اخبار المغرب – وطن نيوز
اخر اخبار المغرب اليوم – اخبار المغرب العاجلة
W6nnews.com ==== وطن === تاريخ النشر – 2026-05-10 01:55:00
Morocco is betting on international judicial cooperation as a fundamental lever for modernizing the justice system and enhancing legal security, through a broad dynamic that included concluding and activating 54 bilateral agreements in the civil and criminal fields, in addition to engaging in multilateral partnerships aimed at developing judicial work mechanisms and keeping pace with the transformations imposed by the expansion of cross-border cases, in a way that enhances the protection of rights and raises the efficiency and effectiveness of national justice in its international dimension. In this regard, the Minister of Justice, Abdul Latif Wehbe, stressed that international judicial cooperation has become an essential tool for confronting the challenges posed by legal globalization, as it includes a set of mechanisms and procedures that allow judicial authorities to deal effectively with cases with foreign elements, ensuring the protection of the rights of parties in cross-border disputes. Wehbe explained, in a written answer addressed to Parliamentary Advisor Khaled Al-Sati in the House of Advisors regarding the outcome of international cooperation programs for the justice sector, that the Ministry has played, during the current government term, a pivotal role in activating international judicial cooperation, by strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation relations, and working to increase the effectiveness of the mechanisms of this cooperation, in addition to supporting the Kingdom of Morocco’s involvement in international agreements aimed at addressing the practical problems associated with international judicial practice. The dynamism of bilateral agreements and the expansion of the judicial cooperation network. The Minister of Justice explained that the Ministry sought, within the framework of implementing bilateral work programs aimed at strengthening international judicial cooperation in the civil field, to prepare, submit and study draft bilateral agreements for judicial cooperation in civil, commercial and administrative matters, as well as memorandums of understanding aimed at establishing a legal framework that enables members of the Moroccan community residing abroad to defend and protect their rights in receiving countries. He pointed out that direct negotiations were held and attended between the Moroccan side and a number of foreign countries in order to complete the study of draft agreements and memorandums of understanding and reach final formulas ready for signature. Wehbe added that the Ministry also made visits to a number of foreign countries with the aim of developing international judicial cooperation and learning about experiences and expertise related to best practices in the field of international cooperation mechanisms related to national legislation, highlighting that the Ministry worked, in an effort to increase the effectiveness of judicial cooperation and find solutions to the problems facing Moroccan citizens and nationals of contracting states, to hold and attend meetings of mixed advisory committees. Openness to the international system and the Hague Conference. The Minister of Justice confirmed that the Ministry’s openness to the international system was also embodied through Morocco’s contribution, as an active member of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, to the work of the meetings of the Conference’s General Policy Council and the workshops of its working groups, in addition to studying the possibility of the Kingdom joining other conventions of the Conference, including the Hague Convention relating to court selection agreements dated June 30, 2005, and the Hague Convention relating to the Protection of Adults dated June 30, 2005. January 13, 2000, and the Hague Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters dated July 2, 2019. He also highlighted that the Ministry held meetings with the parties concerned with the practical application of the Hague Convention on the abolition of the mandatory authentication of foreign public documents “apostille” dated October 5, 1961, with the aim of improving the process of granting apostille certificates, as well as organizing direct and remote meetings to study the problems associated with child sponsorship. Abroad in light of Article 33 of the Hague Convention of October 19, 1996, or international child abduction in application of the Hague Convention of October 25, 1980. Wehbe revealed that the General Affairs Council of the Hague Conference on Private International Law approved on March 6, 2025 the Kingdom of Morocco hosting a regional office for the conference, similar to the two newly established offices for the regions of Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean Islands, before the headquarters of this office was opened. In the capital, Rabat, on July 9. Criminal cooperation and modernizing judicial policy. In the criminal field, the Minister of Justice explained that the Ministry worked to conclude a new generation of bilateral agreements with the aim of consolidating legal trust between the Kingdom and its partners. It also contributed, at the regional and Arab level, through the League of Arab States, to preparing and improving a number of guiding laws and regional agreements related to the criminal field and human rights. He added that the Ministry has signed, from the beginning of the current government term until the end of the year 2025, about 20 judicial agreements in the criminal field concerned with cooperation in the field of judicial assistance, extradition and transfer of convicts, in addition to preparing 13 draft agreements ready to be signed with a number of friendly and brotherly countries during the upcoming elections, in addition to exchanging dozens of draft agreements through the diplomatic route with other countries whose related projects are still under study. Wehbe stressed that the Ministry is keen to be open to international experiences and share expertise with a number of countries in the areas of modernizing criminal policy, by signing legal mechanisms for cooperation in the field of combating human trafficking crimes and applying alternative penalties, as well as signing memorandums of understanding with both Vietnam and Iraq in this field. Digital transformation and the promotion of modern justice and cybersecurity. With regard to the outcome of international cooperation in the field of digitization, the Minister of Justice explained that the results achieved reflect a gradual transition from the experimentation stage to the stage of empowerment and generalization, as digital transformation has become a strategic option to enhance the effectiveness of justice, improve the quality of services, and support economic and social development, noting that the partnerships concluded in this framework have contributed to accelerating the pace of reform, while