The junction between legal and social components has contributed to strengthening the prevention of risk situations, guaranteeing the humanization of judicial paths and ensuring the follow-up and integration of children, Hakizimana said at the opening ceremony of the 2nd National Conference on the "Institutionalization of social assistance in jurisdictions and prospects for development of services provided to children, women and specific categories".

She noted that this conference, organized by the Justice ministry in partnership with UNICEF, represents an important milestone in the process of institutionalizing social assistance in the courts and strengthening access to justice for children, women and specific categories in Morocco.

"This institutionalization will certainly contribute to implementing the measures targeted by the charter of justice reform in Morocco, by establishing a special status for social assistance professionals, establishing their missions and the probative force of their reports, and providing the courts with social assistance at Family Justice sections and the support units for women and children victims of violence," she said.

The two-day conference will feature presentations of international experiences in social protection, presented by speakers from Senegal, United Kingdom, Spain, Bangladesh, Jordan and the United States.

Of this total, 2,233 elderly prisoners are men and 91 are women, he pointed out at the national conference on legal, social and health protection of elderly prisoners, organized by DGAPR.

Concerning the level of education of elderly prisoners, the official stressed that 34% are illiterate, 39% have basic education, 8% a middle-school level, 10% a high-school level and 9% a university level.

Regarding the distribution of elderly prisoners according to the length of their sentence, he said that 344 have not yet been sentenced, 274 serve a sentence of at least 6 months in prison, 339 are sentenced to more than 6 months to 1 year in prison, 310 more than 1 year to 2 years, 464 more 2 years to 5 years, 287 5 to 10 years, 271 10 to 30 years, while three were sentenced to death and 31 for life.

Furthermore, Bennasser stressed that a range of measures have been taken by DGAPR to promote the situation of elderly prisoners, notably promoting communication with their families and developing qualification, literacy and non-formal education programs.

The goals of the Rabat-based team were scored by Sanae Mssoudy (8), Doha Ahmamou (18), Ghizlane Chebbak (45+1), Nouhaila Benzina (45+4), Fatima Zahra Tagnaout (47, 53) and Hanane Aït El Haj. (86, 88).

AS FAR had qualified for the final game after trashing Raja Aïn Harrouda 6-0, while USSB had bested Raja Aït Iazza on penalties.

AS FAR had won the 2020-2021 Women's Throne Cup after beating Sporting Casablanca 5-0 in the final game.

"It is important to underline the significance of inter-African cooperation in building the capacities of member states for the successful implementation of the 2nd Ten-Year Plan of the AU's Agenda 2063," stressed the Kingdom's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the AU and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Mohamed Arrouchi, who was speaking at the Ministerial Retreat.

The Moroccan diplomat also highlighted that coordination is crucial for the effective implementation of Agenda 2063 and its ten-year plans.

"There is a lack of coordination between the AU bodies responsible for implementing Agenda 2063 and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), as well as between the RECs and member states," noted Arrouchi, adding that this weak coordination has led to significant delays in domesticating the first ten-year plan of Agenda 2063 at the national level and consequently in aligning it with national development plans.

The involvement of the RECs in the process of implementing Agenda 2063 and the sharing of experiences and best practices are essential for the successful implementation of the next ten-year plan, insisted the Moroccan diplomat.

Arrouchi, who led the Moroccan delegation at the Ministerial Retreat, added that defining roles clearly among the various stakeholders would also help achieve the objectives of Agenda 2063.

The aim of the three-day Ministerial Retreat is to hold discussions and seek strategic guidance on the results of the Agenda 2063 Special Project, focusing on the evaluation of the First Ten-Year Plan and the formulation of the Second Ten-Year Plan for the implementation of Agenda 2063, as well as on the classification of flagship projects and financing issues.

Speaking on Monday before the members of the 4th committee of the United Nations General Assembly, the Ambassador Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the UN, Egriselda Aracely González López, welcomed the Autonomy initiative presented by Morocco, noting that the Security Council deems it as a "viable solution" in its resolutions adopted since 2007.

The diplomat also welcomed the efforts made by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, aimed at facilitating the political process carried out under the exclusive aegis of the UN Secretary-General, including his recent visit at the end of last September, as part of preparations for the Security Council's meeting on the Moroccan Sahara scheduled for the end of October.

Speaking on the occasion of the centenary celebration of the British Chamber of Commerce in Morocco (BritCham), Wood declared that "we are on the cusp of a momentous phase in British investments in Morocco."

He further lauded the robust connections in education, culture, and politics between the two nations, emphasizing that these ties were underpinned by a strong friendshi between the Royal Families of both countries.

Ilham Bennis, the General Director of BritCham, took the opportunity to highlight the Chamber's long history, having been founded in 1923. She described the centenary celebration as a commemoration of "100 years of success," while also serving as a platform to explore fresh partnerships and investment opportunities.

The gala event gathered a diverse assembly of current and prospective investors, as noted by Stephen Orr, President of BritCham. He expressed his conviction that the current trade volume between Morocco and the United Kingdom, which stands at approximately 2 billion pounds Sterling, "is poised to double in the next three to five years."

The centenary celebration was attended by British Ambassador Simon Martin and a multitude of guests, including investors hailing from both Morocco and the United Kingdom. The event also served as a platform for a charitable initiative launched by the British-Moroccan Society. The fundraising campaign aimed to aid the victims of the recent Al Haouz earthquake.

