In the context of her visit to the Kingdom of Morocco, to take part in the Second High Level Meeting on Democratic Transitions, which ESCWA held in Rabat on 5 and 6 February 2013, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf visited Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane at the Council of Ministers Headquarters. The meeting was attended by Moroccan Minister of State Abdallah Baha. Discussions tackled the support ESCWA could give to shoulder Moroccan national efforts to further national development.

During the meeting, Khalaf asserted that having Morocco as part of the ESCWA member countries has given a push to the work of the Regional Commission, especially since the Kingdom wishes to uphold efforts towards regional integration. As the regional arm of the United Nations, ESCWA places great importance on the support of Morocco to uphold common Arab efforts, she said. Khalaf also noted that ESCWA works relentlessly to make its activities more responsive to the needs of the countries of the region, and to better convey the economic and social challenges of the Arab region to international UN fora.

For his part, Benkirane expressed support for the work of ESCWA and welcomed all efforts to diminish obstacles to regional integration. The Arab region has big integration potential, which should be tapped, he said.