In his speech at the opening ceremony, Driss El Yazami, said: "Morocco's history has a promising future. He stated that the forum was conceived against a backdrop of rising tides of protest in the region, to which Morocco chose to respond in a calm and gradual way with the adoption of the 2011 Constitution.

He added "we have a promising future together" is the theme of the opening of the Human Rights Forum in Essaouira. Working with Naila El Tazi and her team, the festival, which has been battling to bring Morocco closer to its rich history and cultural diversity, and to the world, is the best place to host this new space for democratic debate, without which there can be no living democracy".

Commenting on the theme of this session, Mr El Yazami stressed that hosting the World Cup jointly between the three countries is a " wonderful " opportunity for their peoples, while at the same time posing a major challenge in technical, financial and human terms. He pointed out that between Morocco, Spain and Portugal there is a paradoxical reality that fluctuates between close proximity and great distance. "On the one hand, there is a shared history rooted in the spirit of Andalusia and strong moments of proximity, but also periods of tension, misunderstanding and sometimes confrontation", stressing the need to "diversify these spaces for dialogue".

He also highlighted the work carried out by a number of institutions in the three countries to bring societies closer together, such as the Foundation of the Three Cultures of the Mediterranean, the Institute of Hispano-Portuguese Studies at Mohammed V University, the Camões Institute at the Portuguese Embassy in Rabat and the Cervantes Centre.

As for the Moroccan community abroad, estimated at six million people, Mr El Yazami pointed out that it was important to work alongside Spain and Portugal, as the countries of origin of migrant communities have become host countries for migration. He reminded the audience that the CCME had organised a conference on migration institutions with the participation of Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and other African countries, saying that the time had come to re-establish this dynamic.

CCME