Martin underscored the significance of the "historic" connections between the two countries, citing remarkable progress in terms of trade, increased cross-border visits, and advancements in education, energy cooperation, and cultural exchange.

He went on to express his confidence that this mutually beneficial trajectory would persist, thanks to the unwavering commitment of both governments to further strengthening these bonds.

The centenary celebration was a grand affair, attended by a multitude of guests, including investors hailing from both Morocco and the United Kingdom. The event also served as a platform for a charitable initiative launched by the British-Moroccan Society. The fundraising campaign aimed to aid the victims of the recent Al Haouz earthquake.

Speaking on Monday before members of the 4th Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, the representative of Qatar, Jassim Al-Thani expressed his country's support for the UN Secretary-General’s efforts aimed at reaching a political solution that is sustainable and mutually acceptable within the framework of the process carried out under the aegis of the UN, the relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2654, and in respect of Morocco’s sovereignty.

The diplomat also welcomed the efforts made by the Personal Envoy of the UNSG for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, expressing the wish to see a definitive and lasting solution to this dispute come to fruition in the interest of all parties and in favor of strengthening stability and cooperation in the region, as well as international peace and security.

“Côte d'Ivoire would like to reaffirm its full support for the initiative of broad autonomy in the Sahara presented by the Kingdom of Morocco in 2007,” underlined, Monday, the ambassador permanent representative of Côte d'Ivoire to the United Nations, Tiémoko Moriko, before the members of the 4th committee of the UN General Assembly.

In this regard, he welcomed the support that more than a hundred UN member states display for this “compromise solution which is in line with international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly”.

The diplomat noted that the Autonomy initiative grants important prerogatives to local populations who participate in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the Sahara, adding that the “effectiveness” of this Autonomy is particularly reflected in the participation of these populations in the various elections organized in Morocco.

“These consultations, the last of which were held in September 2021, grant the inhabitants of this region the opportunity to democratically elect their representatives, some of whom regularly participate” in the seminars and sessions of the UN Committee of 24 (C24), he said.

The diplomat also noted that his country deems it necessary to continue with the process of round tables in the same format, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2654 adopted on October 27, 2022” and with the same participants, namely Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the “polisario”.

He encouraged the four participants to remain engaged throughout the political process in order to achieve a political solution to the Moroccan Sahara issue.

Côte d'Ivoire further reiterated its support for the United Nations, as well as its adherence to the political process carried out under the exclusive auspices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, aimed at achieving a realistic and pragmatic political solution that is sustainable and accepted by all stakeholders in the regional dispute over the Sahara.

The diplomat also indicated that his country “appreciates and supports” the efforts undertaken by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, to relaunch the political process, welcoming his recent successful visit to Morocco last September, during which he met the presidents of the two regions of the Moroccan Sahara, the authorities as well as the different components of the local population.

The Ambassador Permanent Representative of Côte d'Ivoire to the UN also called on all parties to support the initiatives and good offices of the Personal Envoy of the UNSG, intended to give a new impetus to the political process which was consolidated with the holding of two round tables in Switzerland, in 2018 and 2019 with the four participants.

Referring to the socio-economic dynamics in the southern provinces, the diplomat stressed that his country welcomes the significant investments made by the Kingdom to enhance the significant development of the Sahara which records a remarkable human development index, adding that the promotion of human rights, welcomed by the various Security Council resolutions, mainly resolution 2654, is also among the notable substantive actions that Morocco is carrying out in its southern provinces.

He also affirmed that the peaceful and definitive settlement of the long-standing regional dispute around the Moroccan Sahara is “vital” for strengthened cooperation between the member states of the Maghreb Union as well as for stability and security in the Sahel region.

Regarding human rights violations in the Tindouf camps, Mr. Moriko underlined that these abuses “continue to be a source of concern for his country, which calls for compliance with the recommendations of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), international humanitarian law and relevant Security Council resolutions.

He deemed it essential to maintain a climate of peace in the region in order to create the conditions conducive to the continuation of negotiations within the framework of the ongoing political process.

The ambassador also noted that his country welcomes Morocco's full respect of the ceasefire and existing military agreements as well as its frank collaboration with MINURSO.

"It is important to underline the significance of inter-African cooperation in building the capacities of member states for the successful implementation of the 2nd Ten-Year Plan of the AU's Agenda 2063," stressed the Kingdom's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the AU and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Mohamed Arrouchi, who was speaking at the Ministerial Retreat.

The Moroccan diplomat also highlighted that coordination is crucial for the effective implementation of Agenda 2063 and its ten-year plans.

"There is a lack of coordination between the AU bodies responsible for implementing Agenda 2063 and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), as well as between the RECs and member states," noted Arrouchi, adding that this weak coordination has led to significant delays in domesticating the first ten-year plan of Agenda 2063 at the national level and consequently in aligning it with national development plans.

The involvement of the RECs in the process of implementing Agenda 2063 and the sharing of experiences and best practices are essential for the successful implementation of the next ten-year plan, insisted the Moroccan diplomat.

Arrouchi, who led the Moroccan delegation at the Ministerial Retreat, added that defining roles clearly among the various stakeholders would also help achieve the objectives of Agenda 2063.

The aim of the three-day Ministerial Retreat is to hold discussions and seek strategic guidance on the results of the Agenda 2063 Special Project, focusing on the evaluation of the First Ten-Year Plan and the formulation of the Second Ten-Year Plan for the implementation of Agenda 2063, as well as on the classification of flagship projects and financing issues.