Heba Press – Oujda
The theme “Consolidating the principles of openness in local authorities in the service of inclusive and sustainable local development” was at the center of the forum of the Moroccan Network of Open Local Authorities, launched Tuesday November 12 in Saïdia.
This forum, organized by the General Directorate of Territorial Communities of the Ministry of the Interior over two days, as part of the Open Territorial Communities Program, aims to examine the achievements and future stages of this program, and to support networking network actors. member groups.
During the opening session, attended by officials, representatives of elected councils, consultative bodies and civil society activists, the Moroccan experience in participatory democracy and consolidation of the principles of openness was highlighted. been put forward. Including strengthening transparency and accountability, improving public services, supporting innovation and digital solutions, fighting corruption and encouraging cooperation with civil society; In order to achieve global and sustainable local development.
The head of the Cooperation and Documentation Center at the General Directorate of Local Authorities of the Ministry of the Interior, Abdel Wahab Al-Jabri, stressed that the Directorate launched, at the end of 2022, a program to support open local authorities, with the aim of consolidating the principles of openness, noting the importance of creating the Moroccan Network of Open Territorial Communities, in phase with the member territorial groups, in order to jointly prepare its opening programs.
Al-Jabri added, in a speech delivered on this occasion, that the management created, in this context, a skills center composed of 20 executives among the focal points of the member groups, with the aim of supporting and monitoring the rhythm of these groups, which will join in the future, in the implementation of the path of their opening.
He explained that this network is available on a digital platform integrated into the national portal of local authorities. This allows each member group to have a privileged space to exchange and share experiences, communicate and involve citizens in the preparation, monitoring and evaluation of its opening programs.
For his part, the governor of Berkane province, Muhammad Ali Habouha, estimated that the trend towards openness has become an urgent necessity imposed by the rapid development of the digital world and the growing demands of citizens in the era of knowledge, with what it requires. to work in a spirit of collective responsibility to lay the foundations of transparency and participation, and make the citizen a true partner in decision-making, in order to support these transformations and adapt to their developments.
Habouha stressed that strengthening citizen participation is an essential basis for building a Morocco of progress and dignity, recalling, in this regard, the experience accumulated by workers in the Berkane region, who adopted the approach of digital transformation, openness and citizen participation, and strengthen the level of citizen confidence.
He said this was achieved by establishing a new organizational culture based on service to citizens and embracing digitalization and innovation in public administrations at the local level. This has helped create an open and interactive environment, with diverse channels and working to realize the principle “We reach you instead of you coming to us”.
As for the representative of the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Al-Mustafa Bahida, he stressed that Morocco’s unique experience in open government has received international praise, as it is one of the few countries Arabs to have joined this initiative. efficiently and with distinction.
In this regard, he stressed that Morocco, thanks to its initiative “The Open Communities Support Program”, honorably won the Open Government Partnership Award, during the eighth international summit held in Estonia in September 2023. , highlighting the progress made in consolidating open government. the principles of openness and participatory democracy.
This forum comes two years after the launch of the Open Communities Program, which to date brings together 126 local authorities. Comprising 12 regions, 7 prefectural and regional councils, and 107 groups, in which around 350 people participated. It is made up of elected officials, executives and representatives of consultative bodies created by the councils of local authorities that are members of the network. Its objective is to take stock of what has been achieved, to anticipate and debate the prospects for expansion and support for groups. involved in the network, with the aim of disseminating and enshrining the principles of openness to all local authorities in Morocco, the number of which is estimated at 1,590 local authorities.
The program of this forum, organized in partnership with the Support Program for Open Francophone Governments (PAGOF), financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), included several workshops focused in particular on “the role of communication in the service of the opening of territorial groups” and “the development of projects and indicators”. Evaluation, “citizen participation and cooperation between actors”, as well as “support for networking of local authorities”.
