The agreement, signed at UNESCO headquarters by the organization Director-general Irina Bokova and the president delegate of the foundation Lahoucine Tijani, is part of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development launched by UNESCO through the implementation of a Global Action Plan (GAP) for 2015-2030.
This Plan sets five areas of action that should be targeted primarily to accelerate the progress towards sustainable development.
These areas include the capacity building of educators and trainers which was identified by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environment Protection as a priority area in Morocco.
The agreement signed with UNESCO will allow Morocco to benefit from the expertise and important educational and human resources available to this international organization, which relies on a network of 373 NGOs and 24 foundations and institutions in the field of educators' training.
It will also allow the Foundation to benefit from specialized educational curriculum developed by UNESCO on education for sustainable development, as well as its network of international experts.
These additional resources will thus strengthen the capacity of the Foundation and enable it to optimize some of its ongoing programs such as Eco-Schools and Young Reporters for the Environment, as well as other programs dedicated to the protection of environment.
The partnership with UNESCO is the culmination of a long process inaugurated by the adherence of Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment to the first Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 -2014).
Since its inception in 2001, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environment Protection has placed education and awareness-raising at the heart of its mission, thus contributing to the objectives set by the summits in Rio in 1992 and 2012, and in Johannesburg in 2002 in terms of education for sustainable development, to which Morocco has subscribed.
Several programs and projects were initiated by the said Foundation including: Clean Beaches, environmental education and awareness, and Voluntary Carbon offset.
These successfully implemented programs are based on environmental education, coastal protection, responsible tourism, restoration of historic gardens and the preservation and development of palm groves and oases.
Since its adherence to the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in 2002, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environment Protection has decided to implement four FEE programs in Morocco, mainly blue Flag for beaches, eco-Schools for primary schools and young Reporters for the Environment in high schools.
Upon her arrival at UNESCO headquarters, HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa was received mainly by Eric Falt, Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Public Information at UNESCO, Rachid Benmokhtar, Minister of national Education and vocational training, Chakib Benmoussa, Morocco's ambassador to France, and Zohour Alaoui, Morocco's UNESCO delegate ambassador.