Aziz Akhannouch: The government committed to achieving all the SDGs

The Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, affirmed that the Executive is committed to achieving all the objectives of sustainable development.

Chairing, on Thursday, the work of the National Commission for Sustainable Development in its third edition, Akhannouch indicated that the government is ensuring the implementation of all the recommendations contained in the new development model in the field of sustainable development.

This meeting, indicates a press release from the department of the head of government, was devoted to the examination of the annual national report of the High Commission for the Plan, as well as to the evaluation of the results of the national strategy for sustainable development and the route to be reviewed in accordance with the decision issued by the Commission at its last meeting.

The meeting, said Akhannouch on this occasion, is an opportunity to learn about the constraints and achievements related to sustainable development, which is considered today as one of the pillars of the new development model, which the government program s is committed to implementing, through support for the transformation of the national economy, the consecration of the social State and the development of human capital.

“Thanks to the wise and far-sighted policy of King Mohammed VI, the Kingdom of Morocco was among the pioneering countries to have reacted quickly to curb the economic and social effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, by adopting very early on a set of precursory and qualitative measures”, underlined the head of government quoted by the press release.

These measures have made it possible to limit the worsening of poverty and vulnerability, the poverty rate having fallen from 1.7% in 2019 to 2.5% during the confinement period in 2020, while the vulnerability rate is increased from 7.3 to 8.9 percent, Akhannouch said, adding that without these preventive measures, poverty and vulnerability rates would have reached 11.7 percent and 16.7 percent respectively.

Despite these exceptional circumstances caused by the pandemic, he maintained, the Kingdom has been able to achieve several objectives in line with what is set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda, especially those related to human capital.

The Kingdom is making steady progress towards achieving the objectives related to material capital, as well as those related to the fight against the effects of climate change, argued the head of government, who welcomed the results of the National Sustainable Development Strategy which constituted a qualitative leap and a proactive and ambitious policy aimed at accelerating the transition to a green and inclusive economy by 2030.

It should be noted that this meeting was marked by a presentation by the Minister for Energy Transition and Sustainable Development and the annual report of the High Commission for Planning on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals for the year 2021, during which they underlined the scale of the challenges awaiting the Kingdom in the implementation of the UN agenda for 2030, and which call for more coordination, convergence and efficiency in the programs, the projects and sectoral policies, with a reconsideration of priorities in view of the repercussions of the Corona pandemic and the exceptional economic situation that the world is going through.

The members of the Commission agreed to entrust the government authority in charge of sustainable development with the preparation of the new strategy with a view to adapting it to national developments and international obligations.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Economy and Finance, the Minister of Equipment and Water, the Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, the Minister of Health and Social Protection, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Waters and forests, the minister for economic integration, micro-enterprise, employment and skills, the minister for industry and trade, the minister for energy transition and sustainable development, the minister for transport and logistics, the minister for youth, culture and communication and the minister for solidarity, social integration and the family.

Also present were the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government responsible for the administration of national defence, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government responsible for investments, convergence and evaluation of public policies, the Minister Delegate to the Minister for the Economy and Finance, in charge of the budget, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government, in charge of relations with Parliament, Government Spokesperson, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the digital transition and of administrative reform, as well as the Wali, Director General of Territorial Communities at the Ministry of the Interior, the Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency, the President of the Association of Presidents of the Regions of Morocco, the President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises, the President of the Professional Association of Moroccan Banks, as well as Representatives the High Commission for Planning and the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy.