Morocco sets sights on poverty reduction

2009-10-29

Despite official data showing a dip in the nation's poverty rate, Morocco has announced a new strategic framework to tackle the problem.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 29/10/09

[Siham Ali] Minister of Social Development Nouzha Skelli is rolling out a sweeping strategic framework to fight poverty in Morocco.

Morocco is developing a new strategic framework to fight poverty, which will place top priority on addressing the vulnerabilities that lead families into destitution.

"There was a need to bring all governmental and non-governmental initiatives together to fight poverty, given the necessity of coordinating all activities, both in terms of financial and human resources," said Minister of Social Development Nouzha Skelli, as her office unveiled the plan on October 22nd in Rabat.

The ministry aims to streamline the efforts being made across all ministerial departments to reduce poverty levels in Morocco, which official data show as having dropped from 14.5% in 1998 to 9% this year.

Skelli said the strategy, which is being worked out in conjunction with the UNDP and Morocco's civil society, will develop pilot projects in certain localities before a wider roll-out.

"A number of aspects need to be considered in the fight against poverty, including health, the environment and basic infrastructure," said the minister.

The strategic framework's first aim is to prevent more families from becoming poverty-stricken by addressing their vulnerability. The second aim is to set up mechanisms to allow poor families to escape poverty by developing their skills and stimulating their own initiatives. There are also plans to facilitate access to resources, set up social safety nets, create a better social assistance system, and help guarantee appropriate minimum living standards for the most needy.

Adib Nouâma, a regional advisor dealing with social statistics, said the framework would help uncover efficient mechanisms for coordinating action among the different departments, and thus generate better results.

According to the social development ministry, Morocco's National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) represents the most general strategy into which any national strategy to combat poverty should fit.

For her part, INDH co-ordinator Nadira Guermai called for the continuation of ongoing efforts to achieve the targets already established for the fight against poverty.

"More than 18,700 projects have been launched under the INDH since 2005, benefiting more than 4 million vulnerable people in Morocco," she said.

The UNDP representative in Morocco, Aliaa Dali, said the most important thing was the work on the ground, and that Morocco has a good track record when it comes to the INDH.

"Continuous efforts are needed to evaluate those programmes which have been set up, and to overcome the difficulties which stand in the way of success for the strategy and INDH projects, since difficulties have been reported about the sustainability of some projects," said Skelli.