Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, affirmed on Thursday, during a United Nations Security Council meeting in "Arria" formula, that Morocco considers the management of straits a responsibility, not ownership, calling for an initiative to draft a code of conduct for countries overlooking these maritime passages.
Bourita highlighted, during this meeting organized by the Kingdom of Bahrain on the topic "Safe Seas, Shared Security: Protecting Freedom of Navigation in a Changing Security Environment," that Morocco is not just a coastal state, but a state that bears direct responsibility for the management and safety of the "Strait of Gibraltar," one of the most important maritime passages in the world.
He pointed out, in this context, that about 100,000 ships pass annually through this strait, equivalent to 300 ships per day, or an average of one ship every five minutes.
He explained that navigation in the Strait of Gibraltar exceeds traffic in the Suez Canal by five times, and surpasses the Panama Canal by eleven times, and is also close to three times the navigation density in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Minister affirmed that Morocco does not view its geographical location as a privilege or a tool for pressure and blackmail, but rather as an international responsibility and a lever for serving international cooperation, stability, and development.
From this perspective, Bourita announced to the participants in this important meeting Morocco's call to consider drafting an international code of conduct for the freedom of navigation, considering that international maritime passages must remain open, safe, and stable spaces.
For this purpose, Bourita proposed that Morocco host an international forum in coordination with the Kingdom of Bahrain, with the aim of strengthening commitment to the rules of international law, exchanging best practices, and reducing polarization between those who claim ownership of these strategic passages and those who exploit them for blackmail.
The Minister also considered that seas and oceans are essential global infrastructure, and despite their great importance, they remain fragile, making them targets for greed and malicious schemes.
