King Mohammed VI accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and Prince Moulay Rachid on Friday afternoon in Rabat, chaired the opening of the first session of the third legislative year of the 11th Legislature.

Also present were Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, seated in the front row.

On this occasion, the Sovereign delivered a speech to the members of the two houses of Parliament: the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors.

The King began his speech by recalling the terrible earthquake which shook the Al-Haouz region on September 8, 2023, leaving thousands of martyrs and many injured.

The Sovereign expressed words of meditation in memory of the martyrs of the Al-Haouz earthquake and raised prayers for the recovery of the injured.

Certainly, the drama of the Al-Haouz earthquake was a moment of sorrow and pain. But it was also an opportunity to highlight the key role of civil society and the multiple forms of mutual aid and spontaneous solidarity that were expressed in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Beyond the expression of condolences and wishes for recovery, His Majesty the King highlighted the spontaneous manifestations of solidarity of which Moroccans were the protagonists and of which the whole world, delighted and admiring, warmly welcomed.

The August Sovereign also focused on the laudable initiatives which have been undertaken to provide all kinds of aid and assistance (aid in kind, marks of compassion, cleaning campaigns, psychological care, etc.).

This deployment of civil society took place in parallel with the action carried out by the government and to which the various ministerial departments concerned contributed (territorial administration, ministries of health and equipment, the respective security services national, auxiliary forces and civil protection, etc.).

Special mention was also made of the leading role played by the Royal Armed Forces in rescuing and assisting the affected populations, transporting victims, treating the injured, providing accommodation and food to those affected, etc.

For this, the military institution made use of the entire material arsenal at its disposal and brought all its moral weight to bear (modern equipment, manifestations of overflowing humanity, etc.).

The good management of the repercussions of this earthquake was also illustrated through the approach adopted to deal with the question of foreign aid. In addition to messages of solidarity and support, the government has received proposals for aid and solidarity from dozens of countries.

In this regard, His Majesty the King thanked all countries for the support expressed to Morocco during this difficult ordeal.

To overcome this tragedy, it took more than simple recourse to the material means available. In fact, such a performance was possible more particularly thanks to the manifestation of “authentic Moroccan values”, considered the essential pillar of the unity and cohesion of Moroccan society.

Enshrined in the Constitution, these are unifying national values (religious and spiritual, patriotic, and those of solidarity and cohesion) to which we must remain firmly attached in view of their vocations (strengthening national unity, strengthening the cohesion of the family, protecting human dignity, consolidating social justice) in a changing world where the place of values and standards is in constant decline.

In the same spirit of the Speech from the Throne which emphasized “values”, the Royal Speech opening the parliament again insisted on the role of values in the Moroccan experience and their harmonious articulation with universal ideals, considered a common heritage of all humanity.

Put to the test during the Al-Haouz earthquake, these values enabled the country to properly manage the fallout from this natural disaster and to calmly consider the post-earthquake reconstruction phase.

Strengthened by these values and despite the scale of the disaster and its human and material toll, Moroccans overcame the crisis with a mentality of steel and today look to the future with confidence and optimism.

Among the countless values held by Moroccans, it is appropriate to focus on those with a unifying vocation, namely religious and spiritual values, the values of patriotism, in addition to the values of solidarity and inter-category, intergenerational and interregional social cohesion, which characterise the Kingdom in a fluctuating regional and international context, where many countries no longer have any control over their societies, where they quite often engage in identity antagonisms, where they adopt a withdrawn posture in fierce opposition to any form of otherness.

These national values underline the sacredness of the family and family ties. And because the family constitutes the basic unit of society, to be healthy, it must be built on the foundation of a family that is in turn healthy and balanced.

Therefore, if the family disintegrates, society loses its identity. This is why His Majesty the King has always been keen to protect the family, by launching major projects and major reforms (Family Code “Moudawana”, direct social assistance).

In addition, the Royal Speech made an eloquent presentation of these national values, emphasizing in particular the concept of family and the family and social ties it covers.

The Royal Speech opening the legislative year is thus linked to the Royal Letter addressed to the head of government concerning the revision of the Family Code (the Moudawana). The objective is to:

• place the debate on the Family Code in its natural context, highlighting the centrality of the family in the social body. It follows that any discourse on women, children or marital relations and on all other subjects associated with the Moudawana, must keep in view “this vast horizon”, that of the Moroccan family and society;
• reassure everyone, by relying on the Royal Speeches on the role of the Commander of the Faithful and the limits not to be exceeded in ijtihad (an effort to interpret religious texts) (“I cannot authorize what God has prohibited, nor prohibit what the Most High has authorized), and taking into account the constant concern of His Majesty the King to bring together favourable conditions to strengthen the cohesion of the family;
• develop a new approach to the subject, which is based on the family/society relationship, this being a simple mirror which reflects the reality of the family. To express this organic link, the Royal Speech forcefully stated that: “a healthy society is built on the foundation of a healthy and balanced family. Correlatively, if the family disintegrates, society loses its identity.”
  The announcement of the operationalization at the end of the year of the “direct social assistance” program, by identifying the relevant sections of society as well as the purposes assigned to it. In addition, the program was inserted into its reference legal framework (the framework law relating to social protection), by highlighting the principles which govern its implementation and by establishing an evaluation mechanism capable of ensuring its evolution.
  The “direct social assistance” program, the implementation of which has been announced, carries two essential values: a national value, because it aims to protect the Moroccan family and preserve its dignity, and a value of solidarity of social scope. Thus, the Royal Speech broadened the circle of beneficiaries of this program in order to combat poverty and precariousness and, ultimately, to improve social and human development indicators and to better protect society against emergencies and cyclical fluctuations.
  For a successful implementation of this major project and taking into account its purposes and the categories it targets, a good part was devoted to it in the Royal Speech which defined:
• targeted categories which, in addition to children of school age, children with disabilities and newborns, cover families without children of school age, more particularly those caring for elderly people;
• the reference framework of the project and the appropriate approach to ensure its implementation and guarantee its gradual evolution, while emphasizing the need to make the most of the significant possibilities for action offered by new technologies and ensuring sustainability financing resources;
• the principles underlying this project such as solidarity, transparency and equity, by focusing on granting aid to those who deserve it and by adopting good governance.
  The institutional role that Parliament and the government play in the dissemination and realization of these values, through public programs and policies.
  
  The essential purpose of the Royal Speech is to outline the contours of public policies placed at the service of unifying national values which shape the identity of society and masterfully illustrate the singularity of the Moroccan experience.
  
  This is why he defined the role that falls to the legislative and executive institutions in the valorisation and realisation of the foundations of Moroccan identity, by calling on the government to ensure the proper implementation of the direct social assistance program, by mobilising the material means for its success, by identifying the targeted categories and adopting an approach inspired by the rules of good governance.
  
  The Royal speech also called on Parliament to “remain constantly vigilant and mobilised in order to defend the Causes of the Nation and its higher interests”, by virtue of the responsibilities conferred on it by the Constitution and taking into account the institutional roles assigned to it.