Implementing a new National Sustainable Development Strategy (MO0056)

Challenge:

The Kingdom of Morocco is committed to addressing the challenges of the 21st century by making sustainable development a societal project, driven by His Majesty King Mohammed VI. In this context, Framework Law 99- 12 was adopted as a national charter for the environment and sustainable development, and the national strategy for sustainable development was prepared in accordance with its provisions. To adapt this strategy to national developments (the new development model of the Kingdom adopted in 2021) and international developments (the new UN development agenda and its 17 goals), the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development embarked in 2023 on the development of an updated version of the said strategy for the horizon 2035, through a participatory and inclusive approach via a consultative process aimed at understanding citizens' expectations and their new and renewed needs to develop a common vision and a concrete strategy to achieve sustainable development that meets the challenges of the 21st century, particularly in light of climate change.
Why will the series of citizen consultations continue?
Because the co-construction of this strategy is still ongoing, and citizen involvement in the outcomes is imperative. This strategy must be a strong Moroccan response to sustainable development challenges, but also a technically, socially, and politically effective strategic framework, both structuring and implementable, at the national and territorial levels.

Proposed solution:

In 2023, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development launched the development of an updated and improved version of the National Sustainable Development Strategy, applicable from 2024 to 2035, by adopting a participatory and inclusive approach through a series of regional debates and citizen consultations to involve citizens and all stakeholders in formulating this strategy through the "noussahimo.gov" platform. This allowed the collection of preliminary field data that continues to feed into the drafting of the first version of the National Sustainable Development Strategy, expected to be released in AprilMay 2024. The goal is to understand these new needs to develop a common vision and practical strategy to achieve sustainable development that responds to the 21st-century challenges, particularly in light of climate change and structural transformations. The proposed solutions will be implemented in two phases:
Phase 1: Joint development and co-construction of the National Sustainable Development Strategy with citizens and civil society actors in different regions of the Kingdom (2023-2024)
▪ Consider the recommendations and proposals from regional consultations.
▪ Involve civil society associations in the regional consultation process on developing the National Sustainable Development Strategy.
▪ Involve civil society in all meetings related to the preparation stages at the national and territorial levels.
▪ Feed and develop the consultative platform “"noussahimo.gov"” created for public consultations on sustainable development to collect the expectations and opinions of Moroccan citizens residing in Morocco or abroad, as well as foreign expatriates residing in Morocco, on how to reconcile achieving prosperous social and economic development with environmental protection, and on major issues related to social and environmental fields, to strike a balance between economic and social development and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage for current and future generations.
▪ Prepare awareness materials and documents related to this project.
▪ Publish consultation reports and diagnostic reports.
Phase 2: Involve citizens in the implementation stages of the National Sustainable Development Strategy (2024-2026)
▪ Organise the National Debate on Sustainable Development to present the final version of the National Sustainable Development Strategy.
▪ Organise communication campaigns at various implementation stages. ▪ Launch periodic awareness campaigns on the importance of sustainable development issues and implementing the new development model provisions.
▪ Organise participatory events to strengthen cooperation in building public policies within the framework of the National Sustainable Development Strategy, with active participation from Moroccan citizens and civil society.
▪ Establish participatory workshops to activate dialogue on the implementation and application stages of the National Sustainable Development Strategy.
▪ Strengthen the transparency of public action results and citizen consultations by regularly and periodically publishing data on public and strategic consultations, facilitating access to public strategy documents, and developing an open data culture in the administration.

Scheduled Activities (Activities | Start Date | End Date):
First phase: Joint preparation and constructive development of the National Sustainable Development Strategy with citizens and civil society actors across the Kingdom (2023-2024)
Organise Regional Sustainable Development Forums with various stakeholders and civil society| March 2023 | April 2023
Provide the total number of participants in the preparation process of the National Sustainable Development Strategy at national and regional levels | March 2023 | September 2024
Include civil society in the governance system of the National Sustainable Development Strategy during its preparation and implementation | March 2023 | June 2024
Generalise the organisation of mobile environmental education caravans for the consultation process in the regions of the Kingdom | March 2023 | September 2024
Create a consultative platform to collect the expectations and opinions of Moroccan citizens on the priorities of our country in terms of sustainable development | April 2023 | April 2023
Organise a meeting of the National Committee for Sustainable Development | June 2024 | July 2024
Organise a broad electronic awareness campaign on social media | March 2023 | July 2023
Provide the number of contributors to answer the questions of the consultative platform questionnaire for the National Sustainable Development Strategy | October 2023 | December 2024
Provide the number of stands and awareness documents distributed for this workshop | December 2024 | December 2024
Second phase: Engage civil society in the implementation stages of the National Sustainable Development Strategy (2024-2026)
Organise a national debate on the National Sustainable Development Strategy | June-July 2024 | June-July 2024
Generalise the organisation of communication campaigns on the strategy for young people and children in the regions of the Kingdom | September 2024 | September 2026
Publish consultation and diagnostic reports | June-July 2024 | March 2025
Develop the content and functionalities of the public consultation platform: “noussahimo.gov.ma” | September 2024 | September 2026
Generalise the organisation of participatory workshops by regional environment directorates with local actors to foster interaction and understanding of the challenges and opportunities for implementing the strategy | September 2024 | September 2026

Expected results:
▪ Achieve effective communication with citizens, leading to more effective participation in developing public policies and projects related to sustainable development.
▪ Establish an institutionalised participatory mechanism to ensure the effective participation of civil society in the preparation and evaluation of public policies related to the environment and sustainable development.

Performance indicators:
▪ Total number of participants in the preparation process of the National Sustainable Development Strategy at national and territorial levels.
▪ Number of regional sustainable development forums organised.
▪ Integration of civil society into the governance system of the National Sustainable Development Strategy.
▪ Number of mobile environmental education caravans organised for the consultation process.
▪ Number of meetings of the National Committee for Sustainable Development organised.
▪ Number of electronic awareness campaigns on social media carried out.
▪ Number of respondents to the consultative platform questionnaire for the National Sustainable Development Strategy.
▪ Number of awareness materials and documents distributed. ▪ Number of participants in the national forum on the National Sustainable Development Strategy.
▪ Number of communication campaigns on the strategy organised for young people and children in the regions of the Kingdom.
▪ Number of consultation and diagnostic reports published.
▪ Number of participants in participatory events for the implementation of the National Sustainable Development Strategy.
▪ Number of participants on the consultative platform “noussahimo.gov.ma.”
▪ Number of participatory workshops organised by the various regional environment directorates with local actors to foster interaction, understand the challenges and opportunities, and participate in the implementation of the strategy.

Impact indicators:
▪ Number of recommendations resulting from the consultation activities carried out.
▪ Percentage of integration of the recommendations resulting from the consultation activities carried out.
▪ Number of projects implemented with the participation of non-governmental actors