In the first part of the Board’s work, Her Royal Highness reviewed the 2009 results of various programs undertaken by the Foundation, as follows:

“Eco-Schools” Program:

Nine schools have achieved their objectives and were awarded the Green Flag Label.

“Young Reporters for the Environment” Program:

The 16 academies in the Kingdom have participated with 92 written reports and 239 photographs.

Two international awards were granted to Morocco by the international jury headquartered in Paris.

In partnership with the ISESCO the Foundation co-organized a national workshop dedicated to awareness raising among teachers of the connection between environment, health and sustainable development, and a contest for Young Reporters for the Environment for high school students from 4 Arab countries: Jordan, Syria, Tunisia and Morocco.

Clean Beaches Program:

Fifty-three beaches were involved in the program, out of which 16 were labelled “Blue Flag” for summer 2009.

Qualit’air PROGRAM:

This program, which expires according to the road map devised by the Council in 2002, showed significant outcomes.

– Awareness raising and Training of Garage and technical inspection center staff

– Blank control campaign on motor vehicles

– Removal of ordinary diesel and generalization of 50ppm diesel

– Establishment of the national air quality monitoring network in all Morocco’s major cities.

– Launching of an eco epidemiological study in partnership with the Ministry of Health and assistance of an expert from the WHO.

NATIONAL ASSET REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM:

Three hundred and ten palm trees planted to date for rehabilitation of the Marrakech Palm Grove.

VOLUNTARY CARBON OFFSET PROGRAM:

The most recent Foundation project, this program is now on the verge of implementation in conjunction with the signing of a partnership with CDG, BCP, ONE, ONEP and the Agence de l’Oriental.

To be recalled is that the program funds are dedicated to planting and environmental education in schools for the promotion of renewable energy.

On the other hand, since December 2009, the Foundation joined the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen as an observer.

In the second part of the proceedings devoted to the future outlook, Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa sought to highlight the strategic positioning of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environment Protection, which intends to become a recognized player at the regional level and the national benchmark education for sustainable development arena.

By making environmental education the foundation of its mission, the Foundation wishes to contribute to the promotion of the right to environment and capacity building for the effective exercise of environmental duties by citizens, economic players, associations and government.

In light of this positioning, the Council approved the guidelines outlined by Her Royal Highness for the different programs.

Thus the beaches program will move in the direction of a national program including all the beaches covered by the quality control of bathing waters. The program will expand from 53 to 114 beaches beginning the 2011 season.

The new concept of “Clean Beaches” will revolve around three concepts:

– Effective exercise by the communes of their resort planning and management prerogatives.

– A range of services developed and managed by different ministerial departments in areas such as lighting, safety, and first aid, etc.

– Assistance by the economic partners focused on upgrading beaches with labelling potential.

– REHABILITATION AND UPGRADING PROGRAMS FOR LOCAL ASSETS, A study will be launched to install into each garden an educational circuit. This circuit will be standardized to be duplicated and form the backbone of each rehabilitation project.

– QUALIT’AIR PROGRAM, The management of air measuring stations will be transfered to the meteorological service in consultation with the Department of Environment and the DGCL. The Foundation will refocus on the part directly related to its mission, i.e. Education and Awareness Raising.

Similarly, the Council approved the revision of the Foundation’s bylaws which will enable it to strengthen its support in education and awareness and further develop its programs.