Conference on Advanced Regionalization calls for inclusive regional development, reducing territorial disparities.
The first National Conference on Advanced Regionalization held in Agadir Friday and Saturday adopted a set of recommendations, calling, inter-alia for strengthening regions’ capacities in terms of inclusive regional development to reduce territorial disparities.
Participants in the conference stressed the need to strengthen territorial planning mechanisms in accordance with the State’s general policy in this area, and underlined the importance of ensuring the convergence and the adequacy of regional development programs with sectoral plans.
The participants also underscored the importance of adopting territorial justice as a priority in public and territorial policies with a view to reducing spatial and social disparities.
They also called on the State to pursue its initiatives to strengthen the capacities of the regions in terms of governance and financial management and to diversify the region’s sources of financing through innovative solutions.
The participants stressed the need to set up governance mechanisms and activate coordination and communication instruments between the regional administration and the various stakeholders.
During the conference, the presidents of the 12 regions of Morocco signed a methodological framework with 12 ministries to enable the regions to better exercise their own powers and the powers shared with the central government. This framework would also enable the Regional Councils to define the priority measures requiring priority implementation, the aim being to achieve greater efficiency.
The opening session of the conference was marked by the message of King Mohammed VI to the participants, wherein he called on local governments, decentralized administrations and public institutions to mobilize their human, financial and logistical resources to provide fair and efficient public services throughout the Kingdom.
Whatever the progress in implementing advanced regionalization, it will still fall short of expectations so long as it is not accompanied by a set of indispensable measures that make it possible for regions to exercise their powers fully and more effectively, the monarch underlined.
The King pointed out that relying on public investment alone is not enough and that it is necessary to increase resources by opening up to the private sector. He stressed the need to take the necessary measures to inform private investors of investment opportunities at the regional level, particularly with regard to real estate, land use planning and development sectors that represent a priority for the region concerned.
The two-day Conference, organized by the ministry of the Interior and the Association of Regions of Morocco was attended by nearly 1,400 people, including elected officials, representatives of various ministerial departments, constitutional and public institutions, academics, national and international experts and civil society organizations.
