During the National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform formalized a strategic agreement to bolster cooperation aimed at promoting inclusive digital transformation throughout the Arab States and African regions. This partnership seeks to enhance digital public services, foster responsible AI use, and develop institutional and regulatory frameworks that support sustainable digital growth and regional integration.
Marina Walter, Deputy Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States, highlighted Morocco’s leadership role: “This partnership underscores our shared commitment to harnessing digital transformation as a powerful enabler of sustainable development and regional integration. Morocco is demonstrating great leadership not only in advancing its national digital agenda but also in helping shape a collaborative, future-oriented digital ecosystem across the Arab States and African regions—one that is inclusive, resilient, and capable of delivering real impact.”
The collaboration leverages Morocco’s strengths in digital governance, AI, and data science and is anchored in the Digital for Sustainable Development Hub initiative, recently launched with UNDP support. This initiative reflects a mutual dedication to ensuring that digital transformation yields tangible development benefits, especially as digital technologies impact approximately 70% of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets.
Global internet access has risen sharply, with two-thirds of the world’s population now online. Internet penetration in the Arab region increased from 28.8% in 2012 to 70.3% in 2022, while Africa’s grew from 25% in 2019 to 38% in 2024. Despite these advances, digital benefits remain uneven due to systemic challenges like fragmented infrastructure, limited AI access, insufficient digital innovation investment, and uncoordinated regulatory policies.
The signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) marks a pivotal step in advancing Morocco’s digital transition strategy and supporting regional development priorities aligned with the SDGs. It reaffirms Morocco’s commitment to becoming a regional hub for inclusive, rights-based digital transformation and contributes to UNDP’s global mission of fostering equitable, secure, and development-oriented digital cooperation.
