HM the King Delivers Speech to Nation on Green March 49th Anniversary

Here follows the full text of the speech:

"Praise be to God May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin

Dear Citizens,

Today, we are proudly celebrating the forty-ninth anniversary of the Green March.

That peaceful, popular march enabled us to recover the Moroccan Sahara; it also strengthened the bond between that region's inhabitants and their motherland.

Since then, Morocco has been able to establish tangible facts on the ground as well as an irreversible reality rooted in law, legitimacy, commitment and responsibility, as evidenced by the following:

Firstly: the strong attachment of our sons and daughters in the Sahara to their Moroccan identity, and their commitment to the nation's sacred, immutable values, in keeping with the bond of the Bei'a , which has existed throughout history between the inhabitants of the Sahara and the kings of Morocco.

Secondly: the progress, security and stability existing in the Moroccan Sahara.

Thirdly: growing international recognition of the Sahara as a Moroccan territory, and the broad support the Autonomy Initiative has been receiving.

Parallel to this natural, legitimate situation, there is, sadly, another world clearly disconnected from reality - a world still feeding on the illusions of the past and clinging to outdated theories and claims:

As a result, there are some who demand a referendum, despite that option being discarded by the United Nations and the impossibility of implementing it; at the same time, the proponents of that position refuse to allow a census of the people detained in the Tindouf camps, using them as hostages, keeping them in deplorable, humiliating conditions, and depriving them of the most basic rights.

And there are those who exploit the Sahara issue so as to secure access to the Atlantic Ocean.

To them I say this: We do not refuse such as a prospect. As everyone knows, Morocco has proposed an international initiative to facilitate the Sahel countries' access to the Atlantic Ocean, within the framework of partnership and cooperation. The aim being to achieve shared progress for the benefit of all peoples in the region.

And there are those who exploit the Sahara issue to deflect attention from their many internal problems.

Still others seek to manipulate certain legal aspects in order to serve narrow political goals.

To them as well, I say this: Morocco's partnerships and legal obligations will never be at the expense of its territorial integrity or its national sovereignty.

Now is time for the United Nations to assume its responsibility and spell out the major difference between the real, legitimate world - represented by Morocco in its Sahara - and a world which is frozen in time, and which is disconnected from reality and the developments that have taken place.

Dear Citizens,

At this stage in the evolution of the question of our territorial integrity, we need to keep up the concerted efforts of us all.

In this regard, I wish to commend, in particular, the sense of patriotism shown by our Moroccan community abroad, and its commitment to defending the nation's sacred, incontrovertible values, as well as its contribution to our country's development.

To strengthen the bonds linking our expatriate community to the homeland, I have decided that the mechanisms used in managing the affairs of Moroccans residing abroad should be revisited.

This will be achieved by restructuring the institutions concerned with our community abroad to make sure there is no overlap of powers and no dispersion of actors, and to see to it that the new needs of our expatriate community are met.

With that in mind, I have asked the government to ensure a restructuring of the institutional framework, based on two main bodies:

- The first one is the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad; this independent constitutional institution must play its role in full as a platform for reflection and for making proposals, ensuring that all components of our expatriate community are duly represented.

In this respect, I call for the rapid adoption of the new law for the Council so that it may be installed at the earliest opportunity.

- The second one concerns the establishment of a special body, to be called the "Mohammadia Foundation for Moroccans Residing Abroad"; it will serve as the executive arm for the implementation of public policy in this regard.

The new institution will be tasked with pooling the powers currently scattered among a number of actors, and with preparing, coordinating and implementing the national strategy for the Moroccan community abroad.

The new institution will also manage the "National Mechanism for Mobilizing Moroccan Skills Abroad", which I called for and which should be front and centre in the institution's mission.

The aim is to open up prospects for Moroccan skills abroad and to accompany project leaders.

Working actively with the departments and stakeholders concerned, I expect this institution to give a strong impetus to the linguistic, cultural and religious services provided to the Moroccan community abroad, all generations included.

One of the main challenges this institution must address is the simplification and digitization of administrative and judicial procedures that concern our expatriate community.

I also attach special importance to opening up new prospects for Moroccans abroad to invest in their homeland. That the contribution of our expatriate community to private investment should stand at a mere 10% is really not acceptable.

Dear Citizens,

The sacrifices made by the generation of the Green March inspire and prompt us to be more vigilant and to show greater mobilization. The purpose is to enhance the gains made in the recognition of the Sahara as a Moroccan territory, and to continue promoting the development and progress witnessed in our southern provinces.

In the same spirit, we must see to it that the fruits of progress benefit all citizens in all regions, from the Rif region to the Sahara, from the east to the Atlantic Ocean, from mountainous regions to our plains and oases.

I seize the opportunity of this glorious anniversary to remind ourselves of the Green March's eternal oath, as a mark of loyalty to its architect, my revered father, His late Majesty King Hassan II - may he rest in peace - and to pray for the souls of our righteous martyrs.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh".