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Women Speakers of Parliament will identify clear actions to eliminate barriers to women’s political participation, end harassment of female MPs, and promote inclusive parliaments.

The 12th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia, will bring together the most senior women parliamentary leaders to address gender issues in parliaments, and explore avenues for more inclusive political institutions where every voice counts.

The Summit will be held on 25-26 April in Cochabamba, Bolivia, one of the few countries to have achieved gender parity in Parliament and to have enacted specific legislation to combat violence against women in politics.  

A recent IPU analysis showed that the number of women in national parliaments in 2017 only increased by 0.1 percentage point from 2016, from 23.3% to 23.4%. This modest gain was in contrast to the high number of women winning seats at elections in 2017, accounting for 27.1%. Summit participants will examine the root causes of women’s under-representation in politics. They will assess achievements and analyse persistent obstacles to women’s full participation.

The Speakers will also focus on finding solutions to end violence against women politicians, an issue that has become increasingly topical in recent years. Worldwide, women politicians face daily sexual harassment and intimidation, as well as gender-based violence. A 2016 IPU survey of women MPs from 39 countries across all regions revealed that over 81.8 % of the respondents reported having experienced some form of psychological violence. Over 44% said they had received threats of rape, beatings, kidnapping or death.

The Speakers will look in depth at their role and responsibility as leaders in ensuring parliaments are free from violence.

“This Summit is an opportunity to assess progress in women’s leadership in parliaments. We now have 51 women speakers of parliament, in 48 countries, which corresponds to 18.3% of presiding officer positions in parliament. But it is also an opportunity to sound the alarm on the remaining barriers to women’s full participation in politics, and raise our voices against the harassment of our female colleagues,” said IPU President Gabriela Cuevas Barron. 

In addition, making parliaments more representative and ensuring they deliver real power to all the people will be a leading topic on the Summit agenda.  Innovative initiatives to achieve fully inclusive parliamentary institutions will be examined, including electoral reforms to open parliament to a more diverse representation, and using new technologies to bring the views of citizens directly to parliamentary deliberations.

“By working together, the women Speakers attending this Summit can make major inroads on combatting inequality and promoting more inclusive societies,” added President Cuevas Barron.

Source: IPU

Women Speakers of Parliament will identify clear actions to eliminate barriers to women’s political participation, end harassment of female MPs, and promote inclusive parliaments.

The 12th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia, will bring together the most senior women parliamentary leaders to address gender issues in parliaments, and explore avenues for more inclusive political institutions where every voice counts.

The Summit will be held on 25-26 April in Cochabamba, Bolivia, one of the few countries to have achieved gender parity in Parliament and to have enacted specific legislation to combat violence against women in politics.  

A recent IPU analysis showed that the number of women in national parliaments in 2017 only increased by 0.1 percentage point from 2016, from 23.3% to 23.4%. This modest gain was in contrast to the high number of women winning seats at elections in 2017, accounting for 27.1%. Summit participants will examine the root causes of women’s under-representation in politics. They will assess achievements and analyse persistent obstacles to women’s full participation.

The Speakers will also focus on finding solutions to end violence against women politicians, an issue that has become increasingly topical in recent years. Worldwide, women politicians face daily sexual harassment and intimidation, as well as gender-based violence. A 2016 IPU survey of women MPs from 39 countries across all regions revealed that over 81.8 % of the respondents reported having experienced some form of psychological violence. Over 44% said they had received threats of rape, beatings, kidnapping or death.

The Speakers will look in depth at their role and responsibility as leaders in ensuring parliaments are free from violence.

“This Summit is an opportunity to assess progress in women’s leadership in parliaments. We now have 51 women speakers of parliament, in 48 countries, which corresponds to 18.3% of presiding officer positions in parliament. But it is also an opportunity to sound the alarm on the remaining barriers to women’s full participation in politics, and raise our voices against the harassment of our female colleagues,” said IPU President Gabriela Cuevas Barron. 

In addition, making parliaments more representative and ensuring they deliver real power to all the people will be a leading topic on the Summit agenda.  Innovative initiatives to achieve fully inclusive parliamentary institutions will be examined, including electoral reforms to open parliament to a more diverse representation, and using new technologies to bring the views of citizens directly to parliamentary deliberations.

“By working together, the women Speakers attending this Summit can make major inroads on combatting inequality and promoting more inclusive societies,” added President Cuevas Barron.

Source: IPU

Women Speakers of Parliament will identify clear actions to eliminate barriers to women’s political participation, end harassment of female MPs, and promote inclusive parliaments.

The 12th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia, will bring together the most senior women parliamentary leaders to address gender issues in parliaments, and explore avenues for more inclusive political institutions where every voice counts.

The Summit will be held on 25-26 April in Cochabamba, Bolivia, one of the few countries to have achieved gender parity in Parliament and to have enacted specific legislation to combat violence against women in politics.  

A recent IPU analysis showed that the number of women in national parliaments in 2017 only increased by 0.1 percentage point from 2016, from 23.3% to 23.4%. This modest gain was in contrast to the high number of women winning seats at elections in 2017, accounting for 27.1%. Summit participants will examine the root causes of women’s under-representation in politics. They will assess achievements and analyse persistent obstacles to women’s full participation.

The Speakers will also focus on finding solutions to end violence against women politicians, an issue that has become increasingly topical in recent years. Worldwide, women politicians face daily sexual harassment and intimidation, as well as gender-based violence. A 2016 IPU survey of women MPs from 39 countries across all regions revealed that over 81.8 % of the respondents reported having experienced some form of psychological violence. Over 44% said they had received threats of rape, beatings, kidnapping or death.

The Speakers will look in depth at their role and responsibility as leaders in ensuring parliaments are free from violence.

“This Summit is an opportunity to assess progress in women’s leadership in parliaments. We now have 51 women speakers of parliament, in 48 countries, which corresponds to 18.3% of presiding officer positions in parliament. But it is also an opportunity to sound the alarm on the remaining barriers to women’s full participation in politics, and raise our voices against the harassment of our female colleagues,” said IPU President Gabriela Cuevas Barron. 

In addition, making parliaments more representative and ensuring they deliver real power to all the people will be a leading topic on the Summit agenda.  Innovative initiatives to achieve fully inclusive parliamentary institutions will be examined, including electoral reforms to open parliament to a more diverse representation, and using new technologies to bring the views of citizens directly to parliamentary deliberations.

“By working together, the women Speakers attending this Summit can make major inroads on combatting inequality and promoting more inclusive societies,” added President Cuevas Barron.

Source: IPU

Women Speakers of Parliament will identify clear actions to eliminate barriers to women’s political participation, end harassment of female MPs, and promote inclusive parliaments.

The 12th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia, will bring together the most senior women parliamentary leaders to address gender issues in parliaments, and explore avenues for more inclusive political institutions where every voice counts.

The Summit will be held on 25-26 April in Cochabamba, Bolivia, one of the few countries to have achieved gender parity in Parliament and to have enacted specific legislation to combat violence against women in politics.  

A recent IPU analysis showed that the number of women in national parliaments in 2017 only increased by 0.1 percentage point from 2016, from 23.3% to 23.4%. This modest gain was in contrast to the high number of women winning seats at elections in 2017, accounting for 27.1%. Summit participants will examine the root causes of women’s under-representation in politics. They will assess achievements and analyse persistent obstacles to women’s full participation.

The Speakers will also focus on finding solutions to end violence against women politicians, an issue that has become increasingly topical in recent years. Worldwide, women politicians face daily sexual harassment and intimidation, as well as gender-based violence. A 2016 IPU survey of women MPs from 39 countries across all regions revealed that over 81.8 % of the respondents reported having experienced some form of psychological violence. Over 44% said they had received threats of rape, beatings, kidnapping or death.

The Speakers will look in depth at their role and responsibility as leaders in ensuring parliaments are free from violence.

“This Summit is an opportunity to assess progress in women’s leadership in parliaments. We now have 51 women speakers of parliament, in 48 countries, which corresponds to 18.3% of presiding officer positions in parliament. But it is also an opportunity to sound the alarm on the remaining barriers to women’s full participation in politics, and raise our voices against the harassment of our female colleagues,” said IPU President Gabriela Cuevas Barron. 

