Houd e , Annabelle; Fu ness, Ma k
Resea ch Repo
Time o a s a egic pa ne ship: The po en ial o
deepening Ge man-Mo occan coope a ion
IDOS Policy B ie , No. 25/2025
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Ge man Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y (IDOS), Bonn
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Houd e , Annabelle; Fu ness, Ma k (2025) : Time o a s a egic pa ne ship: The
po en ial o deepening Ge man-Mo occan coope a ion, IDOS Policy B ie , No. 25/2025, Ge man
Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y (IDOS), Bonn,
h ps://doi.o g/10.23661/ipb25.2025. 1.1
This Ve sion is a ailable a :
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Time o a S a egic Pa ne ship:
The Po en ial o Deepening
Ge man-Mo occan Coope a ion
Annabelle Houd e & Ma k Fu ness
Summa y
Ge many and Mo occo ha e a long-s anding his o y o
de elopmen coope a ion, which is now e ol ing amid
a apidly changing egional and in e na ional con ex .
This pa ne ship bene i s bo h coun ies, and he e is
signi ican po en ial o i o deepen. Mo occo has
eme ged as a key ac o in No h and Wes A ica,
s eng hening i s economic, mili a y and geopoli ical
in luence. I bene i s om Ge man expe ise, in es -
men and s a egic suppo . Ge many, as a middle
powe in Eu ope, elies on Mo occo’s coope a ion o
ad ance i s economic, echnological and diploma ic
in e es s in A ica and he Medi e anean.
Global dynamics a e eshaping he na u e o
Ge man–Mo occan coope a ion. T adi ional de elop-
men coope a ion models, in which Wes e n coun ies
p o ide aid o coun ies in he “Global Sou h”, a e
becoming less ele an . Inc easingly, coope a ion is
aking he o m o ansac ional ela ionships aimed a
ealising mu ual economic, comme cial and poli ical
gains. This p agma ic app oach ne e heless needs
o emain embedded in coope a ion no ms ha
emphasise human igh s, social inclusion and
en i onmen al sus ainabili y. These p inciples
unde pin mu ual long- e m bene i s o he socie ies o
bo h coun ies.
Ge many needs o posi ion i sel as a pa ne ha
de ines i s in e es s clea ly, combining s a egic and
economic collabo a ion wi h suppo o inclusi e and
sus ainable de elopmen . Whe e ade-o s exis , hese
mus be iden i ied, add essed, o , i necessa y, lead o
Ge many e aining om coope a ion in ce ain a eas.
Mo occo, despi e impo an p og ess in po e y educ-
ion o e he pas wo decades, con inues o ace
signi ican socio-economic dispa i ies, and inequali ies
a e ising in he con ex o clima e change, limi ed
access o heal h and educa ion, and opaque
go e nance. In e na ional pa ne s can suppo
Mo occo in add essing hese issues.
Ge man Chancello F ied ich Me z has a icula ed a
o eign policy ha pu sues in e es s and upholds alues
ia s ong pa ne ships wi h key coun ies. De elop-
men coope a ion is a co e componen o hese ela-
ionships, bo h o add essing sus ainable de elopmen
needs and o opening doo s o o he ela ionships, in
a comp ehensi e coope a ion policy o ma . Mo occan
go e nmen o icials, esea che s and ci il socie y
ac o s in e iewed o his pape s essed ha his is
exac ly he kind o ela ionship ha hei coun y is
looking o build.
Looking ahead, ou key s a egic hema ic a eas a e
likely o de ine coope a ion o e he nex decade:
1. geos a egic in e es s – pa icula ly he s a us o
Wes e n Saha a and A ican ela ions;
2. in as uc u e and in es men – ocusing on
public and p i a e sec o in es men in in a-
s uc u e, connec i i y and ene gy;
3. mig a ion, labou ma ke s and aining – empha-
sising legal mig a ion, oca ional aining, and
mee ing bo h coun ies’ labou ma ke needs; and
4. go e nance o he common good – including
clima e ac ion and anspa en , accoun able and
inclusi e go e nance bo h locally and in e -
na ionally.
O e mo e han 50 yea s, Ge many and Mo occo
ha e buil signi ican us h ough de elopmen coop-
e a ion, p o iding a s ong ounda ion o a mo e s a -
egic pa ne ship. Realising his po en ial, howe e ,
equi es cla i y on each coun y’s p io i ies, adap -
abili y and ed lines.
IDOS POLICY BRIEF
25/2025
IDOS Policy B ie 25/2025
2
F om de elopmen coope a ion o
coope a ion policy
The in e na ional con ex o de elopmen coop-
e a ion is e ol ing apidly, a end widely dis-
cussed in he de elopmen e ec i eness li e a-
u e. T adi ionally, de elopmen coope a ion in-
ol ed inancial, economic, ins i u ional and socio-
cul u al assis ance p o ided by so-called “de el-
oped” coun ies and mul ila e al o ganisa ions in
he “Global No h” o coun ies and egions in he
“Global Sou h”. O e ime, his model has aced
mo al and poli ical challenges, p omp ing deba e
o e i s ele ance and e ec i eness.
The declining impac o adi ional aid e lec s
shi s in he economic, echnological and e hical
in luence o he Global No h. Dono coun ies
ha e inc easingly aligned hei de elopmen
policy wi h na ional in e es s, while oices in he
Global Sou h ha e ques ioned whe he aid me ely
pe pe ua es colonial exploi a ion (Tagga , 2025).
In esponse, schola s and p ac i ione s ha e e-
amed de elopmen as “coope a ion policy”.
Concep ually, his app oach mo es beyond
dono – ecipien dynamics, emphasising mu ually
bene icial pa ne ships. In p ac ice, i equi es
clea ly de ined join in e es s and ed lines,
suppo ed by ne wo ks, ins umen s, expe ise
and mu ual us o os e s a egic ela ionships
(Klingebiel & Sumne , 2025).
Despi e i s p omise, his app oach is isky. As co-
ope a ion becomes mo e ansac ional, conce ns
abou engagemen wi h au ho i a ian go e n-
men s and he ex ac i e endencies o p i a e
capi al become mo e ele an . Upholding uni-
e sal alues, human igh s and en i onmen al
sus ainabili y is essen ial o e ec i e, legi ima e
and du able pa ne ships.
Ge man–Mo occan coope a ion p o ides a imely
case o explo e he po en ial and limi s o he
coope a ion policy model. Mo occo is a i al
pa ne o Ge many in economic, mig a ion and
secu i y ma e s ac oss he Medi e anean and
he A ican con inen . The coun y o e s in es -
men oppo uni ies in sec o s such as au omo i e
and ae onau ics, ba e y p oduc ion and enew-
able ene gy, including hyd ogen. I is also an
impo an in e na ional pa ne on clima e ac ion.
A he same ime, Mo occo aces deep inequali-
ies and high unemploymen , and has a cen al-
ised, en ie -based poli ical sys em. Ge many
can play a c ucial ole in suppo ing Mo occan
e o s o add ess hese s uc u al challenges
while ad ancing mu ual in e es s.
A new ela ionship can build on success ul ies
es ablished h ough 50 yea s o de elopmen
coope a ion. In Mo occo, Ge many is pe cei ed o
be a us wo hy pa ne ha has con ibu ed o
imp o ed legal and policy amewo ks o iscal,
ene gy, wa e and en i onmen al issues, and as
an “hones b oke ” ha p o ides dialogue
pla o ms wi hin Mo occo and in e na ionally.
This policy b ie d aws on p io analyses o exis -
ing Ge man–Mo occan coope a ion and in e -
iews wi h policymake s, esea che s and ci il so-
cie y ac o s om bo h coun ies. I discusses he
po en ial o a mo e s a egic pa ne ship based
on coope a ion in ou a eas:
• geopoli ical in e es s in a changing con ex
• in as uc u e and in es men
• job c ea ion, aining and mig a ion
• go e nance o he common good.
We ou line mu ual in e es s and o e ecom-
menda ions o deepening coope a ion in each o
hese a eas. These a e summa ised in he able
below. The pape concludes wi h i e gene al
ecommenda ions o building s a egic coope a-
ion be ween Ge many and Mo occo.
De eloping s a egic coope a ion
Mo occo holds signi ican s a egic impo ance o
bo h Ge many and he EU, while a he same ime
Ge many and he EU o e subs an ial oppo un-
i ies o he kingdom. A pa ne ship g ounded in a
clea a icula ion o sha ed in e es s, as well as an
unde s anding o ade-o s and ed lines, can
help de ine mo e a ge ed and e ec i e coope a-
ion in an e ol ing geopoli ical landscape.
