“The Youth and Parliamentary Work: A Partnership for Democracy and Development”
Alalam24, The House of Representatives, in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, launched the “Youth and Parliamentary Work” program on Thursday. The program aims to open up the work of the legislative institution and provide young people with a close understanding of the constitutional competencies of the House of Representatives in the areas of legislation, oversight of government work, and evaluation of public policies.
The actual launch of this program, which benefits around fifty young men and women from political parties represented in the House of Representatives and active civil society organizations in the parliamentary field, reflects the appreciation for the longstanding partnership between the House of Representatives and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which has yielded dozens of activities and reference documents in parliamentary work.
On this occasion, Hassan Ben Omar, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, delivered a speech on behalf of Mr. El Talibi, emphasizing that Morocco has placed importance on the participation of youth in social, economic, cultural, and political development, assisting them in integrating into public life and facilitating their access to culture, knowledge, technology, sports, and entertainment according to their needs, as stipulated in Article 33 of the constitution, which establishes the creation of an advisory council for youth and civil society work.
Mr. Ben Omar highlighted that this training program aims to strengthen trust in institutions and their necessity and importance in public life, especially in the context of campaigns that undermine institutions and spread misleading rumors with clear objectives and beneficiaries. He emphasized that trust is a fundamental and necessary value for progress, stability, and civilized relations between civil and political actors.
Furthermore, the parliamentary deputy emphasized the need to educate and develop the skills of elites to contribute to the renewal and rotation of leadership, embodying the principles of citizenship and democracy as outlined in the constitution regarding the duties of citizens in exercising rights and freedoms while fulfilling their responsibilities.
In this context, Mr. Ben Omar addressed the participants, stating that the contribution of youth to building society cannot be achieved without their involvement in political and civil work and the active exercise of citizenship by this essential segment of society.
The CEO of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Anthony Smith, via video conferencing, acknowledged the significant partnership between the foundation and the House of Representatives over the past 12 years, working together to promote democracy and enhance institutional functioning.
Mr. Smith expressed his confidence in continuing the achievements made so far, noting that the foundation aims to promote democracy in more than thirty countries worldwide in collaboration with parliaments, political parties, and various civil society organizations, to make gender equality, inclusivity, responsibility, and transparency integral parts of parliamentary and party work.
He emphasized that the foundation strives to achieve local leadership by supporting local actors contributing to democratic change, particularly seeking to promote political leadership for women alongside youth in alignment with the local policies of each country.
Earley Taylor, the Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa Programs at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, affirmed that the launch of this program aims to integrate youth and bring them closer to parliamentary work, highlighting that youth lead change and aspire to present their ideas and proposals to decision-makers.
Ms. Taylor also emphasized that the Westminster Foundation for Democracy supports the constructive participation of parliamentarians and youth, expressing pride in the close partnership between the two institutions, which has significantly strengthened the positive relationship and communication between the British Parliament and its Moroccan counterpart.
She considered this important dynamic as instrumental in changing the nature of the relationship between parliament and civil society through communication, openness, and the activation of Morocco’s commitments towards a more transparent government. She commended the work of the House of Representatives in this context and stressed the need for greater integration of youth to engage with the real issues facing citizens.
It should be noted that the opening session of the “Youth and Parliamentary Work” program included a presentation
