Morocco's delegate to the Council of Europe, Mohamed Amine El-Guermat, highlighted his country's experience in youth participation in local democracy at the 51st session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Strasbourg. He emphasized the importance of creating spaces for young people to contribute to public decision-making. El-Guermat noted that the major challenge for democracies is not the lack of proposals from young people, but rather the absence of platforms for them to make a concrete impact.
El-Guermat cited Morocco's JIL project, which aims to bring young people closer to local authorities through the creation of local youth councils. The project, implemented in 12 regions across the country, seeks to provide spaces for young people to express their concerns, formulate proposals, and participate in decisions affecting their communities. He mentioned examples of successful initiatives in Kénitra, Salé, and Sidi Kacem.
The Moroccan delegate stressed the need to anchor citizen participation of young people in their local environment, ensuring that their future perspectives are not conditioned by political office. He also highlighted other initiatives from youth delegates from various countries, focusing on civic education, student involvement in citizen actions, direct dialogue between young people and elected officials, and the inclusion of marginalized voices in public policy debates.
El-Guermat emphasized that while one-off workshops and initiatives are useful, permanent structures are necessary to guarantee effective and continuous youth participation in democratic life. He called on the Congress of the Council of Europe, its national delegations, and local and regional authorities to strengthen long-term cooperation between youth delegates and local institutions.
The Moroccan delegate encouraged the exchange of best practices between countries and supported sustainable participation mechanisms, particularly local youth councils. He also stressed the need to ensure concrete follow-up to consultations with young people and continuity of dialogue with institutions.
El-Guermat concluded by urging the building of institutions that listen, sustainable partnerships, and democracies that entrust young people with real responsibilities. The 51st session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe took place from October 27 to 29 at the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, with a Moroccan delegation in attendance.
Morocco participates in the Congress as a Partner for Local Democracy, a status obtained in April 2019, making it the first country south of the Mediterranean to benefit from this status. The Congress represents over 130,000 local and regional authorities from member and partner states, promoting participatory democracy and local and regional governance.
Key points
- Morocco's experience in youth participation in local democracy was showcased at the Council of Europe.
- The country's JIL project aims to bring young people closer to local authorities through local youth councils.
- The Moroccan delegate called for strengthened cooperation between youth delegates and local institutions.
