A fruitful first visit to Morocco for the ILO DG

From May 6 to 8, 2024, the Director General of the International Labor Organization (ILO), Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, made a working visit to Morocco. This first visit since his accession to the head of the ILO was marked by several meetings with senior Moroccan officials, union representatives, as well as leaders of employers’ organizations. During these meetings, Mr. Houngbo welcomed Morocco’s significant progress in universal health coverage, social dialogue and social protection.
The head of government, Aziz Akhannouch, received Mr. Houngbo to discuss the dynamics of reforms that Morocco is experiencing, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, in terms of social protection, promotion of productive employment and creation of decent job opportunities. Mr. Akhannouch recalled that Morocco has institutionalized social dialogue over the last two years, as a mechanism for generating achievements and reforms.

The Director General of the ILO affirmed that the priorities of the Moroccan government match those established by the ILO, emphasizing the importance that the government attaches to the continued implementation of social state projects. He encouraged Morocco to join the global coalition for social justice and the UN Secretary-General’s Initiative to support the “Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions”. The two sides also discussed the UN Sustainable Development Goals relating to creating decent work opportunities and ensuring health and safety at workplaces.

Focus on financing social protection

The Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah, also welcomed Mr. Houngbo for talks focused on the financing of social protection. Mr. Houngbo praised Morocco’s efforts in this area and highlighted the challenges linked to rising inflation, particularly after the Covid crisis. “We know that the Moroccan authorities place enormous emphasis on the social state and that the various social protection programs are expensive for the budget,” he underlined.

During his meeting with the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khalid Aït Taleb, in Rabat, Gilbert F. Houngbo expressed his admiration for the progress made by Morocco in terms of universal health coverage. According to him, Morocco is a model to follow, not only for its citizens, but also for workers in the informal sector. “Morocco is a model to follow in terms of universal health coverage benefiting all citizens, including workers in the informal sector,” he declared.

Mr. Houngbo underlined the importance of Moroccan experience in the field of health and social protection, calling for taking advantage of it and exchanging expertise with other countries. He praised this pioneering experience which reflects the commitment of the Kingdom of Morocco to ensuring a dignified life for all its citizens, hoping that this cooperation and common coordination will continue to be strengthened to further consolidate bilateral relations between Morocco and the ILO. .

Encouragement of the middle class and entrepreneurship

In Casablanca, Mr. Houngbo praised the efforts of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) to support the emergence of a larger middle class and entrepreneurship. These efforts, according to him, support sustainable and long-term growth, thus helping the State to generate more tax revenue to finance the social state.
The president of the CGEM, Chakib Alj, discussed with Mr. Houngbo on subjects related to social dialogue, social justice, the future of professions facing the challenge of artificial intelligence, and corporate social responsibility . The two parties agreed to strengthen their partnership to initiate new actions aimed at enhancing human capital and consolidating the competitiveness of businesses.

The Secretary General of the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT), Abdelkader Zaïr, and Mr. Houngbo discussed the challenges and opportunities in terms of work and social protection in Morocco. They highlighted the importance of strengthening labor legislation to ensure fairer conditions for all workers.
Mr. Zaïr underlined the common commitment with the government and the various trade union centers to institutionalize social dialogue. For his part, Mr. Houngbo praised the efforts of the Moroccan government and trade union organizations to promote decent work and guarantee respect for international labor standards.

The Secretary General of the Moroccan Labor Union (UMT), Miloudi Moukharik, met with Mr. Houngbo to discuss significant progress in social dialogue in Morocco, particularly following the signing of the historic agreement between the government and the unions. This agreement aims to respond to the aspirations of workers, particularly in terms of social protection and compensation in the event of job loss.

Mr. Houngbo encouraged stakeholders to continue their efforts to strengthen social dialogue, emphasizing its importance in resolving conflicts and promoting social cohesion. Concerning pension reform, he insisted on the importance of ensuring the financial viability of the pension system.

LNT