In addition, making parliaments more representative and ensuring they deliver real power to all the people will be a leading topic on the Summit agenda.  Innovative initiatives to achieve fully inclusive parliamentary institutions will be examined, including electoral reforms to open parliament to a more diverse representation, and using new technologies to bring the views of citizens directly to parliamentary deliberations.

“By working together, the women Speakers attending this Summit can make major inroads on combatting inequality and promoting more inclusive societies,” added President Cuevas Barron.

Source: IPU

Women Speakers of Parliament will identify clear actions to eliminate barriers to women’s political participation, end harassment of female MPs, and promote inclusive parliaments.

The 12th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia, will bring together the most senior women parliamentary leaders to address gender issues in parliaments, and explore avenues for more inclusive political institutions where every voice counts.

The Summit will be held on 25-26 April in Cochabamba, Bolivia, one of the few countries to have achieved gender parity in Parliament and to have enacted specific legislation to combat violence against women in politics.  

A recent IPU analysis showed that the number of women in national parliaments in 2017 only increased by 0.1 percentage point from 2016, from 23.3% to 23.4%. This modest gain was in contrast to the high number of women winning seats at elections in 2017, accounting for 27.1%. Summit participants will examine the root causes of women’s under-representation in politics. They will assess achievements and analyse persistent obstacles to women’s full participation.

The Speakers will also focus on finding solutions to end violence against women politicians, an issue that has become increasingly topical in recent years. Worldwide, women politicians face daily sexual harassment and intimidation, as well as gender-based violence. A 2016 IPU survey of women MPs from 39 countries across all regions revealed that over 81.8 % of the respondents reported having experienced some form of psychological violence. Over 44% said they had received threats of rape, beatings, kidnapping or death.

The Speakers will look in depth at their role and responsibility as leaders in ensuring parliaments are free from violence.

“This Summit is an opportunity to assess progress in women’s leadership in parliaments. We now have 51 women speakers of parliament, in 48 countries, which corresponds to 18.3% of presiding officer positions in parliament. But it is also an opportunity to sound the alarm on the remaining barriers to women’s full participation in politics, and raise our voices against the harassment of our female colleagues,” said IPU President Gabriela Cuevas Barron. 

In addition, making parliaments more representative and ensuring they deliver real power to all the people will be a leading topic on the Summit agenda.  Innovative initiatives to achieve fully inclusive parliamentary institutions will be examined, including electoral reforms to open parliament to a more diverse representation, and using new technologies to bring the views of citizens directly to parliamentary deliberations.

“By working together, the women Speakers attending this Summit can make major inroads on combatting inequality and promoting more inclusive societies,” added President Cuevas Barron.

Source: IPU

Women Speakers of Parliament will identify clear actions to eliminate barriers to women’s political participation, end harassment of female MPs, and promote inclusive parliaments.

The 12th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia, will bring together the most senior women parliamentary leaders to address gender issues in parliaments, and explore avenues for more inclusive political institutions where every voice counts.

The Summit will be held on 25-26 April in Cochabamba, Bolivia, one of the few countries to have achieved gender parity in Parliament and to have enacted specific legislation to combat violence against women in politics.  

A recent IPU analysis showed that the number of women in national parliaments in 2017 only increased by 0.1 percentage point from 2016, from 23.3% to 23.4%. This modest gain was in contrast to the high number of women winning seats at elections in 2017, accounting for 27.1%. Summit participants will examine the root causes of women’s under-representation in politics. They will assess achievements and analyse persistent obstacles to women’s full participation.

The Speakers will also focus on finding solutions to end violence against women politicians, an issue that has become increasingly topical in recent years. Worldwide, women politicians face daily sexual harassment and intimidation, as well as gender-based violence. A 2016 IPU survey of women MPs from 39 countries across all regions revealed that over 81.8 % of the respondents reported having experienced some form of psychological violence. Over 44% said they had received threats of rape, beatings, kidnapping or death.

The Speakers will look in depth at their role and responsibility as leaders in ensuring parliaments are free from violence.

“This Summit is an opportunity to assess progress in women’s leadership in parliaments. We now have 51 women speakers of parliament, in 48 countries, which corresponds to 18.3% of presiding officer positions in parliament. But it is also an opportunity to sound the alarm on the remaining barriers to women’s full participation in politics, and raise our voices against the harassment of our female colleagues,” said IPU President Gabriela Cuevas Barron. 

