Morocco’s Ombudsman engages youth amid public service protests

Thursday 09 October 2025 - 11:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Morocco’s Ombudsman engages youth amid public service protests

Morocco’s Ombudsman Institution has launched an initiative targeting political party youth organizations, aiming to understand how younger generations experience and evaluate public services. The program comes amid rising public scrutiny of healthcare, education, and basic administrative services across the country.

The initiative, presented in Rabat during a meeting between Ombudsman Hassan Tariq and the executive bureau of the National Youth and Democracy Instance (INJD), is part of the broader “Forums on Public Service Governance.” It seeks to promote civic dialogue on the quality of administrative and territorial services through training, outreach, and regional as well as local dialogue sessions.

A joint coordination commission, composed of representatives from the Ombudsman’s office and the INJD, will oversee the program’s implementation to ensure alignment with the institution’s mission of fostering consultation, citizen-focused governance, and accountability.

For the Ombudsman, the project represents a strategic effort to involve younger generations in strengthening good governance principles and rebuilding trust between citizens and public institutions. It also recognizes the pivotal role of youth in bridging communication between citizens and government, moving toward a more transparent and responsive public administration.

Youth representatives welcomed the initiative, though challenges remain in translating dialogue into tangible improvements in service delivery and the daily lives of Moroccan citizens.

A restless generation demands hospitals, not promises

Political party youth wings have long struggled to resonate with broader Moroccan youth, many of whom criticize both the government and parties for neglecting essential services while investing in stadiums and prestige projects.

Earlier this month, the Ombudsman’s office held the first governance forum focusing on public health. This coincided with demonstrations outside hospitals, where protesters carried banners reading “Death Hospital,” reflecting outrage over the collapse of Morocco’s healthcare system. The protests followed the tragic deaths of eight pregnant women at Agadir’s Hassan II Regional Hospital, reportedly caused by medical negligence, understaffing, lack of equipment, and systemic dysfunction.

The Agadir tragedies ignited the GenZ212 movement, a youth-led mobilization demanding improved healthcare and public services. Just as outrage surged, reports emerged of a ninth death at the hospital, intensifying public anger and perceptions of systemic failure.

Officials frame the forums as spaces for civil society, experts, and administrations to discuss practical reforms. Yet, without visible outcomes, these gatherings risk being dismissed as symbolic gestures.

GenZ212: a new model of youth activism

The GenZ212 movement emerged in September 2025, organized mainly through Discord. It operates without leaders or party affiliations, making collective decisions through online debates. Its name references Morocco’s international code, “212,” and signals its generational identity.

Unlike older opposition groups, GenZ212 positions itself as apolitical, demanding decent healthcare, quality education, job opportunities, accountability, and an end to corruption and unequal investment. Although appeals sometimes address His Majesty King Mohammed VI directly, the movement avoids challenging the monarchy, reflecting a digitally networked, decentralized form of youth activism rooted in frustration over declining public services.

For many participants, institutional initiatives such as the Ombudsman’s forums are met with skepticism, seen as slow-moving or overly tied to political structures. By engaging party-affiliated youth, the Ombudsman Institution is testing whether official channels can bridge the widening gap between institutions and a generation increasingly turning to protests and digital platforms to voice grievances.