The Secretary of State to the Minister of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Urban Policy, in charge of Housing, Adib Benbrahim, presented, Tuesday in Cairo, the main strategies adopted by the Kingdom of Morocco, under the Enlightened Leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, to activate multi-level governance with a view to implementing the new urban agenda and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking during a ministerial meeting as part of the 12th World Urban Forum, organized at the initiative of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), Mr. Benbrahim recalled that Morocco launched the project in 2015 of advanced regionalization, which reshaped the territorial division through the creation of 12 regions and the promulgation of organic laws granting broad prerogatives to local authorities.
He specified that this strategic project was strengthened in 2018 by the adoption of the National Charter of Administrative Deconcentration, in addition to the implementation of integrated sectoral strategies, such as the Industrial Acceleration Plan, the Morocco Plan Green, energy and digital strategies.
These projects, according to him, are part of structuring national initiatives aimed at reducing economic and social disparities and creating a dynamic of global development within the framework of the New development model, launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and adopted in 2021 according to a methodical and participatory approach which strengthens capacities and emphasizes the delegation of skills to the territories and the integration of sustainability in all areas of development.
Mr. Benbrahim stressed that the Kingdom implements effective strategies and programs in multi-level urban governance thanks to coordination between local sectoral representations, authorities and local authorities as well as the central services concerned by these initiatives.
Concerning access to decent housing, the Secretary of State recalled that Morocco has launched several programs to combat unsanitary housing, such as the “Cities without slums” program and the program for the treatment of buildings threatening ruin.
And to underline that Morocco has made significant progress in the field of social housing and the reduction of the housing deficit, by launching at the beginning of 2023 the “direct housing support program” to encourage access to housing. decent, particularly for households with limited and irregular income on the one hand and for the middle class on the other, which has contributed to improving the quality of life of citizens.
According to Mr. Benbrahim, the various public policies adopted in terms of housing pay particular attention to the preservation of architectural and urban heritage through the rehabilitation of old fabrics in urban and rural areas.
It is impossible to talk about efforts to provide decent housing without mentioning the government’s efforts in land use planning and effective spatial planning, he noted, noting that governance is exercised at several levels with different but complementary roles.
And to add that this is manifested at the national level through the orientations of the general territorial planning policy and at the regional level through the regional spatial planning plans, in addition to strategic planning through the master plans of Urban development and urban planning, based on cooperation between institutions, local authorities and urban agencies.
In this sense, digitalization constitutes a cornerstone to guarantee the efficiency and transparency of projects, he observed, specifying that Morocco is accelerating its digital transition to guarantee the implementation of strategies, particularly in areas of town planning and housing.
In this context, Mr. Benbrahim referred to the complete digitalization of the process of granting direct housing support, from the submission of applications and verification of eligibility, to the final payment stages of the support.
He also underlined the importance of international cooperation to share diverse experiences, benefit from international best practices and open up to new perspectives.
The Kingdom of Morocco is taking part in this Forum with a delegation made up of representatives of several ministries, public institutions and elected authorities, in particular the ministries of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Sustainable Development Policy. the City, Interior, Economy and Finance, the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion, the Al Omrane Group and urban agencies.
Placed under the theme “It all starts at home: local actions for sustainable cities and communities”, the World Urban Forum, whose work began on Monday, represents the second largest event organized by the United Nations after the conferences on the climate, through the numerous activities and events that address various themes linked to sustainable and inclusive urban development.
With MAP