In addition, making parliaments more representative and ensuring they deliver real power to all the people will be a leading topic on the Summit agenda.  Innovative initiatives to achieve fully inclusive parliamentary institutions will be examined, including electoral reforms to open parliament to a more diverse representation, and using new technologies to bring the views of citizens directly to parliamentary deliberations.

“By working together, the women Speakers attending this Summit can make major inroads on combatting inequality and promoting more inclusive societies,” added President Cuevas Barron.

Source: IPU

Women Speakers of Parliament will identify clear actions to eliminate barriers to women’s political participation, end harassment of female MPs, and promote inclusive parliaments.

The 12th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia, will bring together the most senior women parliamentary leaders to address gender issues in parliaments, and explore avenues for more inclusive political institutions where every voice counts.

The Summit will be held on 25-26 April in Cochabamba, Bolivia, one of the few countries to have achieved gender parity in Parliament and to have enacted specific legislation to combat violence against women in politics.  

A recent IPU analysis showed that the number of women in national parliaments in 2017 only increased by 0.1 percentage point from 2016, from 23.3% to 23.4%. This modest gain was in contrast to the high number of women winning seats at elections in 2017, accounting for 27.1%. Summit participants will examine the root causes of women’s under-representation in politics. They will assess achievements and analyse persistent obstacles to women’s full participation.

The Speakers will also focus on finding solutions to end violence against women politicians, an issue that has become increasingly topical in recent years. Worldwide, women politicians face daily sexual harassment and intimidation, as well as gender-based violence. A 2016 IPU survey of women MPs from 39 countries across all regions revealed that over 81.8 % of the respondents reported having experienced some form of psychological violence. Over 44% said they had received threats of rape, beatings, kidnapping or death.

The Speakers will look in depth at their role and responsibility as leaders in ensuring parliaments are free from violence.

“This Summit is an opportunity to assess progress in women’s leadership in parliaments. We now have 51 women speakers of parliament, in 48 countries, which corresponds to 18.3% of presiding officer positions in parliament. But it is also an opportunity to sound the alarm on the remaining barriers to women’s full participation in politics, and raise our voices against the harassment of our female colleagues,” said IPU President Gabriela Cuevas Barron. 

In addition, making parliaments more representative and ensuring they deliver real power to all the people will be a leading topic on the Summit agenda.  Innovative initiatives to achieve fully inclusive parliamentary institutions will be examined, including electoral reforms to open parliament to a more diverse representation, and using new technologies to bring the views of citizens directly to parliamentary deliberations.

“By working together, the women Speakers attending this Summit can make major inroads on combatting inequality and promoting more inclusive societies,” added President Cuevas Barron.

Source: IPU

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

 [[{"fid":"13126","view_mode":"media_original","fields":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-media-original","data-delta":"2"}}]]

This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

 [[{"fid":"13126","view_mode":"media_original","fields":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-media-original","data-delta":"2"}}]]

This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

 [[{"fid":"13126","view_mode":"media_original","fields":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"media_original","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-media-original","data-delta":"2"}}]]

This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

By Brechtje Kemp

Morocco’s constitutional reform in 2011 forms the basis of new laws and practices which increased civil participation in the decision-making process, but more remains to be done. How to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as “the cement between government and citizens”?

This was one of the questions debated at the conference “Citizens and CSOs Inclusion in Decision-Making”, held in Skhirat, Morocco, by Counterpart International in partnership with five Moroccan CSOs (AMSED, Ennakhil, ALCI, Forum Ezzahrae and La Colombe Blanche).

Morocco is on a path to further widening the space for civic engagement and civil society. Over the past seven years, the country has focused on the implementation of the right to citizens’ participation in decision making, as reflected in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution.

Pushed by a royal concern for changing mentalities to move forward, Morocco’s government has developed an advanced regulatory framework, and created new tools for citizens to engage in decision making, according to Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, and Spokesman of the Government. Through the development of handbooks, reference guides and procedures; digital platforms like chikaya.ma; consultative regional councils; and training programmes the government has been supporting the roll-out of the country’s participatory democracy.

