Coordinating Action Programs with UN-Habitat Required to Bolster South-South Cooperation

Coordinating Action Programs with UN-Habitat Required to Bolster South-South Cooperation - Minister

08 avril 2021 Printable Version

Rabat - Minister of National Land Development, Town Planning, Housing and Urban Policy Nouzha Bouchareb stressed the need to coordinate with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to bolster South-South cooperation.

Speaking through video conference during the first session of UN-Habitat Executive Board in 2021, held on April 7-8 in Nairobi, the government official noted that South-South cooperation has been further strengthened by the opening in March of a national office of UN-Habitat in Rabat, as well as the signing of the UN-Habitat country program 2020-2023.

Quoted in a statement by her department, Bouchareb noted that the UN-Habitat 2020-2023 country program has identified three main challenges, namely improving access to information, establishing rural agendas for human settlements, and developing new approaches for better management of urban spaces.

The minister highlighted the Kingdom's commitment, over the last two decades, to adopt major structural reforms, such as advanced regionalization or the implementation of urban agendas, in accordance with the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

Regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, Bouchareb noted that despite its negative impact, this crisis has given many lessons on global solidarity and the importance of innovation.

During the Covid-19 crisis, Morocco has engaged in actions of solidarity for the benefit of African states, as part of the initiative launched by HM King Mohammed VI, as a pragmatic and action-oriented approach to allow sharing of experiences and good practices and establish an operational framework, she said.

Bouchareb also highlighted the various measures deployed by the Kingdom to fight against the spread of the Covid-19, especially in the areas of employment, including the creation, upon royal instructions, of a special fund dedicated to the management of the coronavirus pandemic.

The first session of the Executive Board in 2021 kicked off on Wednesday with more than 250 participants online. The Executive Board aims to increase the oversight of UN-Habitat's operations by the Member States and to strengthen UN-Habitat’s accountability, transparency, and effectiveness. It includes 36 Member States elected by the UN-Habitat Assembly and convenes two to three times a year