The establishment in Morocco of a Program Office for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) is a “natural step” in reinforcing the kingdom’s counter-terrorism capacity in Africa, said, on Tuesday 06 October 2020, UNOCT Under-Secretary-General, Vladimir Voronkov.
It is a “historic event” and a “logical” step forward, given Morocco’s “leadership” in the UN counter-terrorism efforts, the UN official said during the signing, via videoconference, of a Headquarters Agreement for the establishment in Morocco of the UNOCT Program Office.
The agreement was inked, on the Moroccan side, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita.
The UNOCT office, the first of its kind in Africa, will provide training in counter-terrorism, law enforcement, border security management, prevention of the presence of radicals, and human rights in the fight against terrorism, the UN official said.