Security Cooperation: International Recognition of the Moroccan Model and Expansion to New Partnerships

25 December 2024 Printable Version

Rabat - The year 2024 was marked by numerous achievements for Morocco in the realm of international security cooperation, most notably the election of the Directorate General of National Security's candidate as Vice President of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for the African continent. This election was secured by a significant majority over other candidates during the voting process held on the sidelines of the 92nd Interpol General Assembly, which took place in Glasgow, Scotland, from November 4 to 7, 2024.

In its 2024 report, the DGSN emphasized its determination, as a member of Interpol's Executive Committee holding the position of Vice President for Africa, the DGSN aspires to enhance police structures across Africa and promote South-South security cooperation, in line with the High Royal Directives positioning cooperation with African countries as a strategic priority for the Kingdom.

This year was also characterized by the Kingdom's engagement with new international partners in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, aiming to advance its interests in these regions.

In this regard, a memorandum of understanding was signed on May 21, 2024, between the Director General of the Brazilian Federal Police and the Director General of the DGSN-DGST hub. Additionally, on October 7, 2024, the Director General held virtual discussions with the Director General of Criminal Police in Chile.

The Director General of the DGSN-DGST hub also held a series of meetings and discussions on the sidelines of the 92nd Interpol General Assembly and the 8th Interpol Meeting of Police Chiefs from the MENA region. These engagements aimed to strengthen security cooperation with several of the Kingdom's traditional and new partners.

Notable talks included meetings with the Deputy Minister of the Turkish Ministry of Interior, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the Republic of Serbia, the Deputy Director General of the Hong Kong Police, the Director General of Police in Senegal, the Head of the National Central Bureau of China's Ministry of State Security, and the Director General of the Norwegian Police. The latter expressed Norway's willingness to deepen cooperation with Morocco through the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the DGSN.

The DGSN has also focused on strengthening the framework governing its security cooperation with police services in friendly and brotherly nations. In this regard, a memorandum of understanding was signed on March 6, 2024, with the London Police Command to enhance cooperation with the DGSN-DGST hub in counter-terrorism efforts. Additionally, another memorandum of understanding was signed on September 23, 2024, focusing on police training and investment in human resources between the DGSN and the Abu Dhabi Police Command.

The year 2024 also witnessed the consolidation of security partnerships with France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Italy. This was achieved through intensified exchanges of visits with key officials, including the Directors General of Internal and External Security in France, the Director General of the Italian National Police, the President of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, the Administrator General of the Belgian State Security Service, and the Commissioner General of the Belgian Federal Police. Of note, on December 5, 2024, the Belgian Federal Police signed an action plan on security cooperation with the DGSN.

The Director General of the DGSN-DGST was also the guest of honor at the ceremony commemorating the 200th anniversary of the creation of the Spanish police force.

Regarding global and multilateral security cooperation, the DGSN continued to strengthen its ties with international and regional organizations, as well as with United Nations offices tasked with combating crime and narcotics and protecting women victims of violence.

In this context, the Director General of the DGSN-DGST held discussions with the President of Interpol, Ahmed Nasser Al Risi, and the outgoing Secretary General of the organization, Jürgen Stock, as well as with the newly appointed Secretary General of Interpol, Valdecy Urquiza, and its Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton.

In police cooperation and academic training, the Director General of the DGSN-DGST participated as a member of the Higher Council of the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) in the work of this decision-making body. This meeting provided an opportunity to present Morocco's proposals for advancing police training in the Arab world in response to evolving changes and new challenges in this domain.

For statistics related to international police cooperation, the International Police Cooperation Division under the DGSN processed, during the current year, 6,800 cases and information requests, of which 10% related to drug cases, 9% to irregular migration, 25% to the bilateral exploitation of personal data databases, and 36% to information requests.

Cooperation with Spain ranked first with 37%, followed by police cooperation with France (28%), then Germany (11%), the United States (10%), Austria (3%), and the Netherlands with 2%.

For cooperation in the field of technical assistance and the exchange of expertise and experiences, the DGSN completed this year the construction and equipping of the Advanced Police Training Center in Ifrane. This facility, set to open in the first half of 2025, will serve as a specialized training center for police officers and agents from Morocco, Africa, and friendly and brotherly countries.

Regarding technical assistance in police training, 2,019 Moroccan police officers benefited from training programs initiated as part of international cooperation, 87% of which were conducted in-person, and 58% organized within Morocco.

Regarding operational security cooperation, the Interpol National Central Bureau in Rabat processed 7,053 information requests and facilitated cooperation on 2,229 cases related to the international trafficking of stolen vehicles. This led to the seizure of 380 vehicles reported as stolen abroad, as listed in Interpol's databases.

The Interpol National Central Bureau in Rabat also oversaw the execution of 125 international letters rogatory issued by foreign authorities and issued 121 international arrest warrants, leading to the arrest of 135 individuals wanted internationally by Moroccan judicial authorities.

The bureau also issued 2,831 national arrest warrants in response to requests from security services of foreign countries and red notices from Interpol. Additionally, it released 280 search alerts initiated by liaison offices of Arab countries and disseminated 1,715 suspension notices for international arrest warrants and 503 notices of terminated searches, issued at the request of judicial authorities from other Arab countries.

In the same vein, 82 individuals wanted internationally by Moroccan judicial authorities were extradited to Morocco, representing an increase of over 52% compared to 2023. Additionally, 45 foreign nationals were arrested in Morocco pursuant to international arrest warrants issued against them, while 35 individuals were extradited to the requesting countries.