Morocco puts focus on youth in Francophone summit
Morocco-Regional, Culture, 9/6/1999

Morocco defended at the 8th Francophone summit which closed in Canada Sunday the cause of youth, calling for a strategy enabling the youth to enter the 3rd millennium with trust and hope and to face globalization challenges.

Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, who represented King Mohammed VI at the summit of French-speaking countries, said Morocco grants utmost priority to youth in all its development policies. He cited in this regard a set of organizations and associations set up in Morocco at the local and national level to help youth "express themselves and participate actively in the country's political, economic and social life."

He went on that among the recent actions undertaken for youth, Morocco organized the first employment meeting and the first youth national congress, chaired by king Mohammed VI, then crown prince.

Benaissa further explained that this overall strategy that involves all components of Morocco's society is based on the spiritual and moral values of Islam and of the Moroccan identity. It seeks to ensure a good social integration of Moroccan young people as citizens who are aware of their belonging to a community, a territory and culture, he went on. He added that the strategy also aims at providing jobs to an annual 25,000 diploma-holders and re-converting 5,000 others.

The minister expressed Morocco's adherence to the Moncton declaration as regards linguistic and cultural pluralism, and the promotion of creative diversity within the Francophone space.

The meeting, which focussed on the general theme of youth, was marked by interventions by the youths who insisted on their fundamental rights, including the rights to education, employment and access to new technologies.

The theme of human rights and democracy dominated debates right from the first day, with French proposing the creation of an "Observatory for Democracy" and Canada's call for the constitution of legacy based on the values of the respect of human rights.

The summit's final declaration recognizes the merits of globalization with the intensification of exchanging people, goods and services.

The declaration also states that cultural diversity is an "undeniable factor for enriching the world heritage."

The next summit is scheduled to be held in Beirut, Lebanon in 2000 on the theme: The Dialogue of Cultures and Civilizations.

Previous Stories:
  Rabat hosts international youth solidarity rally   (7/13/1999)
  Spanish official hails Moroccan child rights observatory   (6/3/1999)
  Crown prince is recognized for genuine efforts to reach out to all Moroccans   (5/29/1999)
  Morocco ratifies international convention on minimum child-labor age   (5/25/1999)

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