The House of Councillors on Friday opened the work of its second session of the 2022-2023 legislative year, held in accordance with Article 65 of the Constitution and Article 18 of the Rules of Procedure of the House.
In an address at the opening session, the speaker of the House of Councillors, Enaam Mayara, welcomed the many achievements made with the contribution of all groups and parliamentary groupings and standing and temporary committees, and the mobilization of the administrative apparatus of the House during the previous session, in particular in the fields of legislation, evaluation of public policies, foreign relations and parliamentary diplomacy, in addition to the consolidation of its role in hosting national forums on issues that are the focus of national public opinion and are a priority for the House.
Mayara referred on this occasion to the recent decision taken by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) unanimously by its members, concerning the removal of Morocco from the gray list, after assessing the harmonization of the national system with international standards of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, since the action plan of the Kingdom was approved by this body in February 2021, adding that this decision strengthens the place of the Kingdom and its reputation at international level.
The House of Councillors is called upon during this session, added Mayara, to contribute to the development of the national legal system to serve unanimous priorities, including the rehabilitation of the health system and the generalization of social coverage, by pronouncing on the bill on mutual cooperation, and bills submitted by the House of Representatives, and on the establishment of the High Authority of Health, the National Agency for Blood and its derivatives, and the Moroccan Agency for Drugs and Health Products.
During this session, he noted, the House of Councillors will work in coordination with the government to interact positively with the legislative initiatives of councillors, in order to achieve a balance at this level between the two Houses.
Regarding the control of government action, Mayara stressed the need to take advantage of the various control mechanisms established by the constitution for the benefit of the public interest, especially the weekly and monthly sessions of oral questions, “which should be a real platform for an open and constructive debate with the government, to solve the problems arising from the current situation”.
Regarding parliamentary diplomacy, Mayara expressed the pride of the House of the diplomatic achievements made by Morocco under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, as well as the major changes that have occurred in support of the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, stressing that “the American recognition of the Moroccanness of the southern provinces of the Kingdom marked an important turning point in the defense of the legitimate rights of the Kingdom, as well as the position of the Kingdom of Spain supporting the Moroccan autonomy plan as the most appropriate and serious framework for resolving the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, a position that is the result of the historic meeting between His Majesty the King and the president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez (…), gave a positive impetus to trade and economic and cultural relations between the two countries.”
He noted, in this sense, that the House of Representatives accompanies and supports this new dynamic so that relations between the two kingdoms continue to embody the model of relations of constructive and supportive neighborhood, stressing that “the recognition by many European states and the majority of Arab and African states of the importance of the Moroccan autonomy plan to definitively turn the page of the artificial conflict over the Moroccanness of the Sahara, the growing Moroccan presence in the African continent, and the permanent national symbiosis in the service of the defense of the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, imposes on us as parliamentarians to redouble our efforts within the framework of parliamentary gatherings and at the bilateral level, to counter all the allegations and lies aiming at undermining these achievements”.
Mayara underlined in this sense that “the House of Representatives will continue to strengthen its involvement in regional, continental and international parliamentary unions and associations as well as in the bilateral framework for the defense, within the system of national diplomacy, of strategic and vital issues of the Kingdom of Morocco, namely the first national cause”.
He noted in this regard that the House plans, with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, to organize the second edition of the Parliamentary Economic Forum of Marrakech, which will focus on the African continent, in addition to the organization by the Moroccan Parliament, through its two Houses, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, of the Parliamentary Conference on “Dialogue of Religions: Together for our common future”, with the support of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the Rabita Mohammadia of Ulemas.
Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse