HRH Lalla Meryem launches the National Mechanism for the Eradication of Child Labour, designed to support every child, from their withdrawal from work to their re

Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, and under the effective presidency of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem, the National Observatory for Children's Rights (ONDE) launched, on Friday in Rabat, the National Mechanism for the Eradication of Child Labour (DNETE), a system designed to support every child, from their withdrawal from work to their reintegration. The launch of this mechanism is part of the continuity of the commitment of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God preserve Him, to the protection of childhood and the promotion of children's rights, and the actions carried out by the ONDE to protect children in vulnerable situations and fight against child labour, indicates a statement from the observatory. Thus, in February 2026, on the occasion of the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, organised in Marrakech, the ONDE contributed to national and international mobilisation through a thematic session and two workshops, involving children from the continent thanks to its African network for children's rights. Furthermore, on 12 June 2026, the ONDE had, on the instruction of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem, and on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour, launched the national campaign "STOP to child labour", deployed on television, in the press, and on social media. This campaign benefited from wide visibility and considerable resonance with the general public, with the various awareness-raising clips having accumulated more than 34 million views. The launch of the DNETE also marks a new stage in the realisation of the constant commitment of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem to the protection of childhood and the eradication of child labour, the same source adds. Indeed, the phenomenon of child labour persists despite a decrease of more than 80% since 1999, indicates the ONDE, which cites the 2025 national employment survey by the High Commission for Planning (HCP), according to which 1.3% of children aged 7 to 17 are at work, i.e., nearly 103,000 children, and the rate reaches 2.4% in rural areas, compared to 0.5% in urban areas. In realisation of the Vision of HM King Mohammed VI, may God glorify Him, who has always made the promotion and defence of children's rights a national priority, the DNETE ensures comprehensive and individualised care for each child concerned, from their identification and withdrawal from work to their reintegration, with personalised support for their family. This National Mechanism strengthens coordination between institutional and associative actors and addresses the main limitations of existing mechanisms, notably with a continuity of the intervention chain, sectoral and geographical targeting, an individual file, and economic support for the family from the day of withdrawal. The National Mechanism for the Eradication of Child Labour is based on two complementary pillars: permanent monitoring and individualised intervention. The latter relies on the Cells for the Fight Against Child Labour (CLTE), established at the provincial level and attached to the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills (MIEPEEC), as well as on contracted associations, responsible for the implementation of actions in the field. According to the ONDE, seventeen actors intervene at three levels: strategic, territorial, and technical support. At the strategic level, the ONDE chairs the Steering Committee and the MIEPEEC chairs the technical committee; while at the territorial level, the Governor of the Province chairs the Provincial Monitoring Committee of the DNETE, the CLTEs, and the contracted civil society associations. As for technical support, it concerns several actors in the ecosystem: the Presidency of the Public Prosecution, the National Initiative for Human Development, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Inclusion and the Family, the National Agency for Social Support, the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills, the Department of Vocational Training, the High Commission for Planning, the National Mutual Aid, the National Commission for the Control of Personal Data Protection, UNICEF, and the International Labour Organization. The implementation of the DNETE will take place in three successive stages: a pilot, an adjustment phase nourished by its evaluation, then a national scale-up, explains the ONDE statement, noting that five axes of action accompany the Mechanism: school prevention, awareness-raising for the general public and local actors, mobilisation of employers, advocacy, as well as the measurement and monitoring of results. The launch ceremony of the DNETE was marked by the broadcast of four video clips on "31 years of commitment to the protection of childhood against exploitation through work", the "Participation of children in efforts to fight against their exploitation through work" and the National Mechanism for the Eradication of Child Labour, as well as a look back at the "STOP to child labour" campaign. Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem, on this occasion, proceeded to the presentation of four honorary Trophies, awarded to the teams behind the winning projects and received on their behalf, respectively, by child parliamentarian Sidahmed El Ayachi (Voice of the Future Prize) for the "Tamkine" project, child parliamentarian Douaa Fghrawi (Citizen Heart Prize) for the "Digital early warning system for child labour" project, child parliamentarian Malak Zin El Abidine (Actor of Change Prize) for the "Future roots Fund Project", and child parliamentarian Kayan Sarbouti (Comic Strip Prize) for the work "Draw your future". Upon her arrival at the venue of the DNETE launch ceremony, HRH Princess Lalla Meryem reviewed a section of the Auxiliary Forces that paid the honours, before being greeted by the Delegate President of the Supreme Council of the Judicial Power, First President of the Court of Cassation, Mr. Mohamed Abdennabaoui, and the King's Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation, President of the Public Prosecution, Mr. Hicham Balaoui. Her Royal Highness was also greeted by Mr. Mohamed Yacoubi, Wali of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, Governor of the prefecture of Rabat, Mr. Mohamed Dardouri, Wali, National Coordinator of the INDH, Mr. Rachid El Abdi, President of the Regional Council, Mr. Houssine Kodad, Secretary General of the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, Ms. Nour El Amarti, Acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, and Mr. Adil Ghmart, Secretary General of the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Insertion and the Family. HRH Princess Lalla Meryem was also greeted by Ms. Fatiha El Moudni, President of the Communal Council, Mr. Abdelaziz Derouich, President of the Prefectural Council, Mr. Adil El Atrassi, President of the Souissi district, and Ms. Ghizlane Benjelloun, Vice-President of the National Observatory for Children's Rights. Receive the latest news from Aujourd’hui Le Maroc directly on WhatsApp