Monday November 12 saw the beginning of Morocco’s first National Conference on Social Protection (Assises Nationales de la Protection Sociale). Its aim was to address the the lack of effectiveness and efficiency of the 120 active social protection programs, and to give the large number of specialists and stakeholders in attendance a forum to discuss concrete recommendations for a major overhaul of social protection in Morocco.
SPRI Global director Chris de Neubourg addressed the plenary session of the meeting and also presented a study by SPRI fellows on mapping Morocco’s social protection system. The study, a collaboration with UNICEF Maroc on the formulation of an integrated vision for the reform of the social protection system and on child poverty, formed the basis for the discourse among the more than 600 participants during the two day session. The study report can now be accessed here.
Participants in the conference, whose work ended on Tuesday evening, called for the adoption of measures to address shortcomings and inconsistencies in social protection and improve social conditions throughout different social strata across the nation. Speakers shed light on the achievements of Morocco in the field of social protection but also examined the issues that must be addressed to improve national protection programs and the social conditions of its citizens.
This first conference on social protection initiated a public discourse between different national and international organizations, economic and social actors, civil society organizations and experts, with a view to developing an integrated and consistent vision of a social protection system that functions as an integral part of the new Moroccan model of development.
Plenary session of ‘Assises Nationales de la Protection Sociale’
Find footage of the inaugural plenary sessions and other content relating to social protection on our YouTube channel.