Princess Lalla Meryem launches National Mechanism for Eradication of Child Labor

Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, and under the effective chairship of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem, the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child (ONDE), launched on Friday in Rabat the National Mechanism for the Eradication of Child Labor (DNETE), dedicated to supporting every child, from their withdrawal from the workforce to their reintegration.

The launch of this mechanism falls in line with the continuity of the commitment of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God preserve Him, to the protection of childhood and the promotion of children’s rights, and with the actions led by ONDE to protect children in vulnerable situations and fight against child labor, the observatory said in a statement.

In February 2026, on the occasion of the 6th World Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor held in Marrakech, ONDE contributed to the national and international mobilization for a thematic session and two workshops, associating children from the continent thanks to an African network of children’s rights.

On June 12, 2026, ONDE, acting on the instruction of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem, and on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour, launched the national “STOP Child Labor” campaign, rolled out on television, in the press, and on social media. This campaign enjoyed widespread visibility and generated considerable public interest, with the various awareness-raising videos accumulating more than 34 million views.

The launch of DNETE also marks a new step in the realization of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem’s ongoing commitment to child protection and the eradication of child labor, the same source added.

In fact, child labor persists despite a decline of more than 80% since 1999, according to ONDE, which cites the 2025 National Employment Survey by the High Commission for Planning (HCP), which indicates that 1.3% of children aged 7 to 17 are working, nearly 103,000 children, and that the rate reaches 2.4% in rural areas, compared to 0.5% in urban areas.

In line with the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God glorify Him, who has always made the promotion and protection of children’s rights a national priority, the DNETE provides comprehensive and individualized care for each affected child, from the moment they are identified and removed from the workforce until their reintegration, with personalized support for their families.

This national Mechanism strengthens coordination between institutional and associative stakeholders and addresses the main limitations of existing mechanisms, notably by ensuring continuity in the chain of response, sector-specific and geographic targeting, the creation of an individual case file, and financial support for the family beginning on the day of withdrawal.

The National Mechanism for the Eradication of Child Labor rests on two complementary pillars: ongoing monitoring and individualized intervention. The latter relies on the Units for Combating Child Labor (CLTE), established at the provincial level and attached to the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills (MIEPEEC), as well as on contracted associations responsible for implementing actions on the ground.

According to ONDE, seventeen actors intervene at three levels: strategic, territorial, and technical support.

At the strategic level, ONDE chairs the steering committee and MIEPEEC chairs the technical committee; while at the regional level, the Provincial Governor chairs the provincial monitoring committee for DNETE, the CLTEs, and the civil society associations with which agreements have been signed. Technical support involves several stakeholders in the ecosystem: the Office of the Attorney General, the National Initiative for Human Development, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports, the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Inclusion, and Family, the National Social Support Agency, the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills, the Department of Vocational Training, the High Commission for Planning, National Mutual Aid ( Entraide Nationale ), the National Commission for the Control of Personal Data Protection, UNICEF, and the International Labor Organization.

The implementation of the DNETE will take place in three successive stages: a pilot program, an adjustment phase based on its evaluation, and then a rollout at the national level, ONDE pointed out, noting that the program is supported by five areas of action: prevention in schools, raising awareness among the general public and local stakeholders, engaging employers, advocacy, and measuring and monitoring results.

The DNETE launch ceremony featured the screening of four short videos on “31 Years of Commitment to Protecting Children from Labor Exploitation,” “Children’s Participation in Efforts to Combat Their Labor Exploitation,” and the National Mechanism for the Eradication of Child Labor, as well as a look back at the “STOP Child Labor” campaign.

On this occasion, Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem presented four honorary trophies to the teams behind the winning projects. The trophies were accepted on their behalf by, respectively, child parliamentarian Sidahmed El Ayachi (Voice of the Future Award) for the “Tamkine” project, child parliamentarian Douaa Fghrawi (Citizen’s Heart Award) for the “Digital Early Warning System for Child Labor” project, child parliamentarian Malak Zin El Abidine (Agent of Change Award) for the “Future Roots Fund Project,” and child parliamentarian Kayan Sarbouti (Comic Book Award) for the work “Draw Your Future.”

Upon her arrival to the DNETE launch ceremony site, HRH Princess Lalla Meryem reviewed a section of the Auxiliary Forces that paid the honors, before being greeted by the President Delegate of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, First President of the Court of Cassation, Mohamed Abdennabaoui and the King’s Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation and President of the Public Prosecution Office, Hicham Balaoui.

Her Royal Highness was also greeted by Mohamed Yacoubi, wali of the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region, governor of the Rabat prefecture, Mohamed Dardouri, wali and national coordinator for INDH, Rachid El Abdi, president of the regional council, Houssine Kodad, secretary-general of the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, Nour El Amarty, acting secretary-general of the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills, and Adil Ghmart, secretary-general of the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family.

HRH Princess Lalla Meryem was also greeted by Fatiha El Moudni, president of the city council, Abdelaziz Derouich, president of the prefectoral council, Adil El Atrassi, president of the Souissi district, and Ghizlane Benjelloun, vice-president of the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child.

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