International congress in Dakhla,Morocco

Dakhla Declaration

We, members of the Association of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World, representing our 44 bays from 25 different countries, gathered in Dakhla, Morocco, on the occasion of the organization’s 18th World Congress from November 27 to December 1, 2024.

– Welcoming the holding of this congress in Dakhla, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, for the second time in the Kingdom after Agadir in 2004, and confirming the privileged position occupied by Moroccan bays within our organization and the important role they are expected to play, along with bays from other regions of the world, in addressing the challenges our bays face;

– Welcoming the generous contribution of the Dakhla Oued-Eddahab Region to this international event, the sustained efforts of its population to preserve its natural beauty and recognizing the region’s efforts in environmental conservation and as a crossroads of co-development in the Sahel region, thanks to Morocco’s Atlantic initiative to promote access of the Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean;

– Reaffirming our commitment to multilateral North-South and South-South exchanges, the transfer of experience and expertise, as well as social, cultural, sporting, commercial, and industrial exchanges between the populations of our bays, including youth and children.

– Also reiterating our commitment to the fundamental principles of sustainable development in order to promote the maintenance or improvement of environmental and protection conditions in each member bay;

– Reaffirming our commitment to encouraging the use of science to achieve biodiversity conservation objectives and promote sustainable and inclusive economic and social development in our bays;

– Confirming our commitment to act, in constant solidarity, as a facilitator, resource, and spokesperson for member bays, based on local, national, and international recognition, enabling us to use public forums and international forums, including the United Nations, to express our views and influence decisions on issues that concern us;

We sovereignly declare, in line with the reflections, ideas, and ambitions we have jointly expressed, notably through our Bay Charter, adopted in Cambodia in 2022, and the Toyama Declaration, adopted in 2015, that we have agreed, at the conclusion of this 18th World Congress, to pool our efforts and commit, to the extent possible, to prioritizing the following areas of development:

1) Strengthen communications between each member bay and the organization’s governance, particularly by promoting the emergence of mobilizing projects such as the « Clean Beaches: All Together » Day on June 5th, which was a great success, the « Photos of the Most Beautiful Bays » exhibition, organized in Qingdao, China, as part of the « 2024 Global Ocean » forum, as well as cooperation forums on each continent and video competitions for young people and drawing competitions for children.

2) Consolidate the Association’s role on the international stage and strengthen its participation in international forums aligned with the fundamental principles and criteria on which the organization was founded, particularly in the areas of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

3) Consolidate its international status by fostering the development of financial partnerships with international public and private organizations whose objectives are compatible with the organization’s missions and values, such as the partnerships established with Veolia and Briston;

4) Contribute to fostering North-South and South-South cooperation based on solidarity and joint action, by committing to assessing progress made at each congress, starting next year in Chaleur Bay and Tadoussac Bay in Canada, and strengthening the bays’ adherence to the objectives and ambitions of our Charter.

Done in Dakhla, November 29, 2024