On July 30, 2009, in a Speech from the Throne, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, called upon the government to “draft a comprehensive National Environmental Charter.” The charter will constitute the reference text for the protection of natural resources and ecosystems.

Aware of its role, and its mission to support various ministerial departments in different environmental fields, and drawing on its experience from its environmental education programs, including the Clean Beaches program and the Education for Sustainable Development program, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, «Ambassador of the Coast» under the United Nations Environment Programme, wishes to initiate an informed, innovative and shared debate for the preservation of national ecological heritage, and in particular the coast.

Placed under the auspices of UNESCO and the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development framework, this Conference is organized in partnership with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), in order to exchange communication on sustainable development concepts and experiences.

The various topics that will be presented during this conference cover diverse coastal issues : biodiversity, pollution, fisheries, sustainable tourism, etc. The coastline, a multi-use area, is indeed faced with complex problems that ultimately affect its ecological balance and consequently, its economic and social development potential. The coast suffers from resource-use conflict, and the difficulty of reconciling the functions of recreation, industrial and agricultural production, and other mainland activities, especially in coastal cities. This zone of utmost importance to fishery production and tourism is also degraded by urban and industrial discharges.

The objective of this International Conference is to gather, integrate and enable the sharing of experiences in education and awareness on coastal issues, both nationally and internationally. A panel of experts will take part by taking status of the subject in question, and discussing management strategies and development of coastal areas.

Various institutional and private actors working in areas related to the coast are involved with this event. In particular, the Ministry of Equipment and Transport ; the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries ; the High Commission for Water, Forests, and Combating Desertification, the National Institute for Fishery Research ; the Superior Institute of Information and Communication, the Association of Educators in Life and Earth Sciences ; other private partners working actively in the socio-economic sectors related to the coast ; and many NGOs, such as the Tigri Association, and the Nature Initiative Association, which are working to increase respect for our heritage and our natural resources.

Internationally, the conference will be attended by reputable organizations such as UNESCO, ISESCO, Mediterranean Action Plan, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Clinton Climate Initiative, the Cousteau Foundation, Prince Charles Foundation for the Built Environment, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Agir pour une Afrique Durable (AGAD) (Action for Sustainable Africa Association) in Senegal, Conservatoire Régional du Littoral de Corse (Corsican Coastal Conservatory), Tara Oceans Fund and Mediterranean Information Office for Environment (MIO ESCDE).