Morocco

Overall View

Morocco, a country of close to 30 million inhabitants, is a mid-level developing country, ranking 124th in 2003 out of 177 countries on the Human Development Index.

It has been undergoing significant political and economic changes since the second half of the 1990s, when it embarked on an integrated program of human development and political liberalization. Reforms accelerated with the inception of King Mohamed VI, in 2000; among others promoting women, particularly through a new family code, and issuing labour code in 2003. The country now concentrates on improving living standards and the employment outlook. In 2005 it organized the “Assises Nationales de l’Emploi”, a broad, high-level symposium on employment; and a National Initiative for Human Development, that stresses valuing and developing human resources, work ethics, work relations and social cohesion.

Agriculture, employing 44% of the labour force, is a crucial sector. The country’s growth rates vary sharply according to rainfall, but are on average below the 5-6% needed to match labour force growth. To achieve faster growth and reduce dependence on the unpredictable agriculture, Morocco has been exerting considerable efforts to improve productivity, boost exports and attract domestic and overseas investment, namely through reforming investment laws, lowering import barriers, freeing up prices, reforming the judiciary system, the financial sector and the labour market, reducing bureaucracy and corruption, and privatizing state firms. This has allowed the economy to become more diversified, relying increasingly on manufacturing and services.

The “social deficit” is large, however: widespread illiteracy, affecting half of the population and rising to 80% in the countryside; poverty levels in 1999 of 12% in cities and nearly 30% in the countryside; unemployment for 20% of the workforce in 2003, and more for women; and social security coverage only reaching one out of seven Moroccans.

This combines with the challenges posed by Morocco’s integration into the global market (through the its Partnership Agreement with the EU of 2000 and Free Trade Agreement with the US in 2005 in particular). Facing them requires upgrading export-oriented sectors to boost their competitiveness, particularly textiles and agriculture that are, in addition, two of the most employment-intensive sectors.

Activities

• Employment

  • Developing a “Global Compact” programme
  • Supporting the development of a national vocational training system
  • Promoting entrepreneurship culture, through training trainers specialized in entrepreneurship and management training, using ILO training tools for micro- and small entrepreneurs
  • Promoting social responsibility in enterprise restructuring
  • Implementing a Decent Work Pilot Programme in the textile and garment sector.

• Social protection

  • Improving the implementation of ILO Conventions in the new National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) legislation
  • Strengthening the capacity building of occupational physicians in OSH
  • Awareness-raising on HIV/AIDS and the world of work, including the initiation of cooperation between the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Health.