In a message delivered by Morocco’s Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit at the opening of second National Conference on Advanced Regionalization that is being held on December 20-21 in Tangier, northern Morocco, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI highlighted the importance of advancing regionalization as a cornerstone of Morocco’s socio-economic development and good territorial governance.
The monarch called for an assessment of progress made to date since the first conference in 2019 and urged stakeholders to address remaining challenges through collaboration and effective planning.
Advancing regionalization is vital for reducing territorial disparities, promoting sustainable development, and empowering regions to take a more active role in governance, asserted King Mohammed VI. He also highlighted the progress achieved in the first phase of Morocco’s regionalization plan, including the establishment of regional councils, the adoption of foundational legal frameworks, and the launch of development programs.
However, he pointed out that the next phase will require intensive efforts to address critical challenges. These include the implementation of administrative decentralization based on transferring decision-making powers to regional entities. The King remarked that there had been a delay in this area and directed urgent action.
The king also called for enhancing local authorities’ competencies, strengthening participatory democracy, ensuring accountability, enhancing regional attractiveness for investment, innovating financing mechanisms, and adapting to emerging challenges to address issues such as water scarcity, climate change, and digital transformation, all measures of good governance.
The King also directed that a clear roadmap be established to guide the next steps of advanced regionalization, based on the recommendations of the first conference and the outcomes of the current discussions. He noted the importance of addressing critical issues such as water stress, sustainable transport, and digital transformation to creating resilient regions capable of adapting to crises and fostering long-term growth.