Children Code crucial to promote children's situation in Morocco, minister

Morocco's Secretary of State in charge of Family, Childhood and Disabled persons, Yasmina Baddou, underlined Wednesday that drawing a Children Code is an essential part in the governmental program aiming to promote the situation of children in Morocco.

The Code would consolidate the Moroccan law that witnessed significant strides in the latest years, particularly by the enacting of the Family Law, the Labor Code and the Law on tutorship (Kafala), which are designed to protect children, said Baddou during the House of Representatives question-time.

The governmental program concerning children was launched last year in Morocco. It includes workshops on education, health and protection of street children, employed children and those who are victim of clandestine emigration and sexual violence.

The government policy seeks to strengthen partnership with the civil society through the creation of centers for children protection and the launching of programs for children in difficult situations, street children, young maids and beggars.

About 600,000 Moroccan children, aged between 4 and 15, are working, accounting for 11% of all Moroccan children, had revealed a "national employment survey" conducted by the employment ministry and the international program for the abolition of children labor.

Begging is another serious problem which Moroccan children face. A budget of 20 million DH (over US$ 2 million) was earmarked for a program to control beggary and the use of children in begging, Social Development, Family and Solidarity Minister, Abderrahim Harouchi, said last November.