The House of Representatives and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) signed a new five-year partnership agreement in Rabat on Thursday, reinforcing a collaboration that began in 2011 and has since been renewed through agreements concluded in 2012, 2016, and 2021.
The renewed partnership reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to advancing parliamentary democracy, institutional openness, and the modernization of legislative processes.
WFD Commends Morocco’s Democratic Progress
Speaking at the signing ceremony, WFD Chief Executive Anthony Smith praised Morocco’s ongoing reforms, highlighting the country’s progress in strengthening democratic institutions, promoting transparency, fostering inclusion, and improving governance.
Smith noted that the Foundation is proud to have supported several of these reforms over the years and expressed its commitment to continuing this cooperation with the House of Representatives.
Morocco’s Growing Role in Parliamentary Openness
Anthony Smith also emphasized the House of Representatives’ increasing regional and continental influence in promoting parliamentary openness, citizen participation, and women’s representation in political institutions.
He noted that the Moroccan Parliament is now recognized as one of the region’s leading open parliaments and is a strong supporter of the Open Government Partnership (OGP). He also praised its role in launching the African Network of Open Parliaments in June 2026, describing the initiative as an important step toward strengthening cooperation and knowledge-sharing among African legislatures.
According to Smith, the initiative further reinforces Morocco’s position as a regional leader in parliamentary innovation and democratic governance.
New Priorities for the Next Five Years
Under the newly signed memorandum of understanding, the House of Representatives and the WFD agreed to deepen cooperation in promoting parliamentary openness in line with OGP principles.
The partnership will also focus on strengthening cooperation between Parliament and civil society organizations, supporting the political leadership of women parliamentarians, and exploring the use of artificial intelligence in parliamentary work.
Additional areas of cooperation include public policy evaluation, improving legislative quality, enhancing legal certainty during the lawmaking process, and monitoring the impact of legislation and public policies.
Fifteen Years of Successful Cooperation
Over the past 15 years, the partnership between the House of Representatives and the WFD has produced significant achievements in parliamentary dialogue, institutional capacity-building, training, communication, participatory democracy, and parliamentary openness.
The collaboration has also resulted in the publication of practical guides on parliamentary functions and the evolving challenges facing 21st-century democracies. These publications have become valuable references for parliamentary research and documentation at the international level.
With this new agreement, both institutions reaffirm their commitment to building a more effective, transparent, inclusive, and citizen-oriented Parliament while continuing to strengthen democratic governance in Morocco.
