30th April - 1st May2007
Marrakech, Morocco

THE MARRAKECH DECLARATION

On behalf of Mr. Abderrahim Harouchi, the Moroccan Ministry of Social
Development, Family, and Solidarity's invitation, the Forum of Ministers of Social
Development of the Maghreb countries (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania,
Tunisia), of Egypt, of Jordan and of Lebanon was held on the 30th and 1st of May
2007 in Marrakech, Morocco. The Ministers of Social Development or the
Moroccan, Jordanian, Lebanese, Libyan, Mauritanian and Tunisian
representatives participated in the first meeting of the Forum. Algeria and Egypt
expressed their regrets for not taking part in the meeting in Marrakech.

Were also present at the Forum: Mr. Zola Skweyiya, Minister of Social
Development of South Africa, Mr. Joel O. Onyancha, Vice-Minister of Gender,
Sports, Culture and Social Services of Kenya, and Mr. Pierre Sané, Assistant
Director-General for UNESCO's Social and Human Sciences sector.

DECLARATION OF THE MINISTERS OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE
MAGHREB STATES, OF EGYPT, OF JORDAN AND OF LEBANON

We, the Ministers of Social Development of the Maghreb countries of Egypt, of
Jordan and of Lebanon, gathered at Marrakech on the 30th April and the 1st of
May 2007:

- Recognizing that the right to social development is a fundamental right;

- Recalling the different resolutions and recommendations adopted at the
international and regional levels, affirming the social dimension to
development;

- Recognizing the essential attention that has to be given to social
questions in the formulation of national development policies;

- Reaffirming our political will and our determination to promote social
development policies that integrate all dimensions of human
development, and to fight against poverty and exclusion;

- Concerned to support our countries in the reinforcement of regional and
sub-regional integration;

- Recognizing the importance of creating fora of Ministers of Social
Development of Latin America, of Africa and of Asia, and their
contribution to reinforcing regional social policies;

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- Recognizing the necessity to create a Forum of Ministers of Social
Development for the Arab countries, that will enable the exchange of
good procedures for stronger social policies at the national and regional
levels;

- Thanking UNESCO for initiating the Fora of Ministers of Social
Development and for the support given to our countries for the
organization of this first Forum for the Arab Region;

- Being convinced that the social sciences bring an essential contribution
to the formulation of development policies;

- Affirming our conviction that a better use of social sciences can lead to
more efficient policies and that to this end it is important to strengthen
the ties between social sciences and policy in favor of social
development. New forms of interaction between social sciences and
public action, including the participation of civil society, are necessary.

We decide to:

- Take all necessary measures to strengthen the cooperation between our
countries in the domain of social development.

- Institutionalize the Forum of Ministers of Social Development of all the
Arab countries, in the aim of facilitating consultations and dialogue that
will help identify more appropriate means to promote convergent social
policies;

- Put in place a permanent structure for the Forum and hand its
presidency to the Minister of Development, of Solidarity and of the
Family of Morocco, Mr. Abderrahim Harouchi, for one year. The Minister
will be the technical secretary for one year during the presidency of the
Forum;

- Mandate the President of the Forum to define, in consultation with the
focal points named by the Ministers of the Forum, the practical
modalities surrounding the Forum and the modalities for collaboration
with the civil society and the research institutions, to create mechanisms
of sub-regional coordination for social policies and to establish a lasting
cooperation based on the experiences of others sub-regions of Africa,
Latin America and Asia;

- Take into consideration the Buenos Aires Declaration adopted on the 24th
of February 2006 during the International Forum on the Social Science -
Policy Nexus organized by UNESCO's Management of Social
Transformations (MOST) Programme and the Governments of Argentina
and Uruguay between the 20th and 24th of February in Argentina and
Uruguay, and in particular the two following paragraphs:

« 3. With due respect for the autonomy of social science research,
we encourage the establishment of new networks (...) to bring
together social scientists, policy-makers, and non-governmental and
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grassroots organizations around their shared concern for the urgent
demands of social and economic development.
4. We call attention to the existence of Fora of Ministers for
Social Development at regional as well as subregional levels in
developing countries and suggest the creation and consolidation of
permanent nexuses between the latter and the above mentioned
networks. »

- Take into consideration the discussions of the Conference "From
research to politics and from politics to action", organized by UNESCO, in
collaboration with the Government of Kenya, in Nairobi, from the 22nd to
the 24th of January 2007.

Consequently, we take the following engagements:

1. To organize national fora of social development gathering policy-
makers, researchers and civil society actors;

2. Support exchanges between the national forums afterwards;

3. Evaluate and promote partnerships in social development;

4. Evaluate the programs of monetary transfers occurring in the
countries of concern.

- On behalf of the Minister of Social Development of Jordan, Mr. Suleiman
Tarawneh's invitation, the second meeting of the Forum will take place in
Jordan in 2008. The other Arab countries of the region will be invited to
join the Forum of Ministers of Social Development of the Arab countries.

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