Morocco Mobilises Support For Congo Basin Blue Fund

Morocco is at the heart of preparations for the roundtable on financing projects from the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin.

Morocco participated in Nairobi in the work of the Council of Ministers of the Congo Basin Climate Commission (CCBC), a meeting dedicated to preparing for the donors’ roundtable scheduled for 26 May in Brazzaville, focusing on financing projects from the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin.

The Moroccan delegation was led by the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, accompanied by, among others, the Director of Climate and Biodiversity, Rachid Tahiri, and the Director of Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ismaïl Chekkori.

The Congo Basin represents the second largest tropical carbon sink in the world after the Amazon.

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According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the World Bank, this area covers nearly 220 million hectares of forest and plays a strategic role in global climate regulation as well as in the preservation of African biodiversity.

The discussions in Nairobi focused on finalising priority projects and establishing a portfolio of structuring programmes aligned with the national strategies of member states.

Ministers also reviewed the governance mechanisms of the Blue Fund, including the validation of legal texts and the appointment of representatives to decision-making bodies.

Morocco holds a significant position in this governance, participating in the Blue Fund’s executive committee, board of directors and Assembly of Funders.

The Congo Basin Climate Commission was launched at COP22, held in Marrakech in 2016, at the initiative of King Mohammed VI.

Sunday’s meeting thus marks the tenth anniversary of the Congo Basin Climate Commission’s creation, as well as the first anniversary of the Marrakech Declaration on the ESG Mining Framework, an initiative undertaken with several African mining ministers to promote an African approach to sustainable mining development.

The Nairobi talks follow several preparatory meetings held in Brazzaville, Belém, and Nairobi since October 2025.

This diplomatic escalation aims to secure financial commitments before the Brazzaville roundtable, in a context where African states are seeking to strengthen their access to international climate finance.

At the same time, Rabat is promoting its own territorially based climate strategy. Moroccan authorities reiterate that the Kingdom has raised its Nationally Determined Contribution mitigation target to 53 percent by 2035 through a portfolio of 90 climate projects.

AP