidency of the 25th Arab Scout Conference.

His Royal Highness had also accepted to be the Honorary President of Moroccan Falconers Association Al-Noubala.