Abdelouahed Belkeziz
{{Short description|Moroccan lawyer, politician, and diplomat (1939–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
| name = Abdelouahed Belkeziz
| image =
| office = Secretary-General of Organisation of the Islamic Conference
| term_start = 2001
| term_end = 31 December 2004
| predecessor = Azeddine Laraki
| successor = Mohammed Karim Lamrani
| birth_date = {{birth date|1939|7|5|df=y}}
| birth_place = Marrakesh, Morocco
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|10|19|1939|7|5|df=y}}
| death_place = Rabat, Morocco
| nationality = Moroccan
| party =
| spouse =
| children =
| alma_mater = Mohammed V University
University of Rennes
| profession = Lawyer, politician, diplomat
| website =
| native_name_lang = ar
| native_name = {{nobold|عبد الواحد بلقزيز}}
| office1 = Minister of Foreign Affairs
| termend1 = 18 February 1985
| termstart1 = 5 November 1983
| monarch1 = Hassan II
| predecessor1 = M'hamed Boucetta
| successor1 = Abdellatif Filali
| primeminister1 = Maati Bouabid
Mohammed Karim Lamrani
}}
Abdelouahed Belkeziz, {{post-nominals|CBE}} ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Abdelouahed Belkeziz from Morocco pronunciation (Voice of America).ogg|ˌ|ɑː|b|d|əl|ˈ|w|ɑː|h|ə|d|_|ˌ|b|ɛ|l|k|ə|ˈ|z|iː|z}}; {{langx|ar|عبد الواحد بلقزيز}}; 5 July 1939 – 19 October 2021) was 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.
Biography
Abdelouahed Belkeziz was born on 5 July 1939 in Marrakesh. 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 of educational and legal institutions as well as government commissions from 1963 to 1977. In 1977, he was appointed Ambassador to Iraq. He served as information minister in the cabinet led by Mohammad Bouabid from 27 March to 5 November 1979.{{cite book|author1=Thomas K. Park|author2=Aomar Boum|title=Historical Dictionary of Morocco|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8KiCl5-MxMMC&pg=PA397|accessdate=9 December 2013|date=16 January 2006|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-6511-2|page=397}} His portfolio was expanded to include youth affairs and he served in the post from 5 November 1981 to 30 November 1983. He was then appointed minister of foreign affairs on 5 November 1983 and was in office until 18 February 1985. After leaving public office he 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."{{cite news|title=Islamic Statements Against Terrorism in the Wake of the September 11 Mass Murders|url=http://www.cair.com/americanmuslims/antiterrorism/islamicstatementsagainstterrorism.aspx|publisher=Council on American-Islamic Relations|accessdate=12 June 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615002906/http://www.cair.com/AmericanMuslims/AntiTerrorism/IslamicStatementsAgainstTerrorism.aspx|archivedate=15 June 2011|url-status=dead}} He also led the OIC in opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq.{{cite news |title='Eviction' of U.S. From Iraq Urged at Summit|agency=Reuters|work=Los Angeles Times |date=12 October 2003|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-oct-12-fg-summit12-story.html|access-date=12 June 2011}} He retired at the end of 2004.{{cite news|title=OIC needs to acquire more international influence & impact, says new Chief|url=http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=8621|author=Habib Shaikh|date=30 December 2004|work=Arab News|accessdate=12 June 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825212145/http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=8621|archivedate=25 August 2012}}
Belkeziz died in Rabat on 19 October 2021 at the age of 82.[https://www.menara.ma/fr/article/le-diplomate-abdelouahed-belkeziz-nest-plus Le diplomate Abdelouahed Belkeziz n'est plus] {{in lang|fr}}
Honours
- {{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} Order of King Abdulaziz (1979)
- {{flagicon|Spain}} Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (1979)
- {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1980)
- {{flagicon|Senegal}} Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of Senegal (1981)
- {{flagicon|France}} Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit (1983)
- {{flagicon|Brazil}} Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco (1984)
References
{{Reflist}}
- {{cite web|title=Abdelouahed Belkeziz, Secretary General 2001-2004|url=http://www.oicun.org/5/33/|publisher=Permanent Mission of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to the United Nations|work=oicun.org|accessdate=12 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928164837/http://www.oicun.org/5/33/|archive-date=28 September 2011|url-status=dead}}
{{Secretary General of the OIC}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belkeziz, Abdelouahed}}
Category:University of Rennes alumni
Category:21st-century Moroccan politicians
Category:Ambassadors of Morocco to Iraq
Category:Organisation of Islamic Cooperation officials
Category:Academic staff of Mohammed V University
Category:Mohammed V University alumni
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Grand Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite
Category:Order of Civil Merit members
Category:People from Marrakesh
Category:Academic staff of the University of Hassan II Casablanca