Rabat – The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) in Rabat has brought together children from across Morocco for a two‑day national consultation on June 13 and 14 to strengthen child rights.
The event marked the culmination of a year‑long journey of 12 regional consultations held between February 2023 and February 2024. Supported by UNICEF Morocco, the initiative aims to firmly embed the principle of children’s participation into Moroccan laws and administrative procedures.
CNDH President Amina Bouayach opened the session alongside children’s representatives from each region. “We are holding the national consultation today as a culmination of the regional consultations that we have conducted over the past year in the 12 regions of Morocco,” she told Morocco World News in an interview on the sidelines.
These consultations had two main objectives, Bouayach said. “The first was to engage and discuss with children about implementing and establishing the principle of participation in the legal texts and administrative procedures in Morocco,” she explained.
The second objective was to work with these children on identifying the major issues related to their rights, guarantees, and programs, in order to present their report next September.
Over the two days, children will lead all discussion sessions, with a focus on how to apply the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in national policy and how to prepare their own parallel report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. In September, two elected child delegates from this consultation will travel to Geneva to present Morocco’s children’s perspectives directly to the committee.
“Participation is key,” said Laura Bill, UNICEF Representative in Morocco, on the sidelines of the event. “Most of the work of UNICEF around the world, and including in Morocco, is to ensure that children’s participation is part of any government initiative,” she told MWN.
Bill noted that the children’s views will be included in the government’s annual report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva.
Bouayach described the initiative as a pioneering effort recognized both in Africa and around the world. She added that this national consultation not only gathers children’s voices on legal and social issues, but also empowers them through practical workshops.
Among these is an interactive drawing workshop on digital spaces and safe internet use. The event will close with the launch of a “Children’s Call,” a statement reflecting their vision and top priorities for rights and protections.
CNDH and UNICEF will sign a partnership during the closing session to reinforce their joint commitment to “Listen. Act. Participate.”