IDOS Policy B ie 25/2025
3
Mo occo’s ele ance o Ge many and he EU
spans mul iple dimensions. Economically, i is
inc easing in impo ance as a ading pa ne
(Table 1), wi h g ow h po en ial ac oss di e se
sec o s, including ood, elec onics/ba e ies, he
au omo i e and ae onau ics sec o s, and pha ma-
ceu icals and ex iles. S a egically, i is a c i ical
pa ne o mig a ion go e nance and secu i y
policies. Poli ically, i is a ela i ely s able coun y
in an uns able egion. Mo occo possesses he
wo ld’s la ges phospha e ese es o e ilize
p oduc ion and holds signi ican cobal , sil e and
coppe esou ces, all o which a e i al o
Eu ope’s digi alisa ion and ene gy ansi ion. O e
he pas wo decades, Mo occo has le e aged i s
geog aphic posi ion and poli ical-cul u al ies o
Eu ope and A ica, while simul aneously deepen-
ing ela ions wi h o he s, including China, Is ael,
Russia, Saudi A abia, Tü kiye and he USA. I s
economic g ow h and u ban in as uc u e de el-
opmen ha e c ea ed a ac i e oppo uni ies o
Eu opean in es o s and ou is s. Pe sis en socio-
economic dispa i ies, clima e change, cen alised
go e nance and eli e-d i en en -seeking s ill gen-
e a e poli ical ensions ha can ha e di ec o
indi ec e ec s on Ge many and he EU.
Recu ing poli ical p o es s, including he ecen
GenZ 212 mo emen , illus a e his discon en .
Mo occan coope a ion in e es s a e embedded in
he wide geos a egic con ex o No h A ica and
he Sahel. The coun y posi ions i sel as a e-
gional leade in he Global Sou h and as a
ga eway o Wes A ican ma ke s and go e n-
men s. I na iga es a ca e ul balance be ween
No he n and Sou he n p io i ies – as in i s
app oach o he Uk aine wa – while subo dina ing
i s o eign policy o he o e a ching objec i e o
secu ing in e na ional ecogni ion o i s so e eign-
y o e Wes e n Saha a, which i ega ds as i s
“Sou he n p o inces”.
Mo occo is in e es ed in deepening ies o he EU
and Ge many. The EU accoun s o nea ly hal o
Mo occo’s impo s and oughly wo- hi ds o i s
expo s, and Eu opean in es o s play a key ole
in he coun y’s economic de elopmen . La ge
Mo occan diaspo a communi ies in Eu ope
s eng hen bo h socio-cul u al and economic links
h ough emi ances, while EU ins i u ions and
membe s a es in luence mul ila e al o a – such
as on clima e change – whe e Mo occo seeks o
ad ance i s in e na ional p o ile. Fo eign suppo
is also c i ical o add essing Mo occo’s employ-
men and wa e challenges, hus helping o
manage social discon en .
Table 1: Economic coope a ion be ween
Ge many and Mo occo (2022–2024)
2022 2023 2024
Ge man expo s
o Mo occo
2,800 3,200 3,500
Annual g ow h (%)
30.0 14.1 8.0
Ge man impo s
om Mo occo
2,100 2,800 3,200
Annual g ow h (%)
34.4 33.2 14.9
Ge man FDI in
Mo occo (s ock)
1,423 1,489 n.a
Annual g ow h (%)
-2.5 4.6 n.a
Ge man inancial
coope a ion wi h
Mo occo
277 312 465.50
To al Ge man
ODA o Mo occo
347.33 361.50 n.a
Sou ces: GTAI; Ge man Fede al S a is ical O ice; Deu sche
Bundesbank; K W, OECD-DAC. All igu es in Eu o (millions)
S a egic a ea 1: geopoli ical
in e es s
Bila e al ela ions be ween Ge many and
Mo occo a e embedded in he con ex o changing
alliances on he A ican con inen and wi h espec
o es ablished and eme ging global powe s.
Secu i y, ade, ene gy and supply chains, bu
also ques ions o na ional so e eign y and in e -
na ional go e nance, a e co e issues o bo h
coun ies and hus o hei bila e al ela ions.
Fo Mo occo, so e eign y o e Wes e n Saha a
emains he cen al and non-nego iable na ional
in e es . The go e nmen and i ually all o he
popula ion see con ol o e he e i o y as in eg al
o he kingdom’s na ionhood. In ecen yea s
IDOS Policy B ie 25/2025
4
Raba has expanded i s suppo o his posi ion:
mos A ican s a es, and majo global playe s
such as F ance, Spain, he UK and USA, ha e
mo ed close o Mo occo’s au onomy p oposal.
