Abdelouahed Belkeziz
Encyclopedia
Abdelouahed Belkeziz, CBE
, is a Moroccan
lawyer, politician and diplomat. He served as the eighth Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) from 2001 to 2004.
. He attended Sidi Mohammed College, Marrakech and Moulay Youssef High School, Rabat
. He studied law at the Faculty of Law, Mohammed V University
, Rabat, and obtained his PhD
in law from the University of Rennes
in France.
Belkeziz served in various capacities at a number educational and legal institutions as well as government commissions from 1963 to 1977. In 1977, he was appointed Ambassador to Iraq. He returned in 1979 to take up the position of Minister of Information. He was then appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1983. He stepped down in 1985 and returned to academia.
He served as Dean of Hassan II Ain Chok University, Casablanca
(1985–1992), Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra
(1992–1997) and Muhammad V University, Rabat (1997–2000).
In 2001, he became the eighth Secretary-General of the OIC. He condemned the September 11 attacks as "criminal and brutal acts that ran counter to all covenants, humanitarian values and divine religions foremost among which was Islam." He also led the OIC in opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. He retired at the end of 2004.
(1979) Spanish Order of Civil Merit (1979) Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(1980) Great Officer of the Order of Merit of Senegal (1981) Great Officer of the French National Order of Merit
(1983) Great Cross of the Order of Rio Branco (1984)
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
, is a Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
lawyer, politician and diplomat. He served as the eighth Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) from 2001 to 2004.
Biography
Abdelouahed Belkeziz was born on 5 July 1939 in MarrakechMarrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
. He attended Sidi Mohammed College, Marrakech and Moulay Youssef High School, Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
. He studied law at the Faculty of Law, Mohammed V University
Mohammed V University
Mohammed V University was founded in 1957 under a royal decree . It is the first modern university in Morocco.The university is named after Mohammed V d. 1961, the former King of Morocco. In 1993, it was divided into two independent universities:* Mohammed V University at Agdal* Mohammed V...
, Rabat, and obtained his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in law from the University of Rennes
University of Rennes
The University of Rennes was a French university located in the city of Rennes. It was established by the union of the 3 faculties of the city in 1885. In 1969, it was divided in two new universities:* the University of Rennes 1...
in France.
Belkeziz served in various capacities at a number educational and legal institutions as well as government commissions from 1963 to 1977. In 1977, he was appointed Ambassador to Iraq. He returned in 1979 to take up the position of Minister of Information. He was then appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1983. He stepped down in 1985 and returned to academia.
He served as Dean of Hassan II Ain Chok University, Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
(1985–1992), Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra
Kenitra
Kenitra is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S...
(1992–1997) and Muhammad V University, Rabat (1997–2000).
In 2001, he became the eighth Secretary-General of the OIC. He condemned the September 11 attacks as "criminal and brutal acts that ran counter to all covenants, humanitarian values and divine religions foremost among which was Islam." He also led the OIC in opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. He retired at the end of 2004.
Honours
Order of King AbdulazizOrder of Abdulaziz al Saud
The Order of Abdulaziz al Saud is a Saudi-Arabian Order of merit. The order has been named after Abdulaziz Al Saud who founded the Saudi kingdom and died in 1953.-History:...
(1979) Spanish Order of Civil Merit (1979) Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1980) Great Officer of the Order of Merit of Senegal (1981) Great Officer of the French National Order of Merit
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
(1983) Great Cross of the Order of Rio Branco (1984)