Ms. Amina Bouayach, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), underscored the importance of consolidating the achievements of the ambitious social protection project. She further called for enhancing the alignment of national legislation with international conventions and ensuring that the national system complies with the recommendations set forth by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
This was part of her statement at the session titled "The General Framework of the Social Protection System in Morocco and the Challenges of Harmonizing National Legislation with International Standards," held on Monday, February 17, 2025, as part of the Ninth International Parliamentary Forum on Social Justice. This event was organized by the House of Councillors in partnership with the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE), focusing on “The Generalization of Social Protection in Morocco, a Vision of Development in line with International Standards.”
Ms. Bouayach positively acknowledged the progress in expanding the number of beneficiaries of various programs. She also highlighted challenges identified by the CNDH through daily monitoring of the implementation process and complaints received over the past four years. These challenges mainly concern:
• Ensuring sustainable financing for the project across all its components;
• Registration in the National Population Register and the Unified Social Register;
• Regional disparities and their impact on accessing the rights to healthcare;
• Weak public healthcare infrastructure;
• Completing the transition from the RAMED system to compulsory health insurance, among other issues.
Ms. Bouayach emphasized that Morocco’s commitment to generalizing the social protection system represents a foundational initiative aiming to implement a fundamental human right- one that is ambitious and essential for comprehensive development. She described Framework Law No. 09-21 as a crucial building block and a significant step toward establishing a comprehensive social protection system that guarantees the effectiveness of this right for all Moroccans.
Speaking on the importance of consolidating the achievements of this initiative, CNDH Chairperson called for integrating the remaining pillars of the social protection framework law to ensure its coherence with international conventions. These pillars include medical care, sickness benefits, unemployment benefits, old-age pensions, compensation for work-related injuries, and family allowances.
Ms. Bouayach also reiterated key international principles related to social protection. These principles serve as standards for assessing the extent to which social protection is guaranteed. Articles 22 and 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirm the right to social protection and a decent standard of living. Articles 9 and 10 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights guarantee social protection in all its forms. Additionally, Goal 3 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development highlights the importance of establishing universal social protection systems as a means to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities. Meanwhile, ILO Convention No. 102 (1952) on Social Security sets minimum standards for social security systems.
It is worth noting that the 9th Edition of this Forum, organized by the House of Councillors and its institutional partners in celebration of World Day of Social Justice, consists of two main thematic sessions. The first session addresses the general framework of the social protection system in Morocco and the challenges of harmonizing national legislation with international standards. The second session explores the socio-economic effects of the generalization of social protection and the challenges of efficiency and sustainability in light of comparative practices.
