Morocco Pushes to Streamline Kafala Adoption Process for Abandoned Children

"We must activate the laws relating to Kafala and further facilitate its procedures, because the ordinary place of abandoned children is within the family," said the Minister of Solidarity, Social Development, Equality and Family, Jamila El Moussali, on the sidelines of this event, reports La Map. The minister stressed that this study day is an opportunity for collective reflection on the means that can make it possible to capitalize on the achievements and benefit from international experiences and good practices to strengthen the efforts to prevent abandonment and preserve the child’s relationship with his biological family.

During the study day, the participants also reflected on the means to be deployed to encourage Kafala and examine the various aspects related to its promotion at the legal level. They stressed the need to improve the quality of care services and the image of the abandoned child.

In a videoconference intervention, the Minister of State in charge of Human Rights, Mustapha Ramid, stressed that Morocco has carried out major reforms in the field of children’s rights, thanks to the will and involvement of the late King Hassan II, Princess Lalla Meryem, President of the National Observatory of Children’s Rights, and of course King Mohammed VI. "Law 15-01 on the Kafala of abandoned children must be revised." He adds that although it is "an important achievement, the Kafala system must be improved and consolidated by strengthening the guarantees," adds the same source.

For her part, the UNICEF representative in Morocco, Giobanna Barberis, also stressed the need to reform the Kafala system so that it is fully in line with the principles of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.

As for the Wali in charge of the national coordination of the INDH, Mohamed Dardouri, he indicated in his videoconference address that the national initiative for human development has supported the realization of more than 200 projects for an envelope of more than 470 million DH. The objective is to improve the conditions of care for children in difficult situations and in reception centers.