2024-04-23 00:10:18
The Kingdom, represented by HM the King’s ambassador to The Hague, Mohamed Basri, took part in the ICJ hearings, which take place from February 19 to 29. In this context, the Moroccan ambassador attended in support of the oral presentation of Palestine, which took place on February 19, alongside the Palestinian delegation, chaired by Mr. Riyad Al Maliki, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
Morocco’s presence at the oral pleadings in this case is a continuation of the Kingdom’s active engagement in this case before the International Court. Thus, in the context of the same case, Morocco had submitted a written plea to the ICJ, which the Court duly took into account.
In this plea, the Kingdom of Morocco, whose Sovereign is President of the Al-Quds Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), reaffirmed its determination to “work by all legal means within its reach, to protect the legal, historical, political and spiritual status of the Holy City, and preserve it in its unique vocation as a city of peace and meeting for the faithful of all monotheistic religions.
The Kingdom further reiterated “its active commitment to respecting international law and promoting peace in the Middle East, which involves the implementation of a just, comprehensive and lasting solution, based on the principle of two States: an independent Palestinian State on the basis of the borders of June 4, 1967, with Al-Quds/East Jerusalem as capital, living side by side with the State of Israel, in peace and security, in accordance with international legality, the resolutions of the United Nations, and in continuation of the Arab Peace Initiative.
Morocco’s advocacy was based on the principles enshrined in the “Al-Quds/Jerusalem Appeal”, signed on March 30, 2019 between His Majesty King Mohammed VI – Amir Al Mouminine – and Pope Francis. This major document underlines, in particular, that it is “important to preserve the Holy City of Jerusalem/Al-Quds Acharif as a common heritage of humanity and, above all, for the faithful of the three monotheistic religions, as a place of meeting and symbol of peaceful coexistence, where mutual respect and dialogue are cultivated. To this end, the specific multi-religious character, the spiritual dimension and the particular identity of Jerusalem/Al-Quds Acharif must be preserved and promoted. We hope, therefore, that full freedom of access to the faithful of the three monotheistic religions and the right of each to exercise their own worship are guaranteed in the Holy City, so that in Jerusalem/Al-Quds Acharif s “raises, on the part of their faithful, prayer to God, Creator of all, for a future of peace and fraternity on earth”.
In addition, Morocco’s plea recalled the “consensus of the international community on the legal status of Israeli settlements established in certain parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory – including Al-Quds/East Jerusalem”, stressing that they “constitute a obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible: an independent and viable Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, living side-by-side with the State of Israel, in peace and security.”
“The settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through dialogue and negotiation, in compliance with the United Nations negotiation framework, and in particular Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, remains the keystone for lasting peace and stability. in the Middle East,” underlines Morocco’s plea.
“This design structures the action of the Kingdom of Morocco both bilaterally and multilaterally within the United Nations – within the framework of the work of the General Assembly and its six major Commissions, and regional groupings representing the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation – within which His Majesty King Mohammed VI chairs the Al-Quds Committee.
Finally, Morocco recalled, in its pleading, the Message from HM the King on the occasion of the celebration, in November 2022, of the international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people in which the Sovereign affirmed: “We emphasize once again that the blocking of the political process between Israelis and Palestinians does not serve the peace that we wish to see reign in the region. At the same time, we encourage any positive sign and any laudable initiative likely to restore the climate. of trust and to encourage the initiation of responsible negotiations whose outcome would be a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question, in accordance with the decisions of international legality and on the basis of the realistic two-State solution.
2024-04-23 00:10:18