lundi 4 janvier 2010
HM the king addresses a speech to the nation
HM the king addresses a speech to the nation
Marrakech - HM king Mohammed VI addressed on Sunday a speech to the nation.
Here follows the full text of the speech:
"Praise be to God May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, I am setting up the Advisory Committee on Regionalization. This is a watershed moment, the start of a structural project which, hopefully, will mark a turning point in territorial governance.
I also want it to be the beginning of a new dynamic towards a thorough institutional reform.
Viewed from this angle, the extensive regionalization we want to achieve is not a mere technical or administrative procedure, but rather a major initiative for the overhaul and modernization of state structures and for the achievement of integrated development.
I have therefore decided to involve the nation’s forces in the preparation of the regionalization plan. To that end, I have decided that a special advisory committee should be set up. It will be chaired by Professor Omar Azziman, who has been chosen for his competence, integrity and keen sense of responsibility.
Considering the many dimensions involved in regional governance, criteria used for selecting committee members included strong commitment to serving the public good, diversity of background, complementarity, extensive experience in the management of public affairs and a good knowledge of the country’s local and regional specificities.
In keeping with the participatory approach we have been using in all the major reforms introduced so far, I call on the Committee to listen to and consult with the stakeholders and institutions concerned.
I expect the Committee to draw up a general plan for a sophisticated, national regionalization model, covering all of the Kingdom’s regions, to be submitted to me at the end of June 2010.
As I pointed out earlier, the Committee is expected to come up with a wholly Moroccan regionalization model. It should be based on our country’s specificities.
One of these specificities stems from the fact that ours is one of the world’s most longstanding monarchies.
Throughout the ages, the Moroccan monarchy has remained the guarantor of
national unity. It reflects the cohesion characterizing all segments of our nation and shows how much it cares for the well-being of Moroccans in all parts of the country, through close monitoring of their living conditions.
In addition to its distinctive history, Morocco is known for the modern, forward-looking steps it has taken by opting for a system of broad decentralization. The Committee is therefore urged to develop a typical national regionalization system and avoid mere imitation or replication of other countries’ experiences.
The aim is to pave the way for the establishment of a groundbreaking regionalization system for developing countries, and at the same time enhance our country’s standing as a model to be followed when it comes to taking bold, national stances or devising innovative responses to crucial issues facing the nation.
Hence, when drawing up the plan for a regionalization system, special importance should be attached to these four main points:
First: uphold the strong commitment to the nation’s sacred, immutable values - namely the unity of the state, of the nation and of our territory - of which I am the guarantor and the custodian. Broad-based regionalization should be another democratic way of enhancing the singular Moroccan experience, in a nation characterized by rich inter-sectoral and cultural diversity, within a unified national identity.
Second: ensure commitment to solidarity. Regionalization must not merely consist in a new distribution of powers between central and local governments. There can be no even, national distribution of regional development unless each region makes the most of its potential, and unless effective solidarity mechanisms are instituted to reflect and enhance inter-regional complementarity and cohesion, within a united Morocco.
Third: ensure harmonious, balanced distribution of powers and resources, and avoid overlap or inconsistency between local authorities, central government and the institutions concerned.
Fourth: adopt extensive devolution - without which there can be no effective regionalization policy - within the framework of an efficient territorial governance system based on harmony and convergence.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This key project should help us achieve some fundamental objectives.
Chief among these is the establishment of full-fledged, viable, sustainable regions, through the formulation of rational, realistic criteria upon which a new regionalization system will be founded.
A second main objective is the emergence of democratic councils that have the powers and resources needed to promote integrated, regional development.
In our efficient territorial governance system, I do not want regions to be merely formal, bureaucratic entities, but rather representative institutions composed of competent officials who can run their respective regions’ affairs efficiently.
One of my key objectives is to see to it that our recovered southern provinces are among the first to benefit from a sophisticated regionalization system. Morocco will not sit by while the enemies of our territorial integrity continue to frustrate the UN process designed to find a realistic, mutually acceptable political solution to the artificial dispute over our provinces, on the basis of our autonomy initiative for the Moroccan Sahara.
This initiative, which was deemed credible by the United Nations, remains on the table for serious, responsible negotiations to achieve a final, realistic settlement.
Meanwhile, we shall resolutely press ahead with our efforts to give the faithful sons and inhabitants of the Moroccan Sahara extensive powers to manage their local affairs, as part of a sophisticated regionalization system which I shall set in motion in keeping with the nation’s sovereign will.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I expect all the parties and stakeholders concerned to remain mobilized and to be acutely aware of the stakes involved in the crucial area of broad-based regionalization. I consider this to be a key test for the success of the far-reaching reforms I am spearheading.
