Economic Development Strategy: Geopolitical and

Geostrategic Issues
A country of average importance in terms of surface area, population and GDP, Morocco has
the advantage of a strategic geographical position with the proximity of Europe, sub-Saharan
Africa and the Mena region. Bathed by two seas, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean
Sea, it controls the Strait of Gibraltar. Politically, Morocco enjoys stability thanks to a
thousand-year-old monarchy that enjoys the consensus of the population. On the other
hand, its foreign policy revolves around two main objectives, the Sahara and economic and
social development. Indeed, the question of the Sahara was a priority, given that the
Saharan provinces accounted for a third of the country's territory, that Morocco had spent
over 100 billion dirhams there to develop them, and that the establishment of a Saharan
entity under Algerian influence in the south would be catastrophic. The other objective of
foreign policy is the development of our exports and the attraction of foreign direct
investment in our country.
However, there are several geopolitical issues at the national and international level that
impact Moroccan economic development. With regard to the national stakes, a local
geopolitical analysis was carried out on local development and territorial governance. In
terms of local development, the issues at stake are:

 The tension between the actors to defend and control the territory under the logic of
defending their interests, and their representations.
 The enlarged conflict that manifests itself by the globalization of a group of actors
against large projects in order to give up planned projects or integrate new actors.
 The strategy used by elected officials to control the territory through media actions,
by resorting to the courts, by violence and often manifests itself through the use of
identity issues.
On the other hand, the issues that impact territorial governance are elements that are part
of its composition and influence its effectiveness, such as national laws (investment code,
environmental code, etc.), laws that apply to all territories (organic laws of municipalities,
regions, etc.), and laws that apply to the whole of the country (laws of the communes,
regions, etc.). ), national economic policies in terms of industrial development, services,
agriculture or energy for example, social policies concerning work, housing, health,
education, etc., regional planning policies, whether they are related to the issue of
infrastructure and financial instruments (taxes, user contributions, etc.), which help to guide
the policies and projects undertaken by the stakeholders.
Several mechanisms and indicators have been proposed in order to remedy and meet these
challenges, as shown in the following table:

