Address of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, at 2023 Award Ceremony of the Parliamentary Press Prize

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, and may prayers and peace be upon His noble Messenger and his kith and kin

Esteemed Secretary General of the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication,

Esteemed Mr. Jilali Benhalima, President of the Jury,

Distinguished Jury members,

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished representatives of the media,

Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, in my name and on behalf of all the components of the House of Representatives, I am pleased to welcome you to this ceremony, which we organize annually to honor and encourage the men and women of the national media in recognition of their efforts to cover parliamentary action and bring the legislative institution closer to all citizens.

As you know, the Parliamentary Press Prize was created under Rule 136 of the Rules of Procedure of the House of Representatives. In this respect, I would like to thank the journalists who submitted their candidacies for the third edition of this Prize for the year 2023. In the same regard, I commend the distinguished participation that marked this edition compared with the previous two, which attests to the growing interest that the national media is granting parliamentary action.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the Jury President, Mr. Jilali Benhalima, and its members, Ms. Fatima Anejdam, Ms. Nadia Lamhaidi, Mr. Abderrahmane El Adaoui, and Mr. Tayeb Dakar, for having accepted to be part of the Jury in charge of this Prize, which required a great deal of effort and their precious time, despite their professional and personal engagements.

I also commend their presentation of a petition at the start of the Jury's work, aimed at simplifying the conditions for eligibility to the Prize, as well as limiting it to having a press card for the current year instead of the last three years; a proposal with which we promptly interacted without the slightest hesitation.

Esteemed Ladies and gentlemen,

Distinguished attendees,

The House of Representatives attaches the utmost importance to promoting the national media, which we regard as a true partner contributing to parliamentary action. In this sense, we are satisfied and proud of this bond that is growing stronger, hence obliging us all to work towards its further consolidation.

In this context, I would like to recall that the House of Representatives organized in December 2022 an important colloquium on "National Media and Society," which was marked by the outstanding participation of national media representatives. The colloquium culminated in a set of recommendations that need to be translated into reality, intending to advance and develop the profession of journalism within the framework of well-founded professional journalism establishments and enterprises.

In this regard, I reaffirm the openness of the legislative institution to all actors in the media field, as well as its willingness to work with representatives of the national media to improve the laws regulating the journalism and information sector, as it is a public space that reflects one of the stages in the nation's development.

We are fully aware of the challenges facing the national media, in particular those linked to the rehabilitation of this field in its various genres and categories, winning the challenge of the digital transition, building an aware national public opinion and a credible journalistic and media practice, improving the situation of professionals in the sector, and ensuring continuous training for the benefit of the women and men in the media.

As promised last year, and in coordination between the Boards of the two Houses, we have implemented a new accreditation procedure for journalists within Parliament. We will also work on organizing workshops for journalists, taking into account their needs and wishes. Besides, we are open to all proposals aimed at simplifying their work and improving media coverage of parliamentary action within the House of Representatives in general.

The House of Representatives will continue to adopt an efficient, effective, and proactive communication policy so as to provide journalists with information under the best possible conditions and as quickly as possible. We aim to build a strong partnership within a framework of respect for the laws in force and abidance by professional ethics.

To conclude, I extend my sincerest congratulations to the awardees of this year's Parliamentary Press Prize and wish them every success in their noble missions, being fully convinced of the importance of the journalism and information sector and its distinguished contribution to strengthening the democratic edifice in our country and to achieving global development under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God glorify and assist him.

Thank you for your keen attention.