Morocco Overhauls Interior Ministry Structure to Enhance Local Governance

The draft decree aims to restructure and improve the central services of the Ministry of the Interior in order to enable them to better fulfill their new roles. These roles are clearly defined in the legislative and organic texts in force, in particular the organic laws relating to local authorities, reports Médias24.

The text provides for the redefinition of the missions of certain directorates such as the General Directorate of Internal Affairs and the General Directorate of Local Authorities. The latter will change its name to become the General Directorate of Territorial Authorities. It will now be able to support local authorities in terms of facilitating the execution of their powers and managing their affairs in a democratic manner, while providing them with the necessary support and expertise for the implementation of their development plans.

The draft decree also proposes the creation of new directorates. These are the Communication Directorate which will be responsible for implementing the ministry’s communication strategy, the Human Resources Directorate whose aim is to review the human resources management system; the Legal Affairs and Litigation Directorate which will provide legal and judicial support, advice and assistance to the central and deconcentrated services of the ministry, while ensuring legal monitoring.

Not to mention the Directorate of Natural Hazard Management which will contribute, alongside the other concerned ministerial departments, to the development and implementation of the government policy on the management and reduction of natural hazards. This directorate will also have to contribute to the improvement of the understanding and prevention of these dangers, as well as to the support of the prefectures and provinces in their management, it is specified.