First National-Local Dialogue for Morocco

The first National-Local Dialogue (NLD) for Morocco under the UrbanShift platform will take place on June 20, 2025 in Rabat, in the form of a National Conference on the Circular Economy, co-organized by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

This milestone event marks the launch of a coordinated, multi-level governance process for sustainable urban development in Morocco. The dialogue will bring together approximately 120 high-level participants, including two ministers, senior officials from national agencies, and local leaders from all 12 regions of Morocco, as well as representatives from major cities such as Marrakech, Rabat, Casablanca, Fès, Agadir, and Tangier.

The Dialogue will focus on how circular economy principles can serve as a pathway for Morocco's urban and environmental resilience, aligning national strategies with local action. It will directly contribute to the elaboration of the country’s forthcoming National Circular Economy Roadmap, under development by the Ministry.

Structured around high-level plenaries, a strategic multi-stakeholder panel, and thematic working groups on water, energy, and waste, the NLD aims to:

• Strengthen national-local alignment on circular economy priorities;
• Identify high-impact sectors for circularity at territorial level;
• Address governance and implementation challenges.

By convening key actors from across all levels of government, this first National-Local Dialogue represents a critical step toward building a shared vision for circular economy transition in Morocco. It will help bridge gaps between national policy and local implementation, promote knowledge exchange across regions, and strengthen Morocco’s capacity to advance a more sustainable, inclusive, and resource-efficient urban future.