Mo occo pu sues a mul i ace ed geos a egic
agenda in A ica. I has expanded i s so powe
h ough bila e al coope a ion in educa ion,
aining, eligious a ai s and secu i y, while
deepening economic ies and eshaping egional
poli ics. Ini ia i es such as he 2023 A lan ic
Ini ia i e, which has he “sou he n p o inces” a i s
hea , link he Sahel o global supply chains
h ough Mo occan ma i ime in as uc u e and
in eg a ed ene gy sys ems. This illus a es
Mo occo’s ambi ion o posi ion i sel as a hub.
Mo occo coope a es wi h he Alliance des É a s
du Sahel c ea ed by Bu kina Faso, Mali and
Nige , which u ned away om F ance and o he
Eu opean pa ne s and owa ds China, Russia
and Tü kiye. Mo occo’s s a egic aim is o con-
solida e i s poli ical and economic in luence in
A ica while s eng hening i s pa ne ships ac oss
he Medi e anean and A lan ic.
Ge many has consis en ly aligned wi h he UN-led
p ocess on Wes e n Saha a and decla ed in bo h
2022 and 2024 ha Mo occo’s au onomy plan o
he e i o y could be a basis o a solu ion nego i-
a ed unde UN auspices. Be lin has no endo sed
Mo occan so e eign y ou igh , unlike he USA in
2020 o F ance du ing P esiden Mac on’s 2024
isi , when Pa is signed in es men ag eemen s
wo h €10 billion. Ge many seeks o main ain he
c edibili y o in e na ional law and he UN p ocess,
while a he same ime ecognising Mo occo’s
g owing s a egic impo ance.
The eshu ling o alliances on he A ican con i-
nen c ea es new oppo uni ies o coope a ion
be ween Ge many and Mo occo. Mo occo’s
A lan ic Ini ia i e has bo h economic and poli ical
dimensions: i can acili a e in es men in enew-
able ene gy, mine als, gas and anspo in a-
s uc u e, while also suppo ing ansa lan ic
collabo a ion wi h ini ia i es such as he US-led
Pa ne ship o A lan ic Coope a ion. Fo
Ge many, Mo occo’s ole in A ican diplomacy
o e s a chance o ad ance sha ed goals in
secu i y, s abili y and economic in eg a ion. T ila-
e al coope a ion in ol ing Ge many, Mo occo
and A ican s a es could combine complemen a y
expe ise and in es men o suppo sus ainable
de elopmen in he Sahel and Sub-Saha an
A ica. Fields such as decen alised go e nance,
clima e adap a ion, wa e managemen and g een
in as uc u e a e especially p omising.
A change in Ge many’s posi ion on Wes e n
Saha a ca ies isks. Endo sing Mo occan so -
e eign y could damage Ge many’s epu a ion as
a de ende o in e na ional law and he igh s o
he Sah awi popula ion. Con e sely, e aining
om ecogni ion may limi Ge man access o
Mo occan-led economic ini ia i es in A ica.
Inspi e o he cu en empo a y comp omise, he
Eu opean Cou o Jus ice’s 2024 uling ha EU–
Mo occo ade and ishe ies ag eemen s canno
be applied o Wes e n Saha a adds ano he laye
o unce ain y, pa icula ly ega ding access o
na u al esou ces. Any change in Ge many’s
posi ion would also a ec i s ela ions wi h Alge ia,
Mo occo’s main i al in Wes e n Saha a and
in e na ionally. Alge ia and Ge many concluded
an ene gy pa ne ship in 2015, complemen ed by
a join hyd ogen ask o ce in 2024.
Ge many should unde ake a ho ough, in e -
minis e ial assessmen o he ade-o s be ween
i s cu en posi ion on he Wes e n Saha a and i s
s a egic in e es in mo e in ense coope a ion wi h
Mo occo, including explo ing new oppo uni ies
wi hin he cu en a angemen . Any u u e align-
men wi h Mo occo’s posi ion mus be condi ioned
on he p o ec ion o Sah awi igh s.
Beyond he Wes e n Saha a issue, Ge many
could expand ila e al coope a ion wi h Mo occo
and A ican pa ne s, ocusing on socially inclu-
si e and en i onmen ally sus ainable p ojec s.
