Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and the Family, Aawatif Hayar, said on Monday in Skhirat that her department is working to set up a national agency in charge of social protection establishments for children in very difficult situations, which aims to exploit social mechanisms and new technology to protect children and define the course of their care.
Speaking at the opening session of the national conference on “Protecting children in contact with the law: current situation and outlook”, Hayar pointed out that the Ministry is working in partnership with Entraide Nationale (EN) to extend the use of child protection support centers (CAPE), with a view to coordinating the work of regional child protection commissions.
“The attention paid to children’s conditions in Morocco reflects HM King Mohammed VI’s great concern for children’s issues and their protection, as well as the commitment and personal involvement of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem, president of the National Observatory for Children’s Rights”, she stressed, adding that Morocco has taken important steps to improve children’s conditions, with the adoption of a family code in 2004.
The Family Code has contributed to reinforcing the status of the child and safeguarding his or her rights and interests, as well as promulgating a series of laws relating to the placement of abandoned children, the registration of children in the civil registry regardless of their social status, guaranteeing their right to nationality and reinforcing their protection against various forms of abuse, violence, exploitation and abandonment, the Minister added.
She also stressed the importance of these national conferences, which provide an opportunity to examine the problems and challenges facing children, particularly those in contact with the law, and to reflect collectively, propose solutions and alternatives, and combine efforts to improve the situation of children and protect them.
For his part, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, stressed that his department, keen to promote the field of childhood in Morocco, has begun equipping child protection centers so that they become a source for a new generation of skills and executives.
“Last year, one of the residents of a child protection center obtained the baccalaureate diploma with distinction. Today, she is pursuing her higher education at one of Morocco’s leading universities, and will be one of tomorrow’s decision-makers”, he noted, adding that several residents excel in their studies.
Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse