Morocco, Belgium Revive Twinning Agreement in Field of Justice

The twinning agreement between the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) of Morocco and the Superior Council of Justice of Belgium was revived on Thursday in Rabat, after two-year suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported by the European Union (EU) and the Belgian Development Agency, this agreement aims to promote the independence of the judiciary, by strengthening judges’ skills and opening good judicial practices, while taking advantage of the Belgian experience in this field. This agreement was implemented by a Belgian collective including the federal public justice service, the High Council of Justice, the Council of Courts of Appeal and Courts of First Instance and the Council of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. It aims to harmonize the Moroccan justice system with international standards, to accompany the process of moralization of public life, to consolidate the rule of law and institutions and to ensure the proper functioning of the judicial system so as to meet the expectations of users. Initially scheduled for 2019, this project was suspended before achieving its objectives, said, on the occasion, Court of Cassation First President and CSPJ President Delegate Mohamed Abdennabaoui. This agreement aims to improve the performance of the Council, to raise it to the rank of other higher councils of justice in the world and contribute to the achievement of development goals and good governance, he further noted. For her part, the President of the Belgian High Council of Justice, Lucia Dreser, welcomed the revival of this twinning agreement which promises good results, especially in strengthening the rule of law and independence of Morocco’s judiciary.