In celebration of his twenty years serving Morocco, King Mohammed IV gave a speech on July 30, 2019, at his royal palace in Rabat. He acknowledged past achievements for Morocco and also announced new ideas for developing the kingdom. The new reforms will urge reorganization in the government and be aimed at tackling Morocco’s social inequalities and enhancing socio-political infrastructure.
The King plans to launch a new committee for Morocco’s education, health, agriculture, investment, and taxation. According to him, these kinds of reforms would “improve the standard of living.” He also spoke about his thoughts on continued progress in renewable energies and infrastructure. Under his reign, the kingdom has gone through remarkable developments including the launch of the TGV, Africa’s first high-speed railway.
Since ascending the throne in 1999, the King has worked hard to fight poverty and make human rights an important part of the national system. In 2004, he created the Moroccan Truth & Reconciliation Commission (IER) to protect Moroccan citizens. Other honorable achievements and efforts that have taken place since the King’s accession on July 23, 1999, include reforming Morocco’s family code to give women equal rights in marriage and divorce. The code was forward-thinking and as a result, 17% of Morocco’s parliamentary seats are held by women. In 2004, the number was close to 1%. Under King Mohammed VI the monarchy also established committees aimed at fighting poverty in villages and curbing social exclusion.
During his twenty-year reign, King Mohammed VI was also successful in his migration programs and constitutional reforms, all which helped create friendly relations with other nations. His efforts to promote inter-religious exchanges, coexistence, educational and science collaborations with other countries have helped move Morocco’s image away from one associated with religious extremism. In Morocco, Christian residents practice their beliefs freely and the Jews have a long-established presence in Morocco.
To celebrate Morocco’s Jewish Heritage, in 2010 King Mohammed VI began a program to rehabilitate ancient Jewish sites throughout the country. Pope Francis visited Rabat for a second time in March 2019 to acknowledge the kingdom’s interfaith activities. Under the King, Morocco also returned to the African Union in 2017.