Highlights

​

This session, which coincides with the expiration of the 3rd year of the implementation of the cooperation program "Compact II", concluded between the Moroccan government and its American counterpart, represented by Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), was devoted to:

• Presenting the implementation report of the program.

• Examining the actions and measures to be taken to accelerate the pace of its implementation.

In this connection, Mr. Benchaaboun underlined that the projects under Compact II have the particularity of developing and testing innovative models in the various targeted sectors with the aim of generalizing them. These include:

• The new governance model of secondary education establishments "Attahadi high school", based on the strengthening of their administrative and financial autonomy and the promotion of a student-centered pedagogy;

• The governance model of vocational training establishments, effectively and closely involving professional organizations from the private sector;

• The new model for the development of sustainable industrial parks and the revitalization of existing industrial zones, driven by market demand and favoring public-private partnership and environmental and social sustainability.

• The optimized and simplified procedure for melkization (ownership) of collective lands located in the irrigation zones;

• The model for promoting inclusive employment of populations in difficulty to integrate the labor market, through results-based financing.

For his part, resident Director of the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in Morocco, Richard Gaynor, highlighted the importance of building the capacities of stakeholders to ensure the sustainability and replicability of models designed and tested under the Compact II, welcoming the government for the recent adoption of three land laws, namely laws n° 62.17 and 64.17, as they pave the way to a better land governance, an increased economic growth and allow a better access for women to land. Gaynor also encouraged the government to capitalize on the funds mobilized within the framework of the Land governance activity, amounting to $10.5 million, to finance the implementation of priority actions as part of the national land strategy, including measures to promote women’s access to land.

The Director General of the MCA-Morocco Agency, Ms. Malika Laâsri, subsequently presented to the members of the Board the implementation report of Compact II, the Agency's financial achievements report, as well as the prospects for the implementation of Compact II by the end of this program, scheduled for June 30, 2022.

At the end of this session, the Strategic Orientation Board approved a series of resolutions notably a draft agreement between the Agency and the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), relating to the execution of a “pilot program of employment through results-based financing”, agreements concluded under some Compact II projects and the Agency’s procurement program as amended and updated.