O he ila e al pa ne ships wi h coun ies ha
sha e common in e es s wi h bo h Ge many and
Mo occo, such as Tü kiye ( ade, ex iles, mig a-
ion) and China (ba e y p oduc ion, au omo i e
sec o ), could also be o in e es . Be lin could also
le e age Mo occo’s ini ia i es, such as he
IDOS Policy B ie 25/2025
5
A lan ic Ini ia i e, o s eng hen ansa lan ic and
A ican coope a ion. To main ain c edibili y,
Ge many mus balance p incipled posi ions on
in e na ional law wi h p agma ic engagemen ,
ensu ing ha i s policy is bo h s a egic and
alues-based.
S a egic a ea 2: in as uc u e
and in es men
Du ing he pas 20 yea s, Mo occo has achie ed
s ong economic g ow h, buil public in as uc u e
and, in 2025, o icially eached he UNDP’s
ca ego y o coun ies wi h “high human de elop-
men ”. Ne e heless, pe sis ing inequali ies and
new social and en i onmen al p io i ies c ea e
demand and oppo uni ies o o eign in es men .
Mo occo wan s bo h public and p i a e sec o
in es men o suppo i s socio-economic and
indus ial de elopmen ambi ions. P io i ies
include expanding in as uc u e, hos ing high-
p o ile in e na ional e en s such as he A ica
Cup o Na ions (2025/26) and he FIFA Wo ld
Cup (2030), and building capaci y in he heal h
and wa e sec o s. The go e nmen also wan s
o mobilise in es men om i s diaspo a, as well
as om global pa ne s such as Saudi A abia –
which ecen ly pledged €12 billion o wa e and
ene gy – and China, whose in es men s a e
es ima ed a €8 billion and ising. Mo occo’s
de elopmen s a egy emphasises indus iali-
sa ion in key sec o s, including au omo i e, ae o-
nau ics, pha maceu icals and de ence, as well as
i s ole as a ade hub h ough Tange Med,
A ica’s la ges shipya d in Casablanca, and new
logis ics cen es in Nado and Dakhla. A he
same ime, Mo occo aims o expand enewable
ene gy p oduc ion – al eady co e ing 45% o
na ional elec ici y consump ion – and o become
a hyd ogen expo e . I s mine al esou ces u he
enhance i s appeal o in es o s. Howe e ,
achie ing g ow h in a way ha helps o o e come
he highly unequal dis ibu ion o income, edu-
ca ion, job oppo uni ies and access o heal h
se ices will be c ucial o p e en poli ical
ins abili y (Dadoush & Saoudi, 2019).
Ge many could bene i om oppo uni ies in
Mo occo’s economic ise. The kingdom is g owing
in impo ance as a ehicle p oduce and expo e
o Eu ope, and i s g owing indus ial base o e s
syne gies wi h Ge man companies, especially in
au omo i e, ae onau ics, elec onics, ba e ies
and enewables. Ge man in es o s a e also
a ac ed o Mo occo’s expanding logis ics hubs
and ee- ade zones, which connec Eu ope o
A ica. In addi ion, Ge many has a long ack
eco d in Mo occan ene gy and wa e in a-
s uc u e and go e nance, whe e i s expe ise is
highly alued. Suppo ing Mo occo’s ene gy
ansi ion and indus ial mode nisa ion aligns wi h
Ge many’s own p io i ies o low-ca bon p oduc-
ion and secu e supply chains. The Ge man
go e nmen has acknowledged ha in es men s
should con ibu e o socially inclusi e and
en i onmen ally sus ainable de elopmen .
Mo occo’s indus ial expansion and enewable
ene gy ambi ions o e e ile g ound o Ge man–
Mo occan coope a ion. Ge many can build on
exis ing us , s ong echnical expe ise, and
success ul collabo a ion in he wa e and ene gy
sec o s o deepen economic ies. Expanding join
esea ch, educa ion and aining – such as he
pa ne ship be ween he F aunho e Socie y and
Mo occo’s IRESEN – can s eng hen inno a ion
in enewable ene gy and g een echnology. In a-
s uc u e de elopmen in wa e supply, was e-
wa e euse, and desalina ion ep esen s ano he
p omising a ea, p o ided i se es he b oade
popula ion a a o dable p ices. Rela ed ila e al
coope a ion in Sub-Saha an A ica could also
le e age join in e es s and expe ise.
Despi e i s g ow h, Mo occo aces deep socio-
economic inequali ies and go e nance challenges.
