The UIL presidency represents one of over fifty leadership positions Rabat secured in international and regional organizations throughout 2025.
Morocco’s Ambassador to Germany Zohour Alaoui has been unanimously elected to chair the Board of Directors of UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) for the 2026-2028 period.
The appointment seals the North African kingdom’s emergence as a central diplomatic actor within the architecture of international governance.
The election took place during the 21st meeting of UIL’s Board of Directors in Hamburg. Costa Rica’s former Vice President and Foreign Minister Epsy Campbell Barr was simultaneously elected as Vice President of the UN institute’s governing body.
Officials position Alaoui’s selection as an international recognition of Morocco’s commitment to education as a cornerstone of peace and sustainable development.
They say the appointment reinforces King Mohammed VI’s pioneering leadership in advancing educational initiatives across Africa and beyond.
The decision builds on Morocco’s active involvement with UNESCO and UIL, particularly following the seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII) held in Marrakech in June 2022. That conference produced the Marrakech Plan and established the African Foundation for Lifelong Learning.
During the same Hamburg meeting, UNESCO added the Moroccan cities of Oujda and Casablanca to its Global Network of Learning Cities.
The designation recognizes their strong commitment to making education accessible to all ages at the local level. Fez, Agadir, and Essaouira joined the global network in 2023.
A remarkable ascendancy within the global institutional framework
The UIL presidency represents one of over fifty leadership positions Rabat secured in international and regional organizations throughout 2025.
This unprecedented diplomatic momentum spans diverse sectors, including peace, security, human rights, sustainable development, and digital governance.
Morocco achieved several historic firsts this year. The kingdom assumed its inaugural presidency of the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and became the first Arab nation to chair the International Council of Nuclear Societies (INSC).
The country was also designated President of the UN Conference on establishing a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East and gained its first presidency of the International Network of Corruption Prevention Authorities.
In maritime governance, Morocco secured the First Vice-Presidency of the International Maritime Organization Assembly for 2026-2027 while maintaining its council seat.
Parliamentary achievements included Morocco’s first election to the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights bureau.
A Moroccan magistrate was elected Vice President of the International Association of Judges for the first time since the organization’s 1953 founding.
The country continues presiding over the Central African Republic Configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, a position it has held through regular re-elections. Morocco was also re-elected to UNESCO’s Executive Council for 2025-2029 with high scores within its regional group.
In food security, Morocco secured re-election to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Council for 2026-2029 and won election to the World Food Programme Board of Directors.
Environmental and climate responsibilities include Morocco’s Vice-Presidency of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) for North Africa and participation in UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
Morocco positioned itself at the forefront of emerging international issues, particularly digital transformation and artificial intelligence. The country joined the Digital Cooperation Organization Executive Committee and secured the Vice-Presidency of INTERPOL’s Global Expert Group on Cybercrime.
source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)
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Morocco’s Ambassador to Germany Zahour Alaoui
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MOROCCO