ensuring that the solutions adopted are appropriate with national specificities and ensure their sustainability. He pointed out that the Ministry concluded a partnership agreement with the United Nations Development Program related to the support and follow-up program, which formed an institutional mechanism to support modernization and digitization projects within the sector, which enabled the mobilization of international technical expertise, support the preparation of studies and reference frameworks, and keep pace with the implementation of digital transformation projects according to a results-based approach, while strengthening the capabilities of administrative and technical frameworks in the areas of digital governance and project management, as well as establishing a participatory work methodology based on strategic planning and continuous evaluation. The Ministry also strengthened its cooperation with the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice, especially with regard to tracking judicial system performance indicators and developing measurement and evaluation tools, as a representative of the Ministry specializing in the field of information and communication technology was appointed to track indicators related to digital transformation and ensure that national data are compatible with approved international standards. He added that the Ministry participated in a group of international activities and workshops to enhance Morocco’s position in the field of modernizing the judicial system, including participation in the Open Government Partnership Global Summit held in Estonia in 2023, which constituted a station to enhance the Ministry’s involvement in the dynamism of open digital governance and learn about leading international experiences in the areas of transparency, innovation and development of public services. The Minister explained that the Ministry of Justice’s personnel benefited from international training programs to enhance their capabilities in assessing risks, developing security policies, adopting international standards, and organizing and developing mechanisms for monitoring and responding to information incidents, stressing that this international cooperation contributed to improving the effectiveness of information programs on several levels. He pointed out that at the level of the institutional framework and agreements, a number of bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements were concluded and activated with partner countries and international organizations specialized in modernizing digital administration and justice, with the inclusion of the digital transformation of justice component within the technical cooperation programs funded by development partners, and the creation of mechanisms for joint tracking and evaluation to ensure that the programs are implemented according to set deadlines and measurable results. Development of information systems: As for the development of information systems, the scope of case management systems in various courts has been updated and expanded to allow for the digitization of the judicial file path from registration to implementation, in addition to the development of electronic litigation services, including electronic filing of articles and appeals, electronic notification, and the payment of judicial fees remotely in some procedures, as well as enhancing interconnection between the courts, departments and institutions concerned, and integrating electronic archiving techniques and preserving digital documents in accordance with internationally approved safety and quality standards. Regarding infrastructure and equipment, Wehbe explained that data centers were modernized and their absorptive capacities were enhanced to ensure the continuity of digital services, and backup solutions and disaster recovery sites were adopted, in addition to equipping a number of courts with remote trial rooms while respecting legal guarantees. According to the Minister, international cooperation also included the field of cybersecurity and data protection, by benefiting from international support programs to enhance the Ministry’s capabilities in the field of information security by assessing risks, developing security policies, adopting international protection standards, organizing training courses for the benefit of technical and administrative frameworks in the field of protecting data of a personal nature and responding to cyberattacks, and developing mechanisms for monitoring and responding to information incidents. Wehbe stressed that this dynamic also contributed to consolidating the principles of governance and transparency by establishing digital mechanisms to track procedures and decisions in a way that limits the margin of error and enhances internal monitoring, as well as providing accurate statistical data that helps in planning and decision-making based on objective indicators. The Minister of Justice considered that the outcome of international cooperation in the field of digitization during the current government term reflects a qualitative transition towards establishing an open, safe and sustainable digital justice model, based on effective partnership, exchange of experiences, and contribution to the formulation of regional and international initiatives related to digital transformation and cybersecurity, in a way that enhances the Kingdom’s position and serves comprehensive development goals. He explained that the most important axes on which international cooperation in the Ministry of Justice is based include qualifying the judicial administration, creating the justice system, enhancing rights and freedoms, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the performance of the courts, developing the institutional capabilities of the justice system, modernizing the judicial administration and strengthening its governance, in addition to communicating and exchanging experiences and best practices with other countries. Regarding the Ministry’s achievements in the field of bilateral international cooperation, the Minister revealed the signing of 24 bilateral agreements with African countries, 13 bilateral agreements with European countries, and 17 bilateral agreements with Asian countries. As for the level of multilateral cooperation, Wehbe stressed that the Ministry of Justice has engaged in a group of international cooperation programs with its international institutional partners, especially European and United Nations bodies active in the field of justice, with the aim of improving the performance of public programs and mobilizing the necessary resources and expertise to enhance their effectiveness. The Minister of Justice concluded his answer by emphasizing that this qualitative and quantitative outcome during the current government term reflects the ministry’s commitment to strengthening international judicial cooperation as a strategic option to exchange experiences and expertise and support a climate of trust and legal stability.
