Morocco was elected to the presidency of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere Programme (ICC-MAB) on Tuesday during the Council’s 36th Session held on July 1-5 in Agadir.
Represented by Latifa Yaacoubi, Director General of Morocco’s National Agency for the Development of Oases and Argan Zones (ANDZOA), Morocco will chair the ICC-MAB for a two-year term.
Yaacoubi, who succeeds Nigeria’s Adepoju Adeshola, welcomed the trust placed in Morocco to chair the ICC-MAB, expressing her commitment to working with the other members and partners of the Council to implement the various projects under the MAB Program.
“I am honored to assume this position and fully committed to strengthening cooperation relations with member countries, and to continuing with the same momentum to promote the development of biospheres, towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.
Reacting to Morocco’s election to chair the ICC-MAB, several representatives from ICC-MAB member countries commended Morocco’s significant contribution to the implementation of environmental initiatives and its efforts to strengthen regional and international cooperation with respect to the environment.
The ICC-MAB’s mission includes guiding and supervising the MAB Program, reviewing progress in its implementation, recommending research projects to member states, and formulating proposals for regional and international cooperation.
The Council is composed of 34 Member States of UNESCO, elected by the General Conference during its regular sessions. Member selection is based upon fair geographical representation, rotating membership, ecological diversity across continents, and the scientific importance of member involvement in the international program.