Morocco and the United States sign three Cooperation Agreements

On September 25, 2009 in Rabat the Moroccan Ministry of Economy and Finance and USAID/Morocco signed three agreements for the implementation of the new 2009-2013 cooperation program.  The agreements focus on education, democracy and good governance, and economic growth.  The projected total funding for the three agreements is approximately 122 million dollars, of which 18 million is for fiscal year 2009.

USAID’s new education strategy is based on a two pronged approach.  The first prong will target in-school youth through improvements to education quality and relevance aimed at the crucial middle school years in an effort to enhance educational attainment and stem the tide of youth dropping out of school.

The second prong of education assistance will target youth that have never had access to formal education or have left the formal education system before completion. Out-of-school youth aged 15-24 will be offered education opportunities enabling their full and productive participation in society.

In Democracy and Governance, USAID’s new strategy is built around citizen participation in civil society, political parties, local governance, and the justice sector.   Each of these areas offers opportunities to engage youth, as well as other segments of society, in order to bring a broader array of groups into public life.

Better representation of citizen concerns and increased accountability of the judicial system, associated with more transparent and effective local governance, are likely to lead to more democratic and participative governance in Morocco.

Lastly, the economic growth program will focus on developing Morocco’s economic competitiveness by reducing the barriers to trade and investment, supporting key policy reforms to trigger sustainable economic growth, and awareness-raising on using and managing water more effectively to increase agricultural growth and productivity.

The program will also provide support for improving the capacities of key governmental institutions and developing public-private partnerships.  The goal of the new economic growth program is the implementation of appropriate policies and promotion of human resource development opportunities, especially for youth.

The three USAID/Morocco assistance objectives have strong cross-cutting linkages and synergies.   In the next five years, USAID/Morocco will continue to reinforce the Government of Morocco’s efforts in making an economically strong and democratic country, meeting the needs of its young people.