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Presentation:
Children have rights… if this postulate is universally recognized today, we certainly owe it to the movement which characterized the adherence of the international community to the convention of the United Nations which defined these rights in 1989. The engagement of the Kingdom of Morocco in this movement has become concrete since 1993 by the ratification of the convention by the late HM Hassan II. It will reach its full growth two years later with the setting up of the National Observatory of Children's Rights (ONDE). Its main aim is to make sure that the provisions of the convention of United Nations on the rights of children are implemented, in collaboration with the various components of the Moroccan society. In addition, to its nature, as a specialized national institution, the ONDE has also become a space of exchange through which important initiatives arranged between various partners were able to be developed and realized. |
Mission
The ONDE’s mission is to analyze and evaluate the situation of the child in terms of protection and actions carried out in the domains related to its prosperity, as well as to inform, enlighten and advise the various authorities concerned by the protection of children and the promotion of their rights both at the national and regional levels, to carry out demonstrative actions for the child in terms of health, education, hobbies, culture, law… and coordinate the intersector-based initiatives carried out by the national and international partners in favour of the protection of the child and the promotion of his rights.
The ONDE also created several authorities which stand out as catalysts of energies and initiatives such the national congress of children’s rights and The Children's Parliament. Accordingly, the congress convenes, on May 25 of every year on the occasion of the national day of the child, all the actors who work in the field of childhood: ministerial departments, NGO’s, experts and the international organizations concerned. The objective is to evaluate the efforts made on behalf of children, and to identify the priorities of action so as to assure the promotion of their rights.
For its part, the children’s parliament, which held its first session in 1999, aims at enhancing dialogue between 357 children / members of parliament coming from all the regions of the Kingdom. It thus has a permanent framework made up of exchange and debate in order to contribute to the consolidation of citizenship, and to take part in the question of the children’s rights through a direct interpellation by these children / members of parliament of the various spheres and components of Moroccan society. The annual schedule of this authority counts several meetings among which regional sessions and a national session which takes on the form of a solemn meeting between members of children’s parliament, representatives of the nation, and governmental officials.
Since 1995, the ONDE has also begun an operation on a national scale entitled: un douar, un puits (literally a village, a well). It aims at providing every rural village with an equipped and fitted out water source. The main objective is to promote the schooling of girls living in rural areas by releasing them from the duty of supplying water.
Achievements
The ONDE led several actions including the recent intervention on behalf of the children of Al Hoceima following the earthquake that stroke this region, as well as the launching of the national campaigns of vaccination and iodine deficiency fighting.
Other achievements realized by the ONDE are the signature along with other partners of conventions relating to the protection of children ( the Ministry of Justice ), the generalization of the children health notebook at the level of all the drugstores of the Kingdom ( The National Council of Chemists’ Association), the fitting up of four reception centers which take care of the children victims of violence in of the regional hospitals of Marrakesh, Oujda, Fes and Tangier ( the Ministry of Health ), The equipment of the reception center with audiovisual material , listening and protection of the mistreated children (the Ministry charged with the family, childhood and disabled children).
On the other hand, the ONDE realized the launching of town councils for children in Marrakesh and the finalization of the project “Child Trauma Network " or taking care of traumatized children. Other realizations were carried out, namely the setting up of the African symposium for the children’s rights, the elaboration of the magazine “Children have rights” and the launching of the program “NET of the district " in Hay Nahda in Rabat.
For further information on the ONDE: http://www.onde.org.ma
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