A new hotline for citizen grievances for example has already received 15,000 calls, while a digital platform for submitting petitions, a right guaranteed by the 2011 constitutional reform, will be online soon. Some initiatives were successful, others not yet. Some authorities for example have disregarded a petition on the environment or refused to meet with CSOs. These examples show, according to the Minister, that reforms are also a matter of attitude and changing mentalities.

Civil society participation on the rise, but no room for complacency

Morocco historically has a strong culture of citizen participation. Since 1975, Morocco has seen an increase in its Civil Society Participation scores, outperforming the regional and global averages, according to International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices.

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This positive trend does not mean that one can be complacent. Some members of the audience noted that the government tends to blow some successes out of proportion, claiming that not all handbooks are known by local councils and municipalities, and that the political will to support reforms is not always as strong as it should be. In the words of one critical female participant: “If you have an advanced law, but implement it with a backward mindset, you end up with a zero-sum game”.

One of the challenges faced by both government agencies and CSOs is how to implement the regulatory framework throughout Morocco, a vast country divided in 16 regions which are subdivided in provinces or prefectures, and to include the voices of disadvantaged groups, especially those living in hard to reach, rural areas. Democratic institutions need to find ways to engage a broader group of citizens as “civic participation is for those who are currently not or unequally represented through representative democracy, regardless of the reason why”, according to one civil society activist. Women and youth especially need to be more involved, because CSO leadership in Morocco is dominated by an older generation, mostly men.

“I cannot think of a public service where you can identify a problem and solution, without the person in need involved: for example what would you think if you’d go to the doctor and he or she would start operating your knee, while it was your shoulder that was hurting?”

—Ayman Ayoub, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

Transparency and inclusive communication are needed, but not always easy to achieve. For example, how to make budget law available, considering it includes hundreds of pages of text and technical jargon? People should be able to understand what participatory democracy entails, which requires language that is clear and tools that are easy to use. The enforcement of the laws and regulations is another weak area: what happens if a regional or local government ignores the obligation to involve citizens in policy discussions and decision-making e.g. around development plans? Some advocated for the need for sanctions, while others brought up recent protests that push for accountability. Human rights activist and attorney Abdelaziz Nouaydi warned against the shrinking of the middle class and added that “the spread of poverty is creating walls like apartheid – we need to refocus our conversation to avoid a cycle of protest and reaction to protest.”

Addressing these challenges requires capacity, resources and expertise. For regional and local governments to be able to write their development plans in collaboration with the public, would require 6,000 experts working 420 days, one speaker explained. The government alone does not have this capacity. However, with the support of CSOs they can better align development plans and policies with citizens priorities, and for example choose to invest in healthcare instead of a new road.

Next step: Bridging the gaps

Morocco’s participatory democracy is at an embryonic phase, but it has, in the words of one participant, ‘leapfrogged from confrontation to consultation’ which offers hope and potential for the years ahead. The next step is to bridge the gap between government and citizens priorities, between the national and local level and between law and practice. The country’s new participatory democracy framework offers a new paradigm and opportunity to further encourage civic dynamism and inclusion.

Source: International IDEA

Although rural girls and women made up 40 per cent of all the women in the world in 2015, according to the United Nations, they lack a voice in decision-making. In many countries, they are either not taken into account in national laws and policies, development strategies and budgets, or their needs are insufficiently addressed. To draw attention to this, the priority theme of the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which took place in New York from 12 to 23 March 2018, was the empowerment of rural women and girls.

On 13 March, the IPU, in cooperation with UN Women, held a parliamentary meeting at the CSW, entitled “Parliaments deliver for rural women and girls”. MPs discussed ways to remove systemic barriers that rural women and girls face in realizing their rights and overcome the discrimination against them in law and practice. The meeting was opened by Gabriela Cuevas Barron, President of the IPU, and Purna Sen, Director of the Policy Division of UN Women, and chaired by Margaret Mensah-Williams, President of the IPU Bureau of Women Parliamentarians and Chairperson of the National Council of the Parliament of Namibia. Panellists included MPs and representatives of governments, civil society organizations and UN agencies. Over 140 MPs (including 116 women MPs) from 42 countries participated, as well as the Speakers of the Parliaments of the Bahamas, Canada, Namibia, South Africa and Uganda.

