Country Flyer 2021 June

Developing Practical Cooperation through MOROCCO

Science Morocco is an active partner in the framework of the SPS Programme.

At present, leading areas for cooperation with Morocco include M orocco has been actively engaged within the framework Defence against CBRN Agents, Environmental Security, and Human of the NATO Science for Peace and Social Aspects of Security. Below are some examples of ongoing and Security (SPS) Programme and completed activities led by scientists and experts from Morocco and NATO countries under the framework of the NATO SPS since 1999. Programme. The NATO SPS Programme enables close collaboration on issues of Cooperative Activities common interest to enhance the security of NATO and partner nations RESPONDING TO EMERGING SECURITY CHALLENGES IN NATO'S by facilitating international efforts to meet emerging security challenges, SOUTHERN NEIGHBOURHOOD supporting NATO-led operations and Given the characteristically complex and multifaceted nature of the missions, and advancing early security environment in NATO’s southern neighbourhood, it is necessary warning and forecasting for the for the success of the Alliance’s “southern agenda” to better understand prevention of disasters and crises. and conceptualise the various interconnected emerging risks and threats. The current SPS Key Priorities Moreover, a better understanding of the southern neighbourhood may include: help NATO adapt institutionally—on a political and operational level—to meet diverse challenges in the South and the East. This MYP aimed to . Counter-Terrorism; analyse those dynamics in order to better comprehend their political and . Energy Security; security implications, and to provide foresight, early warning . Cyber Defence; . Defence against CBRN Agents; mechanisms and scenarios to inform policy planning and policy making . Environmental Security; within NATO and its member states. This project was completed in 2021 . Security-related Advanced and led by Morocco and Belgium, in cooperation with experts from Spain, Technology; the United Kingdom and Jordan. [ref. G5570]. . Border and Port Security; . Human and Social Aspects of DIMLAB – DEPLOYABLE CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ANALYTICAL Security. LABORATORY

Additionally, the SPS Programme This ongoing Multi-Year Project (MYP), officially launched in November helps to promote regional security 2019, aims to develop two dual-use (civil and military) deployable through scientific cooperation laboratories, one chemical and one biological, for Tunisia and Morocco among partners. The Programme also helps to prepare interested respectively. NATO has been working with Morocco to strengthen the eligible nations for NATO country’s capacity to defend against CBRN agents. Scientific research membership. SPS activities often with direct applications in defence and security, such as the DIMLAB have a high public diplomacy value. project, responds directly to the Individual Partnership and Cooperation

www.nato.int/science Programme between NATO and Morocco, which MODERN TECHNOLOGIES ENABLING SAFE AND highlighted the “exchange of information and SECURE UAV OPERATION IN URBAN AIRSPACE expertise, and capacity building in defence against Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and related CBRN agents” as a main practical area of cooperation technologies have seen rapid advancement in the last through the SPS Programme. The DIMLAB project will decade. The development of UAVs has opened new build a laboratory for the detection, identification and opportunities in the fields of emergency and medical monitoring of both chemical and biological threats. It response, situational awareness, and aerial will focus on the application of nanobiotechnology to photogrammetry for critical infrastructure develop a fully operational, chemical-biological assessment. However, increased availability and use analytical turnkey solution for the use of academia of UAVs requires enhanced awareness among NATO and national institutions. This project is led by and partner countries about safety and security Morocco, Spain and Tunisia. [ref. G5571]. challenges concerning their use, particularly in urban

airspace. This ATC encouraged experts and specialists to share their knowledge on the security aspects of the use and deployment of UAV platforms in urban

areas. Moreover, the course enhanced participants’ awareness of the threats and opportunities connected with the rapidly emerging market of UAVs. This ATC was led by experts from Morocco and Poland. It took

place in November 2019 in Agadir, Morocco. [ref. G5613].

CYBER THREAT FORECAST USING BIG DATA GAME CHANGERS 2020: A NEW FUTURE DAWNS ON Predicting cyber-attacks can help prevent and reduce INTERNATIONAL SECURITY their impacts. This SPS Multi-Year Project (MYP) This Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) was the aimed to predict various types of cyber-attacks well in second edition of the high-level conference “Game advance. The project research team developed Changers”, held for the first time in Rome in February machine-learning algorithms that captured spatial- 2014. This workshop aimed to analyse the profound temporal dynamics of cyber-attacks and global social, changes affecting international security and its geo-political and technical events. In addition to unprecedented rise in complexity. Traditional threats developing an early-warning capacity, the project have been aggravated with emerging challenges and aimed to improve the research community’s became increasingly multidimensional involving both understanding of cyber security as a socio-technical public and private sectors on crosscutting issues. The problem by analysing and describing large datasets ARW generated two concrete deliverables: a political from multiple sources. The project resulted in a summary and conference proceedings. The scientific report on prediction models and the proceedings were distributed to a wider specialised implementation of a cyber threat forecasting tool. audience, while the political summary provided This project was completed in 2020 and led by concise and direct support to delegations and experts scientists and experts from Morocco, France and the working on these issues. This ARW was led by experts United States. [ref. G5319]. from Morocco and Italy. It took place online in December 2020. [ref. G5613].