During his address at the ceremony, Ambassador Youssef Amrani highlighted the “tremendous success” of these assemblies, emphasizing that these gatherings underscore the enduring partnership between Morocco and the Bretton Woods institutions.

The global event held in December 2023 in Marrakech, shortly after the tragic earthquake in the Al Haouz region, symbolized international recognition of Morocco’s determination and resilience. Ambassador Amrani noted that it also signaled the level of confidence in the Kingdom, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, both politically and economically.

Expressing satisfaction with the “fruitful cooperation” with the two financial institutions, which support Morocco's economic and social development dynamics, the Ambassador underscored the roles of the IMF and the World Bank in shaping economic policies and advancing global development.

The diplomat also praised progress in improving representation of Southern countries within the IMF, citing the decision to allocate a third seat to Africa on the Fund’s Board of Governors, which he believes will help address the growing wealth gap between developed and developing countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Gopinath conveyed IMF’s gratitude to Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, for the distinguished organization of the Marrakech assemblies, noting them as “the best ever held outside Washington.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Mr. Hussain Shah expressed his admiration for the organization of the event, which brought together several thousand participants, just weeks after the earthquake in the Al-Haouz region. He commended Morocco’s ability to successfully host such high-level events.

The Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group gathered approximately 14,000 participants representing 189 delegations, including finance and development ministers, senior officials from both global financial institutions, central bank governors, parliamentarians, private sector leaders, as well as representatives from civil society organizations and academia.