About a hundred elected officials and local actors attended a training session on Tuesday in Sefrou on the constitution and operation of Parity and Equal Opportunity Commissions (CPEC), a component of the Local Governance Programme (LGP), developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the General Directorate of Local Authorities.

Intended primarily for local elected officials, municipal staff, and NGOs represented within these CPECs, this training focused on the reference framework documenting the approach, tools, and best practices for the constitution and operation of these commissions.

Participants were thus able to follow interactive presentations on the regulatory framework governing these entities, ranging from the Municipal Charter to decrees, as well as the methodical steps for constituting CPECs.

In addition to the presentation of purely technical aspects, this dissemination meeting aimed, in a general way, to raise awareness among local elected officials about the importance of these commissions in the context of ongoing reforms, involving the deployment of parity and equal opportunity, in accordance with Article 19 of the Constitution.

This work of training, dissemination, and sharing will continue in other cities, notably in El Jadida and Fez, before leading to a national forum in Rabat on the same central issue of parity. Provided for by the municipal charter, the Parity and Equal Opportunity Commission is considered one of the channels for communication, openness, and involvement of different components of civil society, through consultation and concertation for the benefit of municipal councils.