National Conference on Protection of Children in Contact with Law kicks off in Skhirat
The national Conference on the protection of children in contact with the law kicked off on Monday in Skhirat, in the presence of a host of eminent figures from the political, legal and cultural worlds.
Initiated by the Presidency of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, in partnership with UNICEF, and with the support of the European Union, this conference is part of the consolidation of the Kingdom’s achievements and progress in protecting children in contact with the law.
Organized under the theme of “Effective, integrated care for children in contact with the law”, the event is an ideal opportunity to highlight the strengths and achievements in this field, as well as the challenges and constraints that hamper child protection system.
The justice system for children in Morocco is cited among the best practices worldwide, the representative of the UNICEF in Morocco, Speciose Hakizimana, said at the opening of the Conference.
“UNICEF welcomes with great satisfaction the operationalization of territorial child protection mechanisms, which represent an important step marking the territorial declination of the integrated public policy of protection”, said Hakizimana.
The UNICEF team has worked with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and other national stakeholders to establish a holistic approach to justice for children, focused on respect for children’s rights and in line with international standards, she stressed, noting that UNICEF and Morocco are linked by a strategic partnership in favor of child protection.
One example is the implementation of the justice reform charter and the integrated public policy for child protection, she noted, highlighting the result achieved in enabling over 70% of children in conflict with the law to benefit from alternative measures to detention.
This commitment to children has helped to improve the quality, coverage and access of vulnerable children and families to prevention services and responses to all forms of violence against girls and boys living in Morocco, she stressed.
This meeting, which runs until June 21, provides an opportunity to debate several topics relating to this issue through a series of thematic workshops, with the aim of emerging with recommendations and conclusions that will mark a further step towards the protection and achievement of children’s rights in Morocco.
The opening ceremony was marked by the signing of a framework agreement between the King’s Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, president of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Moulay El Hassan Daki, the Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and the Family, Aawatif Hayar and the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid.
The agreement is meant to strengthen the protection of children, through the consolidation of services dedicated to children, close coordination between the various players to meet children’s interests, and the establishment of appropriate protection mechanisms for children according to their legal status and specific needs.
