The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Morocco to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Mohamed Arrouchi, highlighted Morocco’s experience in the field of children’s rights and welfare before the AU Permanent Representatives Committee, currently proceeding the work of its preparatory session for the next African Union Summit in Addis Ababa.
In this context, the Ambassador emphasized that the National Congress on the Rights of the Child was first held on May 25, 1995, and that its work was crowned by the establishment of the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child, presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem.
According to the Moroccan diplomat, this observatory is one of the mechanisms intended to uphold and protect children’s rights through the implementation of UN conventions protecting children’s rights and the strengthening of constant monitoring of the state of the child in Morocco with national and international partners.
Additionally, Arrouchi mentioned that the Kingdom continues its efforts to implement the National Pact for Children by 2030. This pact was signed at the 16th edition of the National Congress on the Rights of the Child in November 2019 in Marrakech. The diplomat added that this pact is based on several pillars, including the development of improved governance, the coordination of the child sector and the establishment of a budget related to it.
The Moroccan delegation to this session also mentioned that the Kingdom has organized a meeting regarding the prevention of the recruitment and use of minors in conflict situations as part of its presidency of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in October 2022. During this meeting, the Peace and Security Council members strongly condemned the continued recruitment and use of children by armed groups and terrorist organizations in Africa.