Algeria Gate: Algerian diplomat Amar Bendjama was elected Thursday as the next president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
In a speech to member states, Bendjama said his priorities during his one-year term will be promoting inclusivity, accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and renewing trust in multilateralism.
The veteran diplomat, Algeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, pledged to focus on “substance over procedural routine” in the council’s work.
ECOSOC serves as the United Nations’ central platform for coordinating economic, social and environmental policy and reviewing progress toward the SDGs.
Bendjama noted that only 36% of the goals with available trend data are currently on track, stressing the need to speed up efforts ahead of the 2030 deadline.
“It is time for complete and tangible results that advance our common agenda and leave no one and no country behind,” he said.
Bendjama will assume the position on July 31.
Bendjama Elected UN ECOSOC President
Algeria Tightens Currency Declaration Rules at Borders
Algeria Gate: Algerian authorities have introduced new measures governing the declaration of currency and valuables by travelers entering or leaving the country, according to a decree published in the Official Journal.
The new order, signed by Finance Minister on May 12, 2026, amends and supplements an earlier regulation dated July 20, 2026. It sets out detailed procedures for currency declarations and updates the required declaration form.

Under the revised rules, travelers must declare currency in writing when entering or exiting Algerian territory at the relevant customs office. Declarations should primarily be submitted electronically before reaching the customs checkpoint, the authorities said.
The declaration form, made available by customs services, must be fully completed and signed by the traveler. All such declarations will be registered and monitored by customs officials.
The requirement covers not only cash; banknotes and coins, but also bearer payment instruments, commercial paper, transferable securities, and other negotiable instruments. It also extends to precious metals and precious coins carried by travelers.
For non-resident travelers seeking to export foreign currency they brought into Algeria but did not spend, they must present the original entry declaration, endorsed by the Bank of Algeria, an approved bank, or an authorized exchange office, as proof of the currency operations conducted during their stay.

Customs officers are authorized to request any additional information or documents from travelers, particularly regarding the origin and intended destination of the funds or valuables.
The decree also mandates the creation and maintenance of comprehensive databases containing details from all declarations. These records must include the traveler’s identity and address, travel documents, declared amounts, journey origin and destination, and the effective beneficiaries and recipients of the funds.

Data on false declarations, undeclared amounts, and other violations will also be logged in the system.
The authorities noted that these databases will be shared and utilized as part of both national and international cooperation efforts. All relevant information, including cases of non-compliance, will be exchanged with Algeria’s specialized body tasked with combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Algeria to Exceptionally Reopen Land Borders with Morocco
Algeria Gate: The Moroccan Makhzen regime received, on Tuesday, 24 Moroccans through the Zouj Bghal border crossing. They had been arrested by Algerian security services on charges of irregular migration, including 3 women.
For humanitarian reasons, the body of one deceased Moroccan in Algeria was handed over after the Moroccan consulate refused to take responsibility for the procedures to transfer his remains from Algeria to Morocco.
The deceased’s family in Morocco expressed their sincere thanks to the Algerian authorities for their humanitarian response, after the Moroccan consulate refused to handle the administrative and financial procedures for repatriating the body.
Signing of Technical Cooperation Protocol Between Algerian and Italian Police
Algeria Gate: Algeria and Italy have signed a technical cooperation protocol between their police forces to strengthen operational and field mechanisms in the fight against organized crime in all its forms.
This agreement falls within the framework of enhanced police cooperation between the two countries.
The signature took place during a visit by a high-level Italian delegation led by the Director General of Public Security, Vittorio Pisani, to the Directorate General of Algerian Security, according to an official statement.

The visit program began, according to the same source, with bilateral talks between the Director General of Algerian Security, Ali Bedaoui, and his Italian counterpart. The discussions were then expanded to include delegations from both police forces, covering ways to enhance and promote joint police cooperation mechanisms.

In their respective speeches on the occasion, the statement adds, both sides praised the level of joint police cooperation and operational coordination between the Algerian and Italian police, particularly in combating transnational organized crime, irregular migration, and cybercrime. This was in light of the shared security challenges facing both countries, alongside strengthening joint training and capacity-building programs.
Signing of a Cooperation Agreement Between the Two Countries
On the sidelines of the visit, the Director General of Algerian Security and the Director General of Italian Public Security, Vittorio Pisani, signed a technical cooperation protocol between the police forces of both countries. The protocol aims to strengthen field and operational mechanisms for combating organized crime in all its forms.

The Director General of Italian Public Security and the accompanying delegation will be the guests of honor of the Algerian Police on the occasion of the celebration marking the 64th anniversary of the Directorate General of National Security.
