CNDH President: Child Participation Must Be Written into Moroccan Law

Rabat – Amina Bouayach, President of Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH), said children are not just beneficiaries of rights but active participants in shaping the laws and policies that affect them. 

Bouayach made remarks during the national consultation with children, held in Rabat on June 13 and 14. The national event brought together children from all 12 regions of Morocco, after a year-long series of regional consultations launched in February 2023. 

Supported by UNICEF, the consultations aimed to strengthen children’s participation in public decisions, and to help prepare a parallel children’s report to be submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in September.

This journey started in Guelmim in February 2023 and closed in Es-Semara in February 2024. “Together with the children, we launched an unprecedented experience that lasted a full year, aiming to reinforce the principle of participation,” Bouayach said.

She added that this initiative shows that children are capable of deep reflection and making realistic recommendations, “not just on issues that affect them directly, but on issues that concern us all as a society.”

Bouayach commended the children’s democratic practice during the election of their national representatives and described their contribution as a model of participatory democracy. She also called for the principle of child participation to be formally included in Morocco’s upcoming Child Code.

According to Bouayach, this work marks a shift from consultation to what she calls “contractual participation,” a method of working with children, not just for them. She stressed that this participatory model should be legally protected and structured through clear laws or administrative rules.

As part of the two-day consultation, children led the discussion sessions and workshops, including a drawing activity focused on safe digital spaces. The event ended with the launch of the “Rabat Call,” a collective statement expressing children’s vision and top priorities.

Two child representatives will travel to Geneva in September to present this report and share the views of Morocco’s children directly with the UN. UNICEF Morocco’s Representative, Laura Bill, noted the importance of including children’s voices in all stages of government policy.

CNDH and UNICEF are set to sign a new cooperation agreement to continue strengthening children’s participation in Morocco under the theme: “Listen. Act. Participate.”