Morocco Revamps Consular Network in Western Europe; Women Lead Over 45% of New Appointments

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has executed a prime consular reshuffle
• 22 out of 62 consular positions had been renewed — over one-0.33 of the network
• More than 45% of recent appointments have long past to ladies, reflecting a push for gender inclusion

22 of the 62 consular positions have been renewed as part of one of the largest consular reshuffles in the last decade, which was started by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The goal of this extensive redeployment, which will impact almost one-third of Morocco's consular network, is to better meet the changing needs of Moroccans residing overseas.

Countries with substantial Moroccan diaspora populations, particularly in Western Europe, are where the changes are most noticeable. Of the 17 rearranged consulates, 13 are in France, followed by Italy (3 out of 7), Spain (2 out of 12), and Belgium (1 out of 3). Additionally, a new Consul General has been appointed in New York, North America. The ministry's strategic objective of enhancing representation in areas with the highest concentration of Moroccan expatriates is in line with this focus.

New Consuls General had previously been appointed in Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, and Mauritania in June 2024.

With 10 of the 22 new appointments—roughly 45 percent being women, the reshuffle also marks a significant advancement in gender parity. The ministry's dedication to gender equality and the promotion of female leadership is demonstrated by the fact that women now make up 38 percent of Morocco's Consuls General.

In contrast, of the 15 newly appointed Consuls General in June 2024, 33 percent were women. In general, there are now 37 percent more women in Morocco's diplomatic corps than there were in 2022 (28 percent). However, as was brought to light at a conference held on March 8 by the Government's General Secretariat in honor of International Women's Day, women still occupy less than 30 percent of senior leadership positions in the larger public sector.