Aziz Rabbah
Thursday  February 6, 2025

Many have previously called for the necessity of launching a reform revolution to enhance governance and integrity in political, economic, social, and administrative fields.

Numerous national and international reports have followed, presenting indicators unworthy of the Kingdom and its ambition to be among the rising countries.

While the position of the Anti-Corruption Association "Transparency" and its withdrawal from the national committee chaired by the Prime Minister, due to a lack of seriousness, has sparked varied reactions, two constitutional institutions have persistently sounded the alarm by presenting concerning indicators and reports warning of the harms, evils, and threats of corruption in many sectors that could undermine the tremendous national efforts led by His Majesty to achieve leadership and advancement for the country regionally and internationally.

These two institutions are the National Authority for Integrity and the Fight against Corruption, and the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council, both of which have been under significant pressure and skepticism from the government and the leaders of the parties forming it, especially the leading party.

However, adhering to their entrusted missions and the responsibility laid upon them by the constitution, and due to the deterioration of governance and integrity indicators, they continue to warn and advise in order to rectify the situation with the necessary seriousness.

In this context, the Authority, in partnership with the Council, organized a national conference on *“Citizen Commitment and Contribution to Public Affairs Management and Anti-Corruption.”*

 The head of the Authority, Bachir Al-Rachidi, announced a number of conclusions, recommendations, and alerts that can be summarized as follows:

- National and international indicators confirm a persistent deficit and decline in trust in institutions, calling for an analytical study and citizen commitment to address it.

- Nearly half of Moroccans believe in the ability of citizens to influence anti-corruption efforts, which necessitates working to restore trust in institutions to activate the role of citizens in the success of community projects.

- The appropriate environment to enhance citizen commitment requires a political landscape based on fair competition leading to the emergence of strong representative institutions that work to activate the developmental programs pledged before citizens.

- The necessity for citizens to be aware of their role in building the future society, which requires responsibility and mobilization to confront the risks of corruption and to mitigate its negative impact on building a cohesive and stable society. 

- Establishing citizen commitment as an actual practice requires creating a suitable environment based on trust in institutions and the integrity and transparency of public management, and governance based on the principle of accountability and responsibility.

- Enhancing the role of civil society in developing public policies and effectively contributing to decision-making, as well as mobilizing national capacities to combat corruption and promote sustainable development.

- The necessity to formulate a comprehensive national strategy to spread the culture of integrity and enhance community awareness of the importance of fighting corruption.

This confirmation from independent constitutional institutions on integrity and governance illustrates the state's principled commitment to effecting a break from corruption.

 However, this must be translated into practical and strict implementation, matched by the necessary serious involvement of the administrative, political, economic, and social elites so that our country does not lose its path to reform and development.