Moroccan government to work more closely with NGOs

24/07/2008

The Moroccan government is developing closer ties to the country's NGO community, in a bid to help organisations fill gaps in the social sector.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 24/07/08

[Sarah Touahri] Minister of Social Development Nouzha Skelli announced last week that the Moroccan government will provide accreditation, funding and training assistance to certain NGOs.

Social minister Nouzha Skelli announced last week that the Moroccan government plans to work closely with NGOs in order bolster their work in the social sector. Speaking on July 19th at the seventh in a series of workshops between NGOs and the Ministry of Social Development, Family and Solidarity, Skelli said that the main focus of her ministry's strategy is a programme to accredit the non-governmental organisations.

"To date, around 1,600 organisations have expressed interest in the accreditation process," she said, "with the aim for 2008 to bring the number up to 2,000. Participation in the accreditation process is voluntary and involves signing the charter of ethics and receiving the status of privileged partner."

Skelli added that although the social work undertaken by NGOs is laudable, the sector is better known for the quantity of its organisations, rather than the quality of their services.

The accreditation process, she said, allows the government to better understand NGOs' activities, assess their strengths and weaknesses and contribute to their development as professional organisations.

Abdelhamid Makloum, a member of the Association for Rural Development, welcomed the move.

"NGOs need accreditation ... to enable them to manage development projects properly," he commented.

NGOs that successfully apply for and receive accreditation will be eligible to receive grant money, the social minister added, for use on government-designated social development projects.

The financial support would be provided only after signing detailed agreements with the ministry. The agreements would set out conditions for aid payouts and the ways in which the money can be spent.

A number of NGO representatives, welcomed the initiative, showing no sign of concern that the financial aid offered by the government would affect their independence or integrity.

"I don't think the government will exert any pressure on NGOs operating in the social sector," said Makloum. "Officials need robust, professional organisations to help them address gaps in the sector."

Skelli identified several other initiatives designed to bolster the NGO sector.

She said that the government is developing training programmes in social work in order to provide the job market with staff familiar with social intervention and capable of steering development projects.

She also said the government was working to create networks of NGOs based on their geographical location and areas of focus.

And finally, she added that civil-society leaders are considering plans to create a national-level authority to oversee all issues relating to the work of NGOs. Specifically, the authority would comment on draft laws and regulations affecting the sector and propose measures to support the organisations' development.

"Everyone has agreed that this authority should be set up," Skelli noted.

"We're now having more in-depth discussions to arrive at a consensus on how to implement this plan."