Public Prosecutor Office Presents 'Kafala' Guide of Abandoned Children

18 October 2021 Printable Version

Rabat - The presidency of the public prosecutor's office presented, on Monday in Rabat, its guide relating to the "Kafala" of abandoned children, developed within the framework of the implementation of the dedicated law (15.01) and the actions of the Office focused on the improvement of the care system of these children.

Resulting from a collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Delegation of the European Union in Morocco, the 240-page guide was developed by a scientific committee comprising a select group of prosecutors.

In addition to preliminary provisions and a conceptual framework, it focuses on four main areas: the intervention of the public prosecutor's office in the process of declaration of abandonment and during the Kafala procedure, its intervention during the period of validity or expiration of the Kafala, the application of the Kafala law on unaccompanied migrant children and the role of the public prosecutor's office in the Kafala of Moroccan children abroad.

Speaking on this occasion, public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, president of the public prosecutor's office, Moulay El Hassan Daki, stressed that this document is the result of a colossal work to develop a frame of reference concerning the procedures of Kafala and to develop a clear and unified vision of the different roles of the public prosecutor's office within this system.

For her part, the representative of UNICEF in Morocco, Giovanna Barberis, said that this is a major event that represents an important contribution to the consolidation and strengthening of the protection system for children, especially the most vulnerable.

Minister counselor at the Delegation of the European Union in Morocco, Jean-Christophe Filori, said that the EU is very committed with UNICEF and the presidency of the public prosecutor's office to advance the cause of children's rights, which are one of the major priorities of the EU.

The "Kafala" program for the promotion and care of children deprived of family support was launched in coordination with 13 ministerial departments, 5 public establishments under the authority of ministerial departments or under their supervision, the judicial authorities, the presidency of the public prosecutor's office, the National Observatory for Human Development, the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child (ONDE), the Moroccan League for the Protection of Children, 51 associations working in the field of childhood and UNICEF.

It proposes 68 measures to achieve a set of objectives related to preventing child neglect, ensuring the necessary protection for children deprived of family support, promoting Kafala and accelerating procedures, strengthening follow-up and monitoring, increasing the number of Moroccan families who take care of children deprived of family support, and making available data on the situation of children deprived of family support.