Local Development Territorial Governance

 Decentralization: The transfer of  Strengthen the policy process: Policy
power from the State to must begin with design,
communities or institutions that are implementation and evaluation at
 different from it and that benefit, all stages of the policy cycle. This is
under its supervision, from a certain the only way to achieve concrete
autonomy of management. improvements in results on the
 Local participatory democracy: In ground.
other words, participatory  Promote efficient resource
management can be achieved either management: Better resource
through local intelligence, which management implies strengthening
enables the development of domestic resource mobilization,
participatory processes that include human and financial resources with
citizens in the public space in order the openness and transparency of
to discuss and reflect on strategies information technology.
aimed at reviving local development  Lifting the main obstacles to the
and improving citizens' living provision of public services:
conditions. Or by the scope that will Identifying the needs and problems
allow the inhabitants to express facing the population and improving
their opinions and needs on the water, health, education and
projects that concern them so that it transport services by advocating
facilitates the task of the elected openness, transparency and citizen
representatives in the execution of involvement in order to serve the
its projects. poor and marginalized populations.
 Strengthening public/private
partnership
 Intercommunal cooperation
As for international geopolitical issues, here are the most sensitive ones:
National security: The risk of infiltration of uncontrolled groups is a proven threat to the
security of the Maghreb in general and Morocco in particular.
The border environment: Morocco's neighbors do not contribute to the removal of obstacles
to the building of the Greater Maghreb. Algeria's support for the polisario hides its double
game, which consists in preventing Morocco from establishing itself as a leader in the
Maghreb and in materializing its horseshoe-shaped bypass to open up to the Atlantic.
Mauritania, which does not stop with coups d'état and political rivalries, against a backdrop
of ethnic distortions. Morocco's borders are and will be the scene of tensions that are
detrimental to its overall security.
The regional terrorist threat: Since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan in 2002 and the
global anti-Jihadist hunt organized by Western intelligence services and their special forces,
the United States and Europe have been engaged in a strategy to eliminate terrorist
infrastructures infested with Al Qaeda. Since the beginning of the Al Qaeda network's threat
constituency in the East, bin Laden's followers have been trying to find new bases far from
the Middle East. Al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb embodies this tactical shift in international
terrorism. This creeping dynamic can impact Morocco, via Algeria or Mauritania or through
the camps of shame in Tindouf.
African immigration: Thousands of Africans converge on Morocco with, sometimes, the
blessing of certain states, not to settle there, but for a transit, which over the years, has
turned into an un-negotiated mass immigration (≈ 20,000 illegal immigrants according to
international NGOs in 2007). The immigration suffered in its wake brings in its wake legal,
cultural and health problems capable of destabilizing the cohesion of the receiving country.
Europe is trying to outsource the management of rejected migration flows, eventually
turning Morocco into a detention center relocated from the Schengen area. A Sangatte-type
center in the north of France! The connections of the narcotic networks; despite the
relentless fight and the convincing results of the Moroccan authorities, the production and
trafficking of cannabis tarnish the country's reputation. The mapping of narcotics flows,
established by international bodies (Interpol, Europol), places Morocco at the crossroads of
narcotic highways with its tentacles in Europe, the Maghreb, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin
America.
Morocco's stability and prosperity: cannot be sustainable if we do not take into account the
geopolitical coalitions that are being made and broken. Globalization and the level of
dependence on the outside world (95% of energy, 75% of major investments, 45% of food
security, 60% of foreign exchange...) impose on Morocco a well-developed strategy to
contain international variations and to create secure prospects in order to consolidate, for
Moroccans, an area of freedom and sustainable prosperity. The economic sectors most
exposed to the hazards, volatility and unpredictability linked to the new mechanisms of
globalization also constitute a major geopolitical challenge.
Currency transfers by Moroccans living abroad: are tending to decline. The generational
mutations, observed among MREs, will in the medium term reduce financial flows to
Morocco (the number of Moroccan property owners in France to increase by 30% in ten
years). This process of depression will become more pronounced over time.
The question of the Moroccan Sahara: On this level, the arguments regularly taken up by
Rabat's supporters at the UN seem undeniably relevant, underlining the potential danger of
a political, but also religious, radicalization of the Polisario Front, in parallel with the
consolidation, it seems, of the links uniting the latter with some non-negligible elements of
major organized crime, including the arms trade. This issue, moreover, is a matter of fairly
high tension, both with Nouakchott and with Algiers.
It should also be recalled that, over and above the potential danger posed by the
breakthrough of radical Islamism in the southern regions, the problem of the Moroccan
Sahara has lost part of its economic and strategic interest.
Formerly a privileged place for exchanges between the North and the South, the Moroccan
Sahara, stretched some 1800 kilometers from Morocco's Mediterranean shores and the very
spectacular awakening of Tangiers, tends to be considered as a "geopolitical dead end", a
part of the world, devoid of a surplus of very great potential in terms of resources.
In order to face its challenges and for Morocco to move towards a dynamic and inclusive
development, it is in its interest to:

