Rabat – King Mohammed VI addressed a message to participants at the third parliamentary session of regions on Wednesday, calling on all stakeholders, especially elected officials and councils, to carry out tasks and projects with “consistency” and in a “complementary” manner.
King Mohammed VI wrote, in a letter read by his advisor Abdellatif Menouni, that the session should be an opportunity “to deepen the constructive debate and find appropriate, creative and practical solutions to enable advanced regionalization to play a pivotal role in the production of tangible and intangible wealth.”
The King emphasized the need to create employment opportunities for young people, ensure the integration of individuals from all backgrounds, and encourage cultural diversity in the country.
Addressing all Moroccan stakeholders and elected officials, the King was firm in stating they must show commitment and responsibility in their actions. He added that prefectural and provincial councils must prioritize social development in urban and rural areas equally.
The monarch mentioned his policy dedicated to ensuring the success of the regional development agenda. The policy “is aimed at providing the conditions for the success of the regional development agenda, increasing the pace of its implementation and enabling regions to acquire the skills needed to exercise their powers in an optimal way.”
The King’s recently-launched projects within his agenda are concerned with Morocco’s vocational training system, devolved administrative powers, reform of social services, and reassessment of regional investment centers’ legal and regulatory framework.
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‘No postponement can be tolerated’
King Mohammed VI criticized the lack of action and commitment to finding solutions for the problems of young people in Morocco, especially in terms of youth integration which is of great “priority” to the monarch.
In his message the King wrote, “I invited elected officials to devise appropriate solutions to the problems young people are facing in their respective regions … I have noted, however, that the initiatives undertaken by regions in this regard have fallen short of my ambition.”
The King reiterated his request that all concerned entities must “adopt a participatory approach to develop regional plans and programs for the integration of young people,” stressing the “need to be consistent with the national strategy for the integration of young people and with regional development programs.”
“Moroccans do not want regional institutions to be mere ink on paper,” the king stated, calling for more effective action by developing a methodical and time-based approach.
State resources are limited
Given the state’s limited financial resources, the King invites local authorities to initiate and develop plans and programs to overstep the financial constraints.
“They should, in particular, ensure efficient and effective management of financial resources, and invest them in productive activities that create jobs and respond to the actual, pressing needs of the population,” said the King.
The third Parliamentary session, under the patronage of King Mohammed VI, reflects the monarch’s “keenness to ensure the success of the large-scale, structural reform project regarding advanced regionalization.”
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The Parliamentary forum seeks to modernize institutions in Morocco, promote solidarity, dignity, social justice, and inter-regional equality, as well as integrated, sustainable development “for the benefit of all citizens.”
Regardless, the King lauded the House of Counselors and its institutional partners, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, the National Human Rights Council and the Moroccan associations of regions and local governments’ “approach that involves making proposals and engaging in reflection on a regular basis.”
