Rabat – The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Olivier De Schutter is set to pay a visit to Morocco on December 9-16 to review the country’s efforts to eradicate poverty.
“My visit in December will be an opportunity to hear and learn more, and provide recommendations to the government on how it can protect the most vulnerable from these shocks,” De Schutter said in a press release.
The visit has been organized in light of soaring consumer prices and the COVID-19 pandemic repercussions. The trip is an opportunity for the UN Special Rapporteur to assess Morocco’s healthcare, housing, and education system as well as governmental efforts to support groups impacted by poverty with a focus on women, children, elders, migrants, and people with disabilities.
“Morocco, like most countries, has been left reeling from the double shock of COVID-19 and skyrocketing inflation, with years of progress on poverty now in decline,” the independent expert said.
“I will look closely at how [Rabat’s] social protection system is protecting those in poverty, and how it can be strengthened to close the country’s deep wealth divide,” he added.
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Recent figures from Morocco’s High Commission for Planning suggest that the COVID-19 crisis and inflation have thrown 3.2 million Moroccans into poverty and vulnerability.
The UN official plans to visit Rabat, Casablanca, Ouarzazate, and Marrakech-Safi regions and meet with national and local government officials, international organizations, civil society representatives, and communities affected by poverty to gain in-depth insights on the situation of poverty in Morocco.
The tour would conclude with a press conference in Rabat on December 19 where De Schutter expects to share his preliminary observations and recommendations with the Moroccan press, civil society, and government officials.
The eradication of poverty or the “No Poverty” objective is the cornerstone of the UN sustainable development goals agenda (SDGs). It was placed first in the universal agenda adopted unanimously in 2015 by 193 UN member-states.
While the agenda has been instrumental in advancing global efforts to eradicate poverty, recent overlapping crises of food, energy, and political instability have reversed the trend in numerous countries including Morocco, threatening the livelihood of millions worldwide.
By 2030, the World Bank expects nearly 600 million people to struggle on less than $2.15 (MAD 23) a day.
Read Also: World Bank: Higher Inflation in Morocco Is Likely To Increase Poverty Levels
