Rabat 17 June 2015-- Within a two year programme, UN-Habitat has been partnering with the Moroccan Ministry of Housing and Urban Policy and Al Omrane Holding, the state company for urban and social housing projects with the main objective of strengthening strategic and operational frameworks for the institutions in order to address large urban extensions and urban renewal projects.

The first year of the partnership concluded with a national seminar co-organized by the three partners and was attended by three Ministers in addition to a wide range of central and local level partners. Based on assessments and consultations exploring good practices and constraints in three urban locations, all located in metropolitan contexts, the Ministers and participants stressed the need for improving urban integration and sustainability through:

(i) Upscaling of planning tools and coordination processes to metropolitan and regional levels

(ii) Enhanced project governance frameworks (consultative approach, inter-sector and multi-level coordination, distribution of responsibilities and decision-making processes) and contracting agreements for public investment

(iii) The mainstreaming of the project feasibility studies to socio-economic metropolitan contexts

(v) The adoption of a flexible implementation approach in order to allow adjustments to the rapid evolution of markets

The upcoming and second year of the project will focus on supporting the implementation of the enhanced framework at local level as well as developing national tools and mechanisms for country-wide up-scaling utilizing a multi-stakeholder implementation committee in liaison with the already established Inter-Ministerial Board for Urban Policy.