In view of the above, I urge the Committee to tackle the real problems, join efforts with others and be innovative in its work in order to make practical, applicable proposals. Our national ambition is to move from fledgling regionalization to advanced, democratic, development-oriented regionalization.
I should like to assure the Committee of my support and want committee members to know that I shall follow their work with keen interest. I ask the government and the authorities concerned to cooperate with the Committee and to provide it with the resources it needs for the successful accomplishment of its mission.
May Almighty God grant us success and help us achieve our objective of making extensive regionalization the institutional pillar of the Moroccan state; an institution-based state that upholds the rule of law, fulfils the requirements of good governance and concomitantly defends not only the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation, but also the right of each and every Moroccan to dignity and responsible citizenship in a united, secure, advanced, solidarity-based country.
Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.”
vendredi 21 août 2009
H.M. the King calls for comprehensive reform of judicial system
H.M. the King calls for comprehensive reform of judicial system
Tetuan - H.M. King Mohammed VI called Thursday on the Government to develop a well-defined plan that reflects the strategic depth of the reform of judiciary system.
In a speech on the 56th anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People, the sovereign said this reform should revolve around six pivotal axes. These include enhancing the safeguards for an independent judiciary system, modernizing the legal system, upgrading its structures and human resources, bolstering judicial efficiency, consolidating the moralisation process and ensuring optimal, effective implementation.
"No matter how relevant the strategic, long-term objectives may be, we should still keep in mind that the citizens need to have a clear perception of the positive impact of the reform in the short run," said the monarch.
"I therefore instruct the Government, especially the Ministry of Justice, to start the implementation process in six priority areas,” said the sovereign, affirming that this endeavour should consolidate guarantees of independence by granting the High Council for the Judiciary the status it deserves as a full-fledged constitutional body, and entrusting it with the powers it needs to manage judges’ careers.
The king insisted on the need of reconsidering the mode of election of Council’s members, make sure they have the necessary competence and integrity, guarantee a representativity of women that tallies with their presence in the Judiciary, streamline its working methods.
“Similarly, the regulations governing the judge’s status should be revised to ensure more professionalism, accountability and impartiality, and steps should be taken to boost the career promotion process. Likewise, by–laws should be enacted to address the status of court clerks, and there should be an overhaul of the legal framework governing the various judicial professions,” underlined the Monarch.
This drive seeks to update the legal system, especially where business, the investment environment and the conditions for fair trial are concerned,” said the Sovereign, affirming that this requires developing a new penal policy, that involves reviewing and harmonizing criminal law along with the penal code, which should be brought in line with the current changes.
To this end, a national crime observatory should be set up, while efforts should continue to upgrade reformatory and penitentiary institutions, he added.
It is also necessary to develop alternative judicial approaches such as mediation, arbitration and conciliation, and to devise substitutes for sanctions meted out by the courts, noted the Sovereign.
He also stressed the need to upgrade the judicial and administrative structure by applying, within the Ministry of Justice as well as in the courts, new governance rules based on the principle of administrative devolution.
The aim is to grant judicial officers the necessary powers, including a mandate to carry out periodic and ad-hoc inspections, said the Sovereign, stressing the need to adopt a roadmap and to address the issue of judicial organisation, using a rational approach which is in line with the requirements of the proposed reform.
The reform aims also at upgrading the human resources in terms of training, performance and evaluation, and working, at the same time, for the improvement of the material benefits granted to judges and judicial support staff, underscored the Sovereign.
The social aspect should also be addressed, mainly by setting up the Mohammedia Foundation, H.M. the king announced. This move would reflect the monarch’s longstanding commitment to the well-being of the members of the legal profession.
The sovereign also called for increasing judicial efficiency, in an effort to address the hardships endured by the citizens as a result of the shaky, slow and complex administration of justice, mainly through “streamlined, transparent procedures, sound judgements, easier access to court for citizens seeking justice, swifter treatment of court filings and enforcement of rulings.”
In His nationwide address, H.M. King Mohammed VI also called for moralizing justice to shield it from corruption and abuse of authority, and enable it to contribute to the moralization of public life, via legal means.
This must proceed as part of programmes with specific objectives and stages and with well-defined means for implementing, monitoring and evaluating them, said the Sovereign.
At court level, the success of the reform is contingent upon the adoption of the devolution approach and on the availability of adequate staff, said the Monarch, calling on the High Council for the Judiciary to hold a special session and make recommendations for the appointment of judicial supervisors who are qualified for field work and able to carry out such a vital reform.
This “long” and “arduous” task, the monarch said, requires the full mobilisation not only of members of the legal profession, but of all institutions and productive forces, and indeed of all citizens,” deeming the proposed substantive reform of justice as a prerequisite for instilling the values of democracy and citizenship in the hearts and minds of young people and emerging generations.
