UNICEF representative extols Morocco’s efforts in protecting child’s rights

The UNICEF representative in Morocco, Giovanna Barberis has welcomed the Kingdom's efforts to protect the rights of the child during an exchange with the Moroccan parliamentarians on Thursday in Marrakech.

The exchange took place at a special session of the Parliament of the child held on the sidelines of the 16th edition of the National Congress of the Rights of the Child. Giovanna Barberis' efforts in this area have led to the reduction of infant mortality, the near universalization of primary education and the eradication of several diseases through the national vaccination policy. Early childhood especially vulnerable children and rural is a priority for public authorities in Morocco and is at the heart of the concerns of national policies, she added, noting that despite these efforts, territorial disparities including rural and landlocked areas persist, which poses problems in the access of children from these regions to quality services (education and health, among others).

After highlighting UNICEF's support for government programs to make the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) a reality, Barberis said the UN body is providing technical support to the social policies implemented by the government. Morocco and reforms undertaken by the Kingdom in the health and education sectors, APA News noted.

Organized by ONDE under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI and the effective presidency of Princess Lalla Meryem, the 16th edition of the National Congress of the Rights of the Child is an opportunity to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Convention International Children's Rights (CIDE), to take stock of the situation of children since the ratification of the CIDE by Morocco and mobilize the forces of the Kingdom to put the child at the center of the new model of development.

The National Congress of the Rights of the Child, in a retrospective and prospective approach, is this year a national and international event involving more than 3,000 participants, including members of the Executive, officials public, representatives of civil society and the private sector and the children themselves, including the children of parliamentarians who will celebrate, in this context, the 20 years of the Parliament of the child.