In implementation of the High Royal Directives, which aim to take all necessary measures to support and keep pace with Moroccans living abroad, to respond to their expectations and aspirations, and to maintain their ties with their motherland, especially the rising generations, with a view to evaluating and developing the institutional governance of the outward cultural offer in order to enhance the international radiance of the Kingdom of Morocco, The coordination meeting of the members of the Steering and follow up committee for Moroccan cultural centers abroad was held on Tuesday, 20 October 2020.
In a speech on this occasion, Mrs. Nezha ElOuafi, Minister Delegate in charge of Moroccans residing abroad, highlighted the comprehensive dimension that his Majesty King Muhammad VI, may God Assist Him, gave to the moroccan culture, as He called in a number of speeches for its inclusion as a component of the immaterial capital. The Minister Emphasized that the cultural offer in favor of Moroccans living abroad, especially the rising generations, should be comprehensive and integrated, contributing to the Kingdom’s radiance and preservation of its interests, and be a factor in strengthening the ties of Moroccans living abroad and the rising generations with their motherland.
The Minister stressed that reaching this objective is linked to the effectiveness of management and governance mechanisms of this vital issue, adding that the poor coordination and complementarity between cultural programs supervised by the different actors makes achieving the desired goal of the cultural offer in favor of Moroccans living abroad unattainable, unresponsive enough to their aspirations and have a weak impact.
The Minister highlighted that the cultural offer is point of attraction and polarization for the rising generations of Moroccans living abroad to take connection with the history, culture and identity of their country of origin and protect them from being radicalised. This requires that this cultural offer have to accompany the needs of Moroccan expatriates, taking into account their different particularities and aspirations in accordance with the High Royal Directives and in order to implement the provisions of the Kingdom’s constitution, especially the chapter 16.
A presentation was made by the Ministry in charge of Moroccans residing abroad about the governance mechanisms of the Moroccan cultural offer abroad in order to respond to the aspirations of Moroccans living abroad and to take into account the rapid sociocultural and dynamic of Moroccan migration. The Ministry had made also a brief presentation of review report on cultural offer, which included scenarios for the promotion of Moroccan cultural offer for Moroccans living abroad in order to ensure coordination among all institutional actors.
After studying the proposals submitted, the participants agreed on the need to develop a governance framework that would ensure harmony and coordination and enable the elaboration and implementation of a national integrated strategy for the Moroccan cultural offer abroad. The meeting also concluded the importance of organizing an open dialog in this regard, in which all concerned actors, including Moroccan intellectuals living abroad and representatives of civil society associations abroad.
The meeting was attended by representatives of sectors and institutions that are members of the steering and follow up Committee for Moroccan cultural centers abroad, which are : the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans residing abroad, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Administration reform, the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, higher Education and Scientific Research, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Ministry of Tourism, traditional Industry, Air Transport and Social Economy, Ministry Delegate in charge of higher Education and Scientific Research, Council of the Moroccan Community abroad, Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans living abroad, and National Foundation for Museums.
It is worth mentioning that the Ministry Delegate in charge of Moroccans residing abroad has completed a review study on the cultural offer, finding that coordination between all concerned actors is difficult and that there is no effective evaluation, and calling for establishing an appropriate governance framework to intensify coordination and organize the work of the actors involved in the execution of the cultural policy and the cultural offer of the Kingdom of Morocco abroad.
