In a press release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates announces that Moroccan candidate Ahmed Erraji was elected by an overwhelming majority of 136 out of 139 votes, to replace his resigning compatriot Miloud Loukili, professor of international law and prominent expert in maritime studies.

This new electoral success testifies to the great credibility of the Kingdom, in line with the Very High Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, within the United Nations and relevant international organizations, for the promotion of blue economy as a lever for development worldwide. 

This re-election,” the press release adds, ”is also another confirmation of Morocco's expertise in the delimitation of maritime zones and the management of ocean resources, key elements within the framework of international maritime law."

Building on this Royal Vision, Morocco is working with commitment and conviction to build a genuine community of destiny and interest with its neighbors in Africa and its partners around the world, by making the most of its maritime assets and adopting an innovative approach to regional cooperation based on solidarity. 

Through the Three Royal Initiatives for the Atlantic, the Kingdom is committed to strengthening maritime cooperation, contributing to peace and security in this strategic zone, while placing sustainable and inclusive maritime development at the heart of its priorities for the African continent, the Ministry stresses.

Morocco, with its two coastlines spanning over 3,500 km, holds a strategic geographical position at the crossroads of three continents: Africa, Europe and America. This position makes the Kingdom a key player in the promotion of its rights and rules internationally for the implementation of sustainable development in Africa.

Made of twenty-one members elected on the basis of equitable geographical distribution, the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, created under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) known as the Montego Bay Convention, is tasked to issue recommendations on the delimitation of the Continental Shelf submitted by coastal states party to the Convention.

The Kingdom ratified the Convention in 2007, which forms the basis of the international maritime order.

Erraji holds a PhD in geology and a post-graduate diploma in applied geology from the Mohammed V University in Rabat, as well as a master's degree in remote sensing and geographic information systems from the Group for the Development of Aerospace Remote Sensing in Toulouse, France. He accumulated extensive expertise in the Commission's fields of activity, as well as a perfect understanding of its mandate.