 Further strengthen its position as a gateway to Africa, particularly West Africa and
Sub-Saharan Africa;
  Improve and strengthen relations with East African countries in order to have a
global action on the continent, but also for the strong potential that these countries
present;
 Strengthen its relations with the European Union at all levels by taking all measures
to ensure that Morocco is part of the single European market "for political (Sahara
issue), economic (trade, FDI, tourism, transfers from RME), cultural and social
reasons (large Moroccan community living in Europe) ... » ;
 Relaunch of the "Fixed Link" project between Morocco and Spain, which will promote
European-African integration;
 Preparation of negotiations with the United Kingdom following the Brexit.
 Development of relations with Russia as part of the diversification of economic
partners;
 Diversifying and developing relations with Japan, South Korea and India, which will be
the main players in world growth in the 21st century, along with China;
 To increase the number of Moroccan embassies in Asia, to multiply high-level state
visits, to promote the legal framework (Trade Agreements and Double Taxation
Treaties);
 Developing political and economic relations with the United States while defending
the Palestinian cause, multilateralism, and the fight against climate change;
 Prospecting Central and South American markets and raising awareness of these
countries on the Sahara issue.
Morocco thus has an advantageous geostrategic position even if it is low in energy
resources, and to compensate for this, it has implemented an ambitious policy to promote
renewable energy, based on wind and solar power. Morocco also has national and
international geostrategic stakes. The following table summarizes the geostrategic issues
that impact the Moroccan economic development at the national level and the solutions
proposed to address these issues:

Geostrategic Stakes Proposed solutions to address its issues

 High level of adult illiteracy;
 A level of education of the
Moroccan population aged 15 years
and over, estimated at an average of
5 years of schooling compared to 7
years for emerging countries;
 A labour market marked by
structural imbalances due, on the
one hand, to a mismatch between
training and labour market needs,
and illustrated by a high
unemployment rate among young
graduates;
 Growing inequalities in a context of
declining traditional solidarity;
 The decline in bed density measured
 Developing human capital;
 Reducing inequalities and promoting
social protection;
 Strengthen social capital;
 Promoting flexibility and ensuring
skills in the labour market;
 Making the private sector the
foundation of wealth creation;
 Putting industry at the center of
structural transformation;
 Increasing the productivity,
sustainability and economic
integration of the agricultural
sector;
 Fostering the development of a
more sophisticated service sector
 in number of hospital beds per with high added value and strong
10,000 inhabitants between 1990 linkages to the sectors of the
and 2018; economy;
 Decrease in the level of confidence  Reconsider the relationship between
in society; man and nature.
 A negative evolution which is
typically explained by a dilution of
respect for the rule of law and civic
sense;
 Low civic participation;
 Lack of respect for the rules of life in
society;
At the international level, Morocco has undergone profound transformations in the space of
a decade. Its international relations have diversified, both in terms of actors and the
strategic orientations of its foreign policy. However, there have been threats and issues that
have caused major constraints and hampered Morocco's economic development. These
threats and challenges are as follows:

 Low economic growth and then great vulnerability to the major financial crises that
have come from outside, such as the Asian crisis, the Russian crisis and also our own
crisis;
 The lack of water and energy, this lack will be a real problem for the economic
improvement of Morocco;
 The new forms of commercial confrontation: Morocco is affected by these
phenomena and must overcome them to become eligible in terms of geostrategic
relations, especially with its European neighbor;
 The new forms of communication: which constitute both a formidable opportunity
for development and influence, but also a considerable source of destabilization if
the maturity of the countries is not at the level of this information revolution that is
emerging. This is a "battle of minds" that is not neutral in the long run, particularly
with regard to civil societies and modes of governance;
Without forgetting that Morocco must play on the following three points:

 Return to stability, especially in terms of eliminating the fiscal deficit and the
independence of the Central Bank;
 Reduction of the role of the State in favor of privatization, regularization,
decentralization and above all the opening up of the economy;
 The adoption of integration systems that are an integral part of neo-liberal models.
The following six reflections have been proposed for Morocco to recover and face these
threats:

