Morocco is a priority partner country for German development cooperation in the Mediterranean region. Since 1975 GTZ (now GIZ) has been working in Morocco as an international cooperation for the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Today, GIZ is taking on a growing number of commissions in the country for other clients, such as the European Union and other German federal ministries. The GTZ Office in Rabat first opened in 1999.

Morocco’s economy is strongly tied to Europe through foreign trade. Globalisation and the free trade zone with the EU agreed for 2012 offer opportunities but also involve major risks for employment. Unemployment runs high, and increasing competition is putting the companies under great pressure.

There is huge disparity between the levels of development in urban and rural areas. At present almost half of those who are employed work in agriculture. Water is scarce, and advancing desertification and fluctuations in the climate threaten the resources on which the rural population depends.

There is keen interest in innovative ecological procedures and technologies, but there are still numerous challenges when it comes to applying the laws and implementing environmental and resource protection measures. Above all, promoting renewable energies raises the potential for great economic growth through the ecologically sound exploitation of resources, particularly in the rural regions.

The Governments of Morocco and Germany have agreed on three priority areas for their cooperation:

• Sustainable economic development
• Use and management of water resources
• Environment and climate change, including promotion of renewable energies.

Morocco has initiated numerous reforms in these fields. GIZ works in conjunction with its Moroccan partners to shape these development processes so that they are economically successful, ecologically viable, and socially just.

Gender equality is a crosscutting issue for all the projects. In line with Morocco’s gender strategy, GIZ is assisting the government in shaping its reforms and its programmes so that they benefit men and women equally and help strengthen and secure the human rights of women.

Further information

• Information from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
  www.bmz.de/en/.../marokko/index.html