UPDATE 1-Morocco's king urges speedy reforms to boost jobs, rural development

(Adds details, background and quotes) RABAT, Oct 10 (Reuters) – King Mohammed VI of Morocco on Friday called for accelerating reforms to create jobs for young people, improve public services, and reduce regional inequalities by giving greater attention to the mountain and oasis regions. The King made the call in a speech at the opening of the country's parliament, a week after widespread youth-led protests demanding better health, education and an end to corruption. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy where the King sets the major policy direction implemented by an elected government. The King did not address youth protesters directly but said that there should be no inconsistencies or competition between the country's national flagship projects and social programs. He urged "a faster implementation pace and stronger impacts from the next-generation of local development programs," which he had asked the government to prepare in July. Priority areas include job creation for young people and "tangible progress in the education and health sectors, as well as local rehabilitation policies," he said. Morocco's unemployment rate stands at 12.8%, with youth unemployment reaching 35.8% and 19% among graduates, official data showed. Special attention should be given to the "most fragile areas" such as mountains , he said. While the level of poverty has dropped in Morocco from