MPs committed themselves to advance legislative frameworks that guarantee rights, justice and equality for rural women and girls, repeal discriminatory laws and address gaps that impact negatively on their lives. They also agreed to use their power of oversight to ensure that the laws and policies make a real difference for rural women and are well funded.

Parliamentarians undertook to reach out to rural women and girls, both through face-to-face meetings and through mobile technologies. They agreed that it was important to facilitate rural women’s access to political decision-making, both in their communities and at the national level, including on climate change. Parliaments can make a difference in the lives of rural women and girls by better listening to them, and MPs at the meeting shared their experiences on this. For example, the Network of Mauritanian Women Parliamentarians, with support from the IPU, has carried out outreach activities in rural areas: women MPs reached out to 64 local leaders and over 2,500 people, including rural women, thus strengthening their links with local communities. Based on the hearings during the outreach, the Network raised questions in Parliament on budget laws. Namibia has rural women’s parliaments that interact with the national Parliament. The French Parliamentary Delegation on Equal Opportunities has held hearings with rural women to craft a responsive rural development policy.

The outcomes of the parliamentary meeting were presented to the CSW by Ms. Mensah-Williams.

Watch the videos of the parliamentary meeting.

Watch the press conference on the new IPU publication, Women in parliament in 2017 : The year in review with Ms. Cuevas Barron, Ms. Mensah-Williams and Swedish MP Rosanna Dinamarca.

The IPU also held three side events at the CSW. To get a feel for the events, see our Storify piece.

Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union

Although rural girls and women made up 40 per cent of all the women in the world in 2015, according to the United Nations, they lack a voice in decision-making. In many countries, they are either not taken into account in national laws and policies, development strategies and budgets, or their needs are insufficiently addressed. To draw attention to this, the priority theme of the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which took place in New York from 12 to 23 March 2018, was the empowerment of rural women and girls.

On 13 March, the IPU, in cooperation with UN Women, held a parliamentary meeting at the CSW, entitled “Parliaments deliver for rural women and girls”. MPs discussed ways to remove systemic barriers that rural women and girls face in realizing their rights and overcome the discrimination against them in law and practice. The meeting was opened by Gabriela Cuevas Barron, President of the IPU, and Purna Sen, Director of the Policy Division of UN Women, and chaired by Margaret Mensah-Williams, President of the IPU Bureau of Women Parliamentarians and Chairperson of the National Council of the Parliament of Namibia. Panellists included MPs and representatives of governments, civil society organizations and UN agencies. Over 140 MPs (including 116 women MPs) from 42 countries participated, as well as the Speakers of the Parliaments of the Bahamas, Canada, Namibia, South Africa and Uganda.

MPs committed themselves to advance legislative frameworks that guarantee rights, justice and equality for rural women and girls, repeal discriminatory laws and address gaps that impact negatively on their lives. They also agreed to use their power of oversight to ensure that the laws and policies make a real difference for rural women and are well funded.

Parliamentarians undertook to reach out to rural women and girls, both through face-to-face meetings and through mobile technologies. They agreed that it was important to facilitate rural women’s access to political decision-making, both in their communities and at the national level, including on climate change. Parliaments can make a difference in the lives of rural women and girls by better listening to them, and MPs at the meeting shared their experiences on this. For example, the Network of Mauritanian Women Parliamentarians, with support from the IPU, has carried out outreach activities in rural areas: women MPs reached out to 64 local leaders and over 2,500 people, including rural women, thus strengthening their links with local communities. Based on the hearings during the outreach, the Network raised questions in Parliament on budget laws. Namibia has rural women’s parliaments that interact with the national Parliament. The French Parliamentary Delegation on Equal Opportunities has held hearings with rural women to craft a responsive rural development policy.

The outcomes of the parliamentary meeting were presented to the CSW by Ms. Mensah-Williams.

Watch the videos of the parliamentary meeting.

Watch the press conference on the new IPU publication, Women in parliament in 2017 : The year in review with Ms. Cuevas Barron, Ms. Mensah-Williams and Swedish MP Rosanna Dinamarca.

The IPU also held three side events at the CSW. To get a feel for the events, see our Storify piece.

Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union