Assahafa.com
Morocco remains firmly committed to dialogue with Spain regarding maritime border delimitation while adhering to international law, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stressed during a high-level seminar on “International Practices in Maritime Space Delimitation” held in Rabat.
“Possessing a coastline is not enough to be a maritime nation; it must be integrated into a geopolitical vision,” Bourita stated in his address, delivered by his chief of staff, Sami El Marrakchi. This approach has characterized Morocco’s strategy throughout its history, particularly during King Mohammed VI’s reign.
The minister outlined three fundamental constants guiding Morocco’s maritime policy: defending territorial integrity, commitment to international legality, and rejection of unilateral approaches to border delimitation.
“Whenever we have faced attempts at imposition, we have responded firmly but always respecting the law of the sea,” Bourita noted, reiterating Morocco’s preference for peaceful resolution of maritime disputes.
Regarding the sensitive issue of maritime borders with Spain, Bourita reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to a “peaceful, direct, transparent and constructive” settlement. Bilateral dialogue, he added, embodies the spirit of good neighborliness and mutual interest, aligning with the strategic partnership between Rabat and Madrid.
“When dialogue is chosen, the sea ceases to be a line of separation to become a bridge of union,” he summarized.
Maritime doctrine shapes national development strategy
Beyond delimitation, the royal maritime vision focuses on harnessing ocean potential as an engine for development and regional integration, particularly with Africa. This ambition translates into developing the blue economy, expanding port infrastructure like Tanger Med and the future Dakhla Atlantic port, and calls to rebuild a competitive national fleet.
The sea stands central to major diplomatic initiatives launched by King Mohammed VI. These include the Rabat Process (2022), bringing together 23 African Atlantic countries around maritime security, environmental protection, and sustainable blue development.
Additionally, the Royal Initiative for Sahel countries’ access to the Atlantic (2023) aims to break landlocked isolation by offering these states access to Moroccan port infrastructure. The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project (2016) will connect 13 African countries, stimulating regional industrialization and consolidating stability through shared prosperity.
These initiatives reflect the royal conviction that “everything becomes possible in Africa when a strong vision allies with firm determination,” Bourita underlined.
In June, during the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, King Mohammed VI – represented by Princess Lalla Hasnaa – co-chaired the “Africa for the Ocean” summit alongside the French president.
This event provided a major platform to affirm the continent’s voice and bring to the forefront the strategic role of its maritime spaces. The King insisted that Africa cannot envision its future solely through a terrestrial lens, as its destiny is also maritime.
The minister called for reforming ocean governance to incorporate technological advances (underwater robotics, mining), respond to environmental imperatives related to biodiversity, pollution, and acidification, and accommodate new maritime uses.
He stressed the urgency of implementing the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), calling it a “strategic and ethical” priority.
Building sovereignty through legal framework
Bourita traced Morocco’s maritime sovereignty construction through key milestones: the Royal Navy’s creation in 1960, establishing the National Fisheries Office in 1969, territorial waters proclamation in 1973, declaring the exclusive economic zone in 1981, and adopting initial continental shelf laws in 1992.
In 2017, Morocco launched the procedure to extend its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, before adopting two major laws in 2020 on delimiting territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone.
These texts, according to Bourita, reflect a comprehensive strategy to update the national legislative framework, in perfect coherence with the 1982 Convention.
“The Convention on the law of the sea is not just a delimitation code; it’s an evolving and pragmatic instrument. It can further serve development, security and cooperation,” he noted, adding that while it remains a reference framework, the 40-year-old document needs updating.
Bourita’s comprehensive approach reveals three essential dimensions in Morocco’s relationship with the sea and its laws. First, the conviction that the sea is not a boundary but a space for connection and integration.
Second, demonstrating how Morocco manages and utilizes its maritime spaces not defensively, but through partnership. Finally, proving that Morocco does not view the Montego Bay Convention as a rigid text, but as a living, dynamic, and evolving tool.
“The world has changed, and so have the oceans; therefore, it is time to think about reforming ocean governance to accommodate technological progress, respond to environmental needs, and open up to new uses of the sea,” the minister concluded.
The seminar featured participation from renowned international legal experts, including Mohamed Bennouna, President of the Institute of International Law (IIL), and Yuji Iwasawa, President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
This high-level gathering provided a platform for reflection and exchange, fostering dialogue between legal traditions and international practices in maritime governance.
Source: Morocco word news