In some u al a eas, many ci izens lack basic
public se ices and in as uc u e, while in es -
men s concen a e on u ban ho spo s and mega-
p ojec s, widening dispa i ies and inc easingly
ma ginalising he u ban poo . Co up ion and eli e
en -seeking unde mine inclusi e de elopmen
(T anspa ency Ma oc, 2023). The e o m o he
social secu i y sys em illus a es his ension:
IDOS Policy B ie 25/2025
6
while medical co e age is expanding, he
sys em’s inancial base is weak due o ax
e asion, and p i a e ac o s eap disp opo iona e
bene i s om public unding (Ai Ouanna, 2024).
En i onmen ally, Mo occo is highly ulne able o
clima e change, and wa e -in ensi e expo ag i-
cul u e isks u he des abilising u al communi ies
al eady su e ing om declining soil e ili y and
ecological mismanagemen . I Ge man and EU
in es men s ail o suppo Mo occo in add essing
hese issues, hey isk uelling discon en ,
ins abili y and mig a ion.
Ge many could inc ease suppo o Mo occo’s
indus ial and in as uc u al de elopmen ,
including beyond he majo ci ies, while ensu ing
ha p ojec s mee high social and en i onmen al
s anda ds. Independen impac assessmen s
mus con inue o guide in es men decisions, and
sa egua ds should p e en ex ac i e p ac ices.
Coope a ion could p io i ise wa e managemen ,
enewable ene gy and clima e-sensi i e in a-
s uc u e, while a oiding p ojec s ha exace ba e
inequali ies. U banisa ion p o ides oppo uni ies,
no only o FDI bu o inno a i e, clima e-
sensi i e u ban planning and cons uc ion which
includes and se es ci izens. Ge many could
p omo e egula o y e o ms and anspa en
go e nance e en mo e in sec o s such as ene gy,
wa e and u ban planning, and suppo mech-
anisms such as axes, le ies and compensa ion
unds ha imp o e socioeconomic equi y. Join
esea ch and oca ional aining could be ex-
panded o s eng hen inno a ion and skills
de elopmen in he in e es o bo h coun ies.
S a egic a ea 3: mig a ion, labou
ma ke s and aining
Bo h Ge many and Mo occo su e , in di e en
ways, om a misma ch be ween he a ailabili y o
quali ied wo k o ce and labou ma ke needs, and
ace challenges linked o in e na ional ligh and
mig a ion go e nance. Inno a i e app oaches o
dealing wi h hese ends a e becoming appa en ,
o e ing p omising a enues o s a egic bila e al
coope a ion ha bene i s bo h socie ies.
Mo occo is g appling wi h a his o ic employmen
c isis, despi e i s g owing economy. Wi h one in
ou young people be ween 15 and 24 yea s old –
abou 1.5 million – no in educa ion, employmen ,
o aining (CESE 2023), and wi h ag icul u e
declining due o clima e change and wa e o e -
use, job c ea ion has become an u gen na ional
p io i y. The go e nmen is keen o align oca-
ional aining wi h labou ma ke needs, d awing
inspi a ion om Ge many’s dual app en iceship
sys em. Many Mo occans wan o emig a e, bu
mos plan o e u n o es ablish homes and
amilies, making ci cula mig a ion an a ac i e
model. Mo occo has coope a ed wi h F ance and
Spain in his ield and is beginning simila ini ia-
i es wi h Ge many, such as aining o hospi ali y
wo ke s, mechanics and IT p o essionals, co-
o dina ed wi h he na ional employmen agency.
A he same ime, Mo occo is eluc an o allow
aining o heal h p o essionals des ined o
Ge many, gi en domes ic sho ages in he heal h
sec o . Beyond labou mobili y, Mo occo alues
emi ances and diaspo a in es men .
Ge many aces p essing labou sho ages, pa ic-
ula ly in he hospi ali y, IT, mechanics and heal h-
ca e sec o s, and Mo occo could be a s a egic
pa ne o help ill hese gaps. P esen in o mal
ec ui men in he heal h sec o p o ides li le
secu i y o wo ke s and employe s and would
bene i om a mo e o malised app oach.
Ge man companies, such as Deu sche Bahn,
ha e al eady exp essed in e es in employing
ained Mo occans. Pilo p ojec s a e es ing
pa hways o ci cula labou mobili y.
Fu he mo e, Ge many has a s ong in e es in
aming mig a ion as pa o a alues-based
app oach, ensu ing ha mobili y is legal, humane
and bene icial o bo h coun ies. Ge many’s co-
inancing o he EU’s Cen e o Mig a ion and
De elopmen p o ides guidance and suppo o
e u nees. Expanding ci cula mig a ion and join
aining would also po en ially educe i egula
mig a ion p essu es a Eu ope’s bo de s, whe e
F on ex ope a ions ocus na owly on secu i y and
e oulemen .
IDOS Policy B ie 25/2025
7
In Janua y 2024, Ge many and Mo occo ag eed
on a comp ehensi e mig a ion pa ne ship aimed
a educing i egula mig a ion and p omo ing
legal labou mig a ion. Regional ag eemen s such
as one be ween Tangie and Niede sachsen
show ha ailo ed app oaches o local labou
needs a e iable. Such pilo legal mig a ion
p og ammes could be scaled up signi ican ly
h ough ANAPEC, he Mo occan Na ional Agency
o he P omo ion o Employmen and Compe-
encies, which has exp essed in e es in expand-
ing o housands o ainees. Ini ia i es cu en ly
ocus on hospi ali y, IT and mechanics, bu could
be ex ended o o he sec o s. Ge man expe ise
in oca ional aining could also be le e aged o
ain wo ke s o employmen in o he EU
coun ies such as F ance and Belgium. Pa ne -
ships in highe educa ion, in collabo a ion wi h
Ge man and Mo occan companies and esea ch
ins i u es, o e u he oppo uni ies o quali i-
ca ion while suppo ing knowledge c ea ion.
Diaspo a engagemen o e s ano he p omising
a enue. The No he n Fund o In es men and
De elopmen (NORDEV) looks o channel e-
mi ances in o local de elopmen in No he n
Mo occo, and he go e nmen hopes o see mo e
di e si ica ion o diaspo a in es men s beyond
p i a e eal es a e.
Despi e hese oppo uni ies, se e al challenges
complica e coope a ion. F om Raba ’s pe spec-
i e, mig a ion coope a ion should be linked o
Ge man in es men in Mo occo’s domes ic eco-
nomy, c ea ing a quid p o quo dynamic ha
Ge many has hus a app oached cau iously.
The amewo k es ablished by he Janua y 2024
mig a ion pa ne ship should be used o scale up
oca ional aining h ough ANAPEC. Mo occo’s
en husiasm o Ge many’s dual app en iceship
sys em p o ides a solid ounda ion o expanding
coope a ion. Ci cula mig a ion p og ammes
could be expanded, while in eg a ion acili ies
could be edesigned as common goods access-
ible o bo h mig an s and hos communi ies,
s eng hening social cohesion (Delespesse &
Ma in-Shields, 2025). Rein eg a ion suppo
mus mo e beyond inancial incen i es, com-
bining business g an s wi h psychosocial
p og ammes and communi y engagemen .
Ge many could inc ease in es men in Mo occo’s
employmen sec o s as pa o i s labou mobili y
s a egy, ecognising Mo occan sensi i i ies and
ocusing on mu ual bene i , especially in he
heal h and educa ion sec o s. A whole-o -
go e nmen app oach ha links mig a ion, job
c ea ion and complex echnical aspec s such as
pensions would allow bo h coun ies o ans o m
mig a ion in o a d i e o inclusi e g ow h.
S a egic a ea 4: go e nance o
he common good
Pe sis ing u al po e y, de icien public se ices
and social and e i o ial inequali ies a e ecu en
opics in King Mohamed VI’s speeches (King
Mohamed VI, 2025). Na ional s a egies, such as
he New De elopmen Model (CSMD, 2021)
highligh he impo ance o mo e anspa en ,
e icien and pa icipa o y go e nance o achie e
hese aims. Imp o ing go e nance is essen ial o
a ac ing o eign in es men in he coun y’s
in as uc u e, ma i ime, ene gy, ou ism, u al
de elopmen and social secu i y p io i ies.
Mo occan ins i u ions, including he Economic,
Social and En i onmen al Council (CESE) and
he Cou o Audi o s ha e poin ed ou how ax
e asion, ine icien public se ices, lack o p i a e
sec o compe i ion and weaknesses in he edu-
ca ion sys em limi de elopmen oppo uni ies
(CESE, 2019). In his con ex , economic g ow h
and expanded public p ocu emen p o ide new
oppo uni ies o he en ie economy, while he
coun y’s an i-co up ion pe o mance has e-
g essed and egula o y ins i u ions ha e limi ed
scope o ac ion (OCDE, 2024).
