Morocco, UNDS Set to Promote Cooperation in Sustainable Tourism

Strengthening cooperation in sustainable tourism and the development of Moroccan cooperatives was the focus of a recent meeting held in Rabat between Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, and Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Development System (UNDS) in Morocco, Nathalie Fustier.During the meeting, the two parties expressed their satisfaction with the cooperation ties between Morocco and the United Nations System, and reviewed the positive cooperation between the two parties in the fields of tourism and handicrafts, the Ministry said in a statement.This cooperation has resulted in a number of concrete actions, including support for the implementation of the reform of tourist accommodation in Morocco, in partnership with the UNDP and UN Tourism, the production of a gender analysis of the tourism sector, in partnership with the Department of Tourism, the Center of Excellence for Gender-Responsive Budgeting of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and UN Women, and the development of a strategy for safeguarding and promoting knowledge and know-how related to handicrafts, in partnership with UNESCO, the statement noted.On this occasion, Ammor reiterated her teams' readiness to work harder to pursue the privileged partnership initiated with the United Nations Development System in Morocco, and expressed her wish to strengthen collaborative actions between the two parties for greater impact.For her part, Fustier, whose mission is to coordinate the work of UN agencies, funds and programs in Morocco, praised Morocco's experience, particularly in developing women's cooperatives.She also expressed her willingness to put her experience within the United Nations to good use, and to coordinate with the relevant UN agencies, with a view to boosting cooperation with Morocco, particularly in the fields of sustainable tourism.Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse