Morocco's Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch received, on Tuesday in Rabat, International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, currently visiting the Kingdom for the first time since becoming Head of the organization.
This meeting, held in the presence of the Minister for Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, Younes Sekkouri, is part of a shared desire to strengthen cooperation between Morocco and the ILO, which in recent years has been marked by a spirit of continuity and coordination, says a press release from the Head of Government’s Department.
During this meeting, Akhannouch underlined the dynamic reforms underway in the Kingdom under the enlightened leadership of King Mohammed VI, notably in terms of social protection, the implementation of structuring projects, the promotion of productive employment and the creation of decent job opportunities.
During the last two years, Morocco was able to institutionalize social dialogue and turn it into a mechanism for generating gains and reforms, said the Head of Government, quoted in the press release.
Akhannouch pointed out that the government had recently signed the April 2024 session agreement, alongside the central trade unions and workers' professional organizations and associations. This agreement is of great importance in terms of improving the incomes of civil servants and wage earners, as well as implementing a number of labor-related reforms and legislation, in line with the provisions of the Constitution and international legislation in this field, and within the framework of a participatory approach with social and economic partners.
For his part, Houngbo stated that the Moroccan government’s priorities are in line with those established by the ILO, adding that the meeting was an opportunity to learn about the major projects initiated by the government over the past 30 months, and to discuss the Executive's future plans, such as pension fund reform and the updating of labor legislation, adds the press release.
The ILO Director General also spoke of the importance the Moroccan government attaches to the continued implementation of social state projects, calling on Morocco to join the Global Coalition for Social Justice, as well as the UN Secretary-General's initiative to support the “Global Employment and Social Protection Accelerator for Just Transitions”.
The two parties also discussed the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group relating to the creation of decent work opportunities, the guarantee of health and safety, and the fight against violence and discrimination in the workplace, in addition to assessing the implementation of international standards adopted by the Kingdom, concludes the press release.
