The moment a nation extends its invitation to host a significant international conference on early childhood education is telling. Logistics is rarely the only factor. It has to do with what a country thinks it stands for and, perhaps more crucially, what it wants the world to think of it.
One of those occasions that merits close examination is Morocco‘s successful bid to host the 79th World Assembly of OMEP. It appears to be a standard institutional victory at first glance. A closer look reveals what appears to be the outcome of years of methodical, patient positioning—a nation that has been regularly appearing in multilateral forums, quietly but unapologetically presenting its case.
Outside of education policy circles, OMEP, the Organisation Mondiale pour l’Éducation écolaire, is not well-known. However, it has significant weight among early childhood professionals. It is a sign of credibility to host the World Assembly, which brings together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers from all over the world. Countries that only desire it are not given it. It goes to nations that have accomplished something noteworthy.
For its part, Morocco has put a lot of effort into creating just that kind of record. Social justice, access to education, and the need to assist African countries that bear the burden of global issues they did little to create have all been topics of open discussion by its government. When they originate from a nation that has also started regional initiatives, such as outreach to landlocked Sahel nations, and established itself as a link between Africa, Europe, and the larger international community, those are not abstract talking points. Regardless of one’s opinion of Morocco’s internal politics, there is a coherence to the country’s foreign policy that is difficult to ignore.
It’s important to remember that developing this level of institutional trust takes time. For example, Italy was recently chosen to host the 77th OMEP World Assembly and Conference, a gathering centered on the arts, culture, and children’s freedom of expression and play. This precedent is significant because it demonstrates that OMEP has been broadening its reach and selecting hosts who can contribute something unique to the discussion. Morocco was chosen for the 79th assembly, indicating that the organization recognizes a similar unique quality in the nation: a link between the formal language of international education frameworks and the lived realities of the Global South.
The Moroccan bid probably conveyed the idea that early childhood education cannot be viewed as a luxury of wealthy nations, either directly or indirectly. Young children are most affected by the stresses that families in the Sahel, North Africa, and throughout the continent face: displacement, economic instability, and climate stress. In a way that hosting it somewhere else might not, a World Assembly held in Morocco would bring that reality into the room.
As this develops, it seems that Morocco recognizes something that many other nations fail to recognize: consistent, as opposed to transactional, multilateral engagement is most successful. Attending a single summit, submitting a single bid, or sending a single delegation hardly ever makes a difference. Evaluators likely perceived Morocco’s interest in hosting the OMEP assembly as natural rather than opportunistic because it has been involved in numerous forums and on a variety of issues for a sufficient amount of time.
It remains to be seen if the assembly itself will live up to the expectations associated with this type of placement. The easier part is winning the bid. Whether this moment amounts to anything lasting will ultimately depend on what transpires inside the room and whether the conversations that are generated are truly helpful to educators working with children in challenging circumstances.
But for the time being, Morocco has earned a place at the head of a significant table. When the assembly meets, it is important to observe who is present and what topics they choose to discuss.
