House of Advisors: Opening of the 2nd session of the 2023-2024 legislative year
Hibapress
The House of Advisors opened, on Friday, the work of its second session of the 2023-2024 legislative year, during a plenary session held in accordance with the provisions of article 65 of the Constitution and article 18 of the regulations interior of the room.
In a speech at the opening of this session, the President of the House of Advisors, Enaam Mayara, affirmed that the spring parliamentary session is being held in a national context marked by sustained dynamics, punctuated by a productive public debate on various questions of a socio-economic and political nature, linked to the requirements of the current phase and future challenges.
Among these issues, Mr. Mayara cited in particular, the reform of the Family Code which was the subject of broad consultations with the various stakeholders concerned, in application of the high royal guidelines calling for the adoption of a participatory approach. in the treatment of this reform project initiated by the King.
On this subject, the President of the House of Advisors said he was convinced that the debate around the reform of the Family Code will undoubtedly lead to a global and effective reform of the Moudawana, thus strengthening its vital role in the construction of a society where everyone enjoys freedom, dignity, fairness and equal opportunities, and thereby preserving the cohesion of the Moroccan family.
He noted in this context that Morocco has made significant progress over the last two decades in the area of constitutional recognition of gender equality, stressing, however, the need to initiate new reforms based on the achievements made by our society and our legitimate aspirations for further progress and prosperity.
Mr. Mayara, in this regard, underlined the determination of the House of Advisors, with all its political, union, economic, professional and territorial components, to do everything necessary and to take measures capable of boosting its force of legislative proposal, control and evaluation for effective and productive adherence to the national effort aimed at modernizing the societal, economic and political structures of the State.
Furthermore, the President of the House of Advisors noted that the period between the two parliamentary sessions was distinguished by the interest given to the project of moralization of political and public life, ensuring that the draft Code of Ethics will be submitted at the discretion of the Advisors and this, after careful examination of certain of its provisions within the framework of consultations with the presidents of the groups and groupings in the Chamber and in coordination with the House of Representatives.
Referring to the results of the work of the House of Advisors during the period between the two sessions, Mr. Mayara indicated that the components of the House maintained an appreciable pace of work in the area of parliamentary diplomacy and outreach activities in link with the priority areas in the framework of plural public debate, and in legislation, control and evaluation of public policies.
In the area of external relations and parliamentary diplomacy, the President of the House of Advisors reported the continued strengthening of bilateral and multilateral parliamentary cooperation at the level of the different geopolitical regions with a view to defending, within the national diplomatic ecosystem, the strategic and vital issues of the Kingdom of Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of King Mohammed VI, in particular the first national cause.
Mr. Mayara also mentioned the participation and contribution of the permanent national sections as well as delegations from the Chamber to the various meetings held by regional, continental and international parliamentary bodies, as well as the organization of important regional and international events in like the South-South Parliamentary Dialogue Forum and the Parliamentary Conference on South-South Cooperation.
Regarding the legislative aspect, he indicated that the Committee on Justice, Legislation and Human Rights continued to examine the bill relating to the organization and management of penitentiary establishments, adding that the texts governing this area will undergo a global and profound revision through this text which aims to strengthen the mechanisms for the protection and preservation of human rights and human dignity.
At the level of the thematic groups and evaluation of public policies, the President of the Chamber indicated that the two thematic groups responsible for preparing the annual session dedicated to the examination and evaluation of public policies concerning the tourism sector, and to develop a report on multilingualism in Morocco continued their work, specifying that the first thematic group held a series of meetings with government officials and carried out several field visits to various regions of the Kingdom, while the second group initiated a multitude of meetings to make the final touches to its program and action plan.
In terms of monitoring government action, the period between the two sessions constituted an opportunity to address questions and issues of a local nature through the mechanism of written questions, the number of which rose to 209, he said. he said, adding that these questions concerned various aspects of local economic, social and cultural life of certain sectoral or societal categories at the level of a number of provinces and prefectures of the Kingdom.
During this same period, 273 oral questions were formulated, and the government responded to 352 written questions, he concluded.
