Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Mohamed Sadiki, received, on July 3 in Tricase, Italy, a medal of honor from the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) during a special ceremony held to mark the 153rd meeting of the Center’s Board of Directors.
On her first visit to the Center’s Board of Directors, CIHEAM’s new President, Frida Krifca, awarded her predecessor Sadiki, CIHEAM’s former Secretary General (2019-2023), Plácido Plaza Lopez, and former President of CIHEAM’s Advisory Council (2019-2022), Lamiae Ghaouti, medals of honor in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM).
Sadiki was recognized for his “visionary leadership and commitment throughout his term for the period 2019-2023, and for his important role in improving the center’s governance.”
The Moroccan official “has conveyed CIHEAM’s key messages at the Mediterranean and international levels and contributed his expertise and knowledge of the agri-food sector to the center.”
According to the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), Sadiki constantly stressed the importance of investing CIHEAM’s efforts in adapting to the ongoing changes in the context of polycrisis, while also emphasizing solutions based on the Center’s fundamental missions, particularly the development of a new training offer in line with current challenges, capacity-building activities for stakeholders in the field, and South-South cooperation.
Representatives of member countries praised Sadiki for his efforts and smooth running of Bureau and Board meetings, thanks to his commitment to CIHEAM matters, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis.
Plácido Plaza Lopez was honored for his “tireless efforts to promote cooperation in Mediterranean agriculture, and for dedicating a significant part of his mandate to empowering youth in the Mediterranean,” while Lamiae Ghaouti was awarded for her “remarkable guidance and strategic support” of key CIHEAM initiatives, such as the CIHEAM Best Thesis Award and the CIHEAM Innovation Award.
Several delegations from member countries also attended this ceremony, which was held under the theme “Building a Prosperous and Sustainable Mediterranean Future.”
Sadiki was elected president of CIHEAM’s Board of Directors in 2019 at the 141st meeting of the organization’s Board of Directors, which took place on December 21, 2018, in Paris, served as Morocco’s delegate to this Board of Directors from 2009 to 2015, and occupied the position of the Board’s Vice-Chairman from 2015 to 2019.
Founded in 1962, CIHEAM is a Mediterranean intergovernmental organization composed of thirteen member states. Building on a long history of multilateral and regional cooperation, CIHEAM provides education and training programs, research, technical assistance, and capacity building in the areas of food security, sustainable agriculture, fisheries, and rural development.
CIHEAM cooperates with public administrations, universities, research centers, cooperation and development organizations, local authorities, civil society players, and businesses to meet the needs of populations and territories in the Mediterranean.