The time is ripe to fully carry out the long-anticipated advance regionalization plan, says King Mohammed VI. Now that the objectives, parameters, and stakeholders have been clearly defined, Morocco will launch the initiative to give greater power to regional authorities.

“Advanced regionalization is a key institutional achievement. It illustrates my unwavering commitment – since my accession to the throne of my glorious ancestors – to seeing a quantum leap in the reform and modernization of our institutions. We should therefore give it our undivided attention,” said the King in a message sent to the second parliamentary forum of regions, which opened on Thursday in Rabat.

This is a gigantic project requiring the involvement of a vast array of actors as well as the commitment of the nation’s forces and society as a whole, underlined the king in the message read by royal advisor Abdellatif Mennouni.

King Mohammed VI added that a keen sense of responsibility, dedication, and conviction will be required throughout the implementation of the project. Similarly, it will be just as necessary to persevere and promote dialogue and interaction in order to make sure that the enormous potential offered by the institutional and legal framework is fully exploited and that its benefits are maximized.

In this regard, the King called on local elected officials to adopt new modes of interaction to serve as the standard-bearers for change and rise to the challenge of fulfilling their constituents’ aspirations.

The King also called on central government services and public administrations to re-establish relations with local governments based on cooperation, dialogue, consultation, convergence.

“Only then will it be possible to ensure the complementarity, coherence of action, and synergies required for the actual implementation of advanced regionalization, which means so much to me,” said the Sovereign.

Suggestions for Development

The King recommended to the participants in the forum that their discussion give due importance to the key issues that must be taken into account by the government. Development programs should be part of the new development model, as well as local governments – especially at the regional level – which must fully live up to the pre-eminent role granted to them by the Constitution.

He said they should make their own contributions so as to remedy the failings of the current model. This way, the authorities can reduce regional disparities and inequalities and move forward purposefully and resolutely on the path towards social justice.

“Each region should be able to develop its own vision, provided the latter is consistent with the national development model,” noted the Sovereign, who urged local elected officials to be deeply involved in the issues relating to young Moroccans.

King Mohammed VI , stressing the importance of determining the scope of powers given to local governments, particularly regional councils. “The problems young Moroccans are facing today can be resolved only at the local level – in their neighborhood, their commune or their city.”

A More Precise Governance

Regarding governance, King Mohammed VI called on the participants to produce a more precise, practical, and measurable approach and to avoid trivializing at all costs.

“This means that, as far as voters and the general public are concerned, there is a need to explain and educate, so that the importance of governance and the extent of the efforts to be made can be properly understood,” stressed the King.

A project like that of advanced regionalization is necessarily a work in progress, said the King. It requires resolve to combat inertia, vigilance to counter conservative attitudes, and responsiveness to be able to adapt and adjust the course of action.