Assahafa.com
On the sidelines of the United Nations Open Source Week, held at UN Headquarters in New York, Morocco’s minister of Digital Transition and Administration Reform, Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with senior United Nations officials.
The discussions served to strengthen the Kingdom’s strategic partnerships in the fields of digital governance, artificial intelligence (AI), sovereign digital infrastructure, and international cooperation for development.
During a meeting with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, Amandeep Singh Gill, Seghrouchni presented the main pillars of Morocco’s AI strategy through 2030, driven by the “AI Made in Morocco” initiative, as well as the Kingdom’s ambition to promote a “third digital path” that reconciles technological sovereignty, open innovation, and international cooperation.
The talks also focused on Morocco’s flagship initiatives, including its partnership with Mistral AI, participation in the European AI Factories initiative, the development of the Digital for Sustainable Development (D4SD) Hub, and the Al Jazari ecosystem, as well as enhanced cooperation with the United Nations in open-source technologies, AI governance, and capacity building.
Seghrouchni also met with UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ahunna Eziakonwa, to discuss strengthening cooperation between Morocco and Timbuktoo, UNDP’s flagship pan-African initiative aimed at building an integrated African innovation market.
The discussions highlighted Morocco’s assets to host a pan-African hub dedicated to smart cities and intelligent mobility, anchored in the Al Jazari Institute and integrated into the Morocco-based Arab-African D4SD Hub platform.
The minister also held talks with UN Assistant Secretary-General and Chief Information Technology Officer Bernardo Mariano Jr., during which the two officials discussed digital sovereignty, critical digital infrastructure, sovereign data centers, data factories, and the conditions necessary for developing trustworthy AI.
The two sides shared a common vision for stronger African cooperation in digital infrastructure, data governance, and the certification of open-source software and AI systems.
The discussions further explored opportunities offered by the Digital Public Goods Registry to promote digital solutions developed by Moroccan companies and startups, as well as ongoing UN efforts to adapt international standards to AI systems.
In addition, Seghrouchni met with Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), in the presence of Ilaria Carnevali, UNDP Resident Representative in Morocco.
The talks focused notably on the accession of the D4SD Hub to the Global Alliance for South-South and Triangular Cooperation, a UNOSSC-led global platform bringing together governments, UN agencies, development banks, the private sector, and research centers to accelerate South-South and triangular cooperation around practical development solutions.
The discussions also underscored the strong synergies between this global platform and the future AI Marketplace of the D4SD Hub, designed to facilitate the sharing of AI models, digital solutions, datasets, and technical expertise.
Through this series of high-level meetings, Morocco reaffirmed its role as a strategic partner of the United Nations in advancing a more open, inclusive, and responsible global digital governance framework. The Kingdom also continues to strengthen its position as a regional platform for cooperation, innovation, and capacity development serving Africa and the Arab world.
Source: map
