The Corruption Observatory: Monitoring the Implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy

The deterioration of Morocco’s ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) over the past decade, as indicated by data collected in the Global Corruption Barometer and other independent assessments regarding corruption, transparency, justice, and governance, confirmed concerns about both the worsening of the phenomenon and the weak political response it generated—beyond rhetoric and declarations of intent.

In 2015, the Moroccan government adopted a national anti-corruption strategy. Transparency Maroc contributed to developing this strategy and was a monitoring committee member overseeing its implementation.

Through this project, Transparency Maroc aimed to deepen its involvement in the implementation of the strategy by holding accountable the relevant administrative bodies and officials responsible for implementing it.

This initiative was deemed necessary due to delays in the strategy’s implementation and the lack of genuine commitment from the stakeholders involved. This resulted in:

• Increasing delays in the implementation of the strategy;
• A worsening corruption situation in Morocco;
• The risk of the strategy being gradually abandoned.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Rabat supported the project Monitoring the Implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy for a two-year period (2017–2019). The project focused primarily on monitoring the implementation of the national anti-corruption strategy.

• To encourage the government to implement the national anti-corruption strategy adopted in 2015.
• More broadly, to promote a culture of human rights, transparency, and anti-corruption.

The project established a monitoring mechanism for both the phenomenon of corruption in Morocco and the implementation of the national strategy, aiming to enhance accountability among public authorities involved in the implementation. This was achieved through:

• Collecting data related to corruption in the public and private sectors;
• Creating a dashboard to track progress and identify shortcomings in the implementation of the strategy;
• Pressuring public authorities based on findings from the dashboard and ongoing monitoring;
• Organizing advocacy seminars to support these efforts;
• Participating in evaluation meetings organized by stakeholders.

• Morocco had a monitoring and oversight mechanism for the implementation of the national strategy;
• Oversight administrations and control bodies assumed their responsibilities and enacted the necessary measures for the strategy’s implementation;
• The implementation of the strategy was monitored, and the responsible administrations were made aware of their roles;
• Citizens gained access to information regarding the implementation of the national anti-corruption strategy.