The in e es s o Mo occan s a e ac o s in go -
e nance e o m a e complex and o en ambigu-
ous, while ci izen and ci il socie y mobilisa ion
egula ly exp ess he u gency o ac . On one
hand, public epo s ecognise ha he en ie pol-
i ical economy hinde s inclusi e human de elop-
men , while e o ms o he amily law, social
IDOS Policy B ie 25/2025
8
secu i y, and decen alisa ion ha e been
piecemeal. In e iewees in na ional and local
s a e ins i u ions highligh ed he need o im-
p o ing li ing condi ions and easing he daily
bu eauc acy bu den o he a e age ci izen. On
he o he hand, meaning ul change h ea ens
en enched in e es s, and e o ms a e ca e ully
s ee ed by he Minis y o In e io , s opping sho
o ouching co e powe dynamics and he eby
o en limi ing e o m e ec i eness.
Ge many has a s ong in e es in suppo ing mo e
inclusi e, anspa en and accoun able go e n-
ance in Mo occo. This would s eng hen he
clima e o Ge man and Eu opean in es o s by
educing co up ion, enhancing legal ce ain y,
and inc easing anspa ency in p ocu emen . I
would also mi iga e he isk o scandals in expo -
o ien ed supply chains, such as he 2023 labou
and en i onmen al sa egua ds iola ions.
Mo e b oadly, accoun able go e nance suppo s
s abili y by educing he social discon en ha
d i es mig a ion. Fo Ge man policymake s,
be e go e nance means mo e eliable pa ne s
in clima e ac ion, enewable ene gy and oca-
ional aining, whe e e iciency and equi y a e
c ucial.
Despi e Mo occo’s cen alised poli ical sys em,
he e a e oppo uni ies o ad ance go e nance
e o m. In e media y ins i u ions and a ib an ci il
socie y p o ide po en ial en y poin s (Houd e &
Fu ness, 2024). Suppo ing change agen s a he
egional, p o incial and municipal le els is key o
b inging e o ms close o ci izens. Ge many’s
longs anding coope a ion wi h Mo occo on local
go e nance and en i onmen al managemen
p o ide he ounda ion o u he collabo a ion.
A he domes ic le el, suppo could e en go
beyond ha o cen al au ho i ies o include ci il
socie y, academia, local go e nmen s and non-
eli e p i a e-sec o ac o s. This would os e
inclusi e e o ms and s eng hen accoun abili y,
building on exis ing coope a ion a he municipal
and egional le els. Ci y- o-ci y coope a ion,
which has shown p omise in he pas , could be
be e linked o b oade s a egic objec i es
ac oss sec o s. Fo example, anspa en and
inclusi e u ban go e nance p o ides oppo uni-
ies o combine sha ed economic and ecological
esea ch and aining wi h adminis a i e
expe ise.
In e na ionally, Mo occo and Ge many sha e an
in e es in ules-based coope a ion on global
issues. A he con inen al le el, oppo uni ies o
os e dialogue on go e nance and de elopmen
exis h ough Mo occo’s ac i e ole in egional
o ganisa ions such as he Uni ed Ci ies and Local
Go e nmen s A ica (UCLGA) and he Union o
Economic and Social Councils and Simila Ins i u-
ions o A ica (UCESA), bo h headqua e ed in
Raba . Mo occo’s con ibu ions o clima e
ini ia i es, he UN Global Compac o Sa e,
O de ly and Regula Mig a ion, UN Peacebuilding
Missions and i s ecen adop ion o he UN Ma ine
Biodi e si y T ea y a e impo an pilla s ha u u e
join ini ia i es can build on.
Ge many should adop a lexible, mul i-le el
app oach o go e nance coope a ion wi h
Mo occo. A he s a egic le el, a comp ehensi e
e alua ion o pas bi- and mul ila e al ag eemen s
suppo ing p i a e sec o in es men and/o
go e nance imp o emen s could guide u u e
collabo a ion. The e alua ion o Ge many’s
e o m pa ne ships showed ha democ a ic
s anda ds o good go e nance and he ule o law
we e a majo success ac o , bu should go
beyond sec o go e nance (Roxin e al., 2022).
In e na ionally, Ge many and Mo occo could
collabo a e mo e in mul ila e al ins i u ions such
as he UN, he G20 and he A ican De elopmen
Bank on issues o clima e go e nance, peace-
building, and inancing adap a ion and clima e-
sensi i e u banisa ion. By combining engagemen
on anspa ency and inclusi i y wi h p agma ic
suppo o Mo occo’s p io i ies, Ge many can
s eng hen go e nance in ways ha align wi h
bo h coun ies’ long- e m in e es s and ein o ce
mul ila e al ins i u ions.