 Having a great respect for macro-economic balances is fundamental,

 In the long term, growth depends on increased investment, which depends on the
country's ability to increase its savings capacity.
 Economic efficiency.
  Social efficiency.
 The efficiency of institutions or the role of the State.
 The opening up of the economy and regional cooperation.
Morocco must reposition itself in international relations. Giving up our position in Europe is
certainly not a problem. Europe is still the world's main trading force. On the contrary, we
need to consolidate our market share in Europe, notably by opening up new markets in
addition to the two main partners of France and Spain.
Finally, Morocco suffers from a serious public budget deficit that must be compensated for
as soon as possible, and it suffers from a social deficit as a result of the fact that a large part
of the population continues to suffer from poverty. Africa must be a priority for our external
action, because this continent, which is rich in natural resources and has a billion
inhabitants, has an enormous demand that our country can meet. We must not ignore any
country in Latin America. With the help of OCP, Brazil has once again become Morocco's
third largest customer, creating a considerable trade gap for our country.
In conclusion, Morocco must urgently readjust its international relations and adopt new
positions in a changing world.

Technical terminology:
English French

Strategic geographical position Position géographique stratégique

Geopolitical issues Enjeux géopolitiques
Local development and territorial Développement local et gouvernance
governance territoriale
Intercommunal cooperation Coopération intercommunale
Local participatory democracy La démocratie participative locale
The border environment L'environnement frontalier
Geostrategic stakes Enjeux géostratégiques
Low economic growth Faible croissance économique
Strengthen the policy process Renforcer le processus politique
Promote efficient resource management Promouvoir une gestion efficace des
ressources
National security Sécurité nationale
The regional terrorist threats Les menaces terroristes régionales
African immigration L'immigration africaine
Morocco’s stability and prosperity La stabilité et la prospérité du Maroc
Currency transfers by Moroccans living Transferts de devises par les Marocains
aboard résidants à l’étranger
The question of the Moroccan Sahara La question du Sahara marocain
Low civic participation Faible participation citoyenne
Return to stability Retour à la stabilité
Economic efficiency Efficacité économique
According to this research work it can be said that even though Morocco has a strategic
geographical position as well as an advantageous geostrategic position, it is confronted with
several national and international geopolitical and geostrategic issues that hinder its
economic development. In the first place, there is of course the impact of the public policies
that are carried out. Thus, in my opinion, geopolitics and geo-economics cannot in any way
be dissociated. Among the important points to be raised when talking about Moroccan
geopolitics is the capacity to have a true vision, both in time and space, and this vision is
materialized by the Strategic Orientations contained in the Speeches and Messages of His
Majesty King Mohammed VI. The second point to be raised is the issue of governance, which
is the most cited issue in explaining the inadequacies of the current development model.
Governance is considered to be the major element that has slowed down Morocco's march
towards dynamic and inclusive development. However, in a geo-strategic context, Morocco
must invest in human capital since it is the key factor of productivity and competitiveness, its
quality amply explains the performance of the most dynamic Asian countries, such as South
Korea, China and Malaysia. Morocco must also pay attention to factors of change such as
energy transition, water security and the digital revolution. Particular attention should be
paid to improving energy efficiency with a view to reducing the trade deficit and increasing
the competitiveness of companies, without forgetting the issue of water, which is of
paramount importance since the lack of this vital resource could pose a threat to Morocco's
future. Another point that Morocco must devote importance to is the size and role of the
private sector; the Moroccan private sector seems to be unresponsive to the actions and
decisions of the public sector, as well as the development of entrepreneurship and start-ups.
On the other hand, at the international level, Morocco's foreign policy revolves around the
Sahara and economic and social development. It is true that Morocco has undergone, in the
space of a decade, profound transformations. Its international relations have diversified,
both in terms of actors and the strategic orientations of its foreign policy. However, there
have been threats and challenges that have caused significant constraints. First of all, there
is the low economic growth and great vulnerability to the major financial crises that have
come from outside, such as the Asian crisis, the Russian crisis and also our own crisis. Then
there is African immigration, the border environment, national security... But the major
challenge is the Moroccan Sahara issue. That is why Morocco must improve and strengthen
its political and economic relations with the countries of East and South Africa, as well as
with the EU and the United States, not forgetting Central and Latin America, to raise
awareness of the Sahara issue.