Opening Ceremony

• Morocco introduced legal and constitutional changes to encourage local democracy and ensure more autonomy for the local authorities as part of the country’s decentralization process.

• Citizen participation has been enshrined in the new Moroccan Constitution of 2011 as key principles of good governance.

• Human capital development and training civil servants to enhance their competences and capacities is

  important for the development of the e-government and the digitalization of public services.

• We need a roadmap for Africa to involve all the stakeholders and the citizens to the development strategy despite the crises in order to pursue a sustainable development.

• We need to share best practices and experiences for managing global challenges.

• Sustainable development and the adequate public policies have to reduce inequalities and provide good services to all, especially the ageing persons and those with vulnerabilities.

• We need a responsible and committed public administration with a looking forward vision and we need to strengthen the participation and the engagement of citizens.

After the reading of the Holy Quran, the IASIA Conference 2022 was opened by His Excellency Mr. Abdellatif Miraoui, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Morocco. H.E. Minister Miraoui welcomed the participants and said that he is particularly pleased to be associated to the 2022 Conference on Implementing and Promoting Effective Governance to Leave No One, No Place Behind.

Mr. Miraoui mentioned the process of reform in Morocco and the priorities for development. He underlined the regionalisation and the decentralisation as well as the importance of the territorial development. He mentioned that in 2011 Morocco introduced legal and constitutional changes to encourage local democracy and ensure more autonomy for the local authorities as part of the country’s decentralization process. He pointed out the following key elements in terms of governance: collective appropriation by the citizens (participation), the coordination efforts for public action (new collaborative processes between these representations at the regional/local level and “territorialization” of public policies (considering regional and local specificities) and the culture of anticipation for facing the challenges of our societies. In terms of territorial development, he pointed out the co-creation with all the territorial actors and the co-construction of the territorial development. Abdellatif Miraoui mentioned the importance of the regions and local authorities in the governance system. He highlighted the importance of citizens role and emancipation.

Talking about the experience in Morocco, H.E. Minister Miraoui mentioned that citizens’ participation has also been enshrined in the new Constitution as key principles of good governance. He underlined that regional and municipal councils were requested to set up participatory arrangements to enhance dialogue and consultations with citizens and representatives of the civil society especially for strategic and investment planning. He mentioned that 12 consultations (Assises) were organised with the aim to strengthen the openness of the region to citizens and civil society to enable them to contribute to inclusive regional development.

Mr Miraoui mentioned the role of the dialogue between universities, enterprises, and other key actors of private sector as well as the strategic partnership between academia, universities, and regions:

• specific thematic studies supporting the regional development;

• observatories and research laboratories focusing on regional specificities;

• financing the ecosystem (infrastructure, development structure, systems adaptation, healthy ecosystems, and community well-being etc.);

• consultation on the development of territories;

• joint development and steering structures.

He underlined the importance to have a good strategic contract between the regions, the State and the Universities for the strategic planning of development priorities.

H.E. Minister Miraoui wished a fruitful IASIA Conference 2022 to the participants and asked that the results of our discussions will be communicated.

Ms. Asmaa Rhlalou, President of the Communal Council of the City of Rabat, welcomed the participants in Rabat and mentioned the importance of the conference theme focusing on effective governance ensuring equity and equal opportunities for all the citizens.

She pointed out different elements as:

• the partnership between universities and public administration (as between the University Mohammed V Agdal and the City of Rabat);

• the decentralization and its impact on the development strategy.

Ms. Rhlalou also mentioned the two key priorities: strengthening good governance and fighting corruption.

She also highlighted the importance of stakeholders’ participation and the citizens’ engagement.

As President of the Communal Council of Rabat, she advocated for a Public Administration more to citizens using public services.

Regarding the development of the e-government and the digitalization of public services, she underlined the importance of human capital development as well as training civil servants to enhance their competences and capacities.  

Mr. Mohammed Rhachi, President of the University Mohamed V of Rabat, welcomed the organisers and the participants of the 2022 IASIA Conference. He thanked them for the knowledge valorisation of the future results of the works as well as for the engagement and the communication of these results to the students.

He mentioned the importance of governance for the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals but also the Agenda 2063 for Africa and pointed out the following elements:

• primacy and respect of the rule of law;

• the importance of the 11 good governance principles;

• the fight against poverty.

The President of the University underlined that we need a roadmap for Africa to involve all the stakeholders and the citizens to the development strategy despite the crises (pandemic, climate, Ukraine, conflicted affected countries, food, water) for a sustainable development. In that perspective, he highlighted that we have to mobilize African leaders to work together, and the University will reinforce the African and International cooperation to support sustainable development agenda.

Fatimetou Mint Abdel Malick, President of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (Mauritania), provided the audience with her salutations and mentioned the importance of the debate on Effective governance for leaving no one, no place behind.  

Ms. Dong Qing, President of IASIA, welcomed the participants and thanked the organisers. She expressed her gratitude to the IASIA Conference 2022 organizers.

The President of IASIA underlined the difficulties for governments to face different crises and global challenges. Ms. Dong mentioned that we need to share best practices and experiences for managing these challenges. She highlighted the 11 principles of good governance especially participation, effectiveness, accountability, and transparency.

She mentioned that the following:

• Good Governance of the SDGs will provide the citizens a better life;

• the importance of localization of public policies;

• the reinforcement of capacities is fundamental;

• the importance of international cooperation for the SDGs.

As the IASIA Conference focusses on the theme of effective governance to leave no one, no place behind, she invited all the IASIA community to work together, hand to hand, for a sustainable development.  

The IIAS President Raed Ben Shams welcomed the participants and said that the theme of effective governance for sustainable development is fundamental in our current context. He mentioned this is a nice opportunity to be back face to face.  He underlined that the sustainable development and the adequate public policies have to reduce inequalities and provide good services to all, especially the ageing persons and those with vulnerabilities.  He provided the audience with the experience of Bahrain where the strategy in times of crisis (pandemic) allows to preserve the religion, to preserve the life and well being of the citizens with provision of services. He said that we need a responsible and committed public administration with a looking forward vision and to strengthen the participation and the engagement of citizens.

He pointed out that we have to ensure equity, preservation of noble values of our societies and leave no one behind.

He wished to all a successful conference!