Morocco is preparing a law to protect its national tangible and intangible heritage against any attempt at usurpation or illegal appropriation, according to Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication.
Presenting the bill to Parliament, the minister stressed that this text comes in a context marked by important archaeological discoveries which have placed the Kingdom among the major players in archeology and geology on a global scale. It also intervenes in the context of the issues linked to the organization of the 2030 Football World Cup, where the development of national heritage, its legal strengthening, its digitization and the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property are essential.
According to the minister, this initiative aims to align Morocco’s legal framework with international standards ratified by the Kingdom and to respond to the challenges of ongoing societal and institutional development. The objective is also to make national heritage a lever for wealth and job creation, while mobilizing the necessary financing via public-private partnerships, particularly for cultural and creative industries and archaeological research.
Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid also specified that this bill aims to integrate new international concepts concerning cultural heritage and to strengthen the provisions of Law No. 22-80 relating to the conservation of historical monuments, sites, as well as objects art and antiques. It is also a matter of ensuring compliance of the national legal framework with international standards in the field of protection, enhancement and transfer of cultural heritage, in line with the Kingdom’s international commitments.
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Severe sanctions to combat infringements
The minister spoke of the attempt to register the Moroccan caftan and zellige in the name of another country with UNESCO, emphasizing the need to include provisions aimed at protecting and promoting this type of cultural heritage. This measure aims to fill legal gaps in current texts and implement Morocco’s commitments under the international conventions it has ratified, in particular the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage.
Among the developments brought about by this bill, Mr. Bensaid indicated that a new definition of national cultural heritage and its categories would be introduced. This project also gives pride of place to underwater and geological cultural heritage, as well as important historical collections, particularly for their architectural value. The project also addresses the issue of regulating the export of works of art and introduces new concepts regarding heritage management plans.
The bill provides for severe sanctions to combat offenses and strengthen the legal protection of cultural heritage. It also defines preservation procedures, notably through inscription on the World Heritage List, emphasizing the shared responsibility between the owners of objects and the administration in order to guarantee their preservation and their inscription on the Register. national inventory.
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