Casablanca will bring together 500 stakeholders from 20 countries from April 24 to 26, 2025, for a forum focused on port security, South-South cooperation, and the strategic future of African ports, with Morocco as a model.

The Crans Montana Forum (FCM) 2025, under the theme "International trade requires maritime safety and security of ports and waterways," is held in Casablanca with an ambitious agenda: port security, digitalization of the sector and the future of the Port of Dakhla.

As Morocco establishes itself as a key player in maritime transport, the event highlights the vision of Mohammed VI and the Kingdom's Atlantic initiatives. Jean-Paul Carteron, founding president of the FCM, emphasizes that "holding this edition in Casablanca is a way of honoring the Atlantic dynamic initiated thanks to the initiatives of HM the King," highlighting the city's strategic role in global trade flows.

At the heart of the debates, the Port of Dakhla is presented as a “geostrategic revolution for West Africa”. Carteron describes it as "the natural complement to Casablanca", capable of directly linking ECOWAS and the Sahel.

“Dakhla will become the new Tangier of the South, serving a major Atlantic project,” he says, insisting on the need to “connecting Casablanca and Dakhla in a single strategic breath”. The forum promotes strengthened South-South cooperation, with a clear objective: “unite energies around effective and inclusive maritime security, built by and for the countries of the South”.

Morocco, carried by “local diplomacy and a clear vision of the future”, according to Carteron, embodies a model of international influence. The FCM program includes a visit to the Smart Port of Casablanca and conferences on securing maritime routes and economic development. “Maritime security is a vital issue for African states,” recalls the president of the FCM, calling for the protection of Atlantic resources.

Finally, the forum addresses the challenges of geopolitical fragmentation and emerging threats. Two keynote conferences are planned: “Strengthening international cooperation, an essential component of any maritime security strategy” et “Securing ports and economic development of territories”.

For Carteron, the event must provide impetus “a frank, ambitious and resolutely African dialogue”, combining logistical innovation, regional sovereignty and shared prosperity. A key milestone for a continent where 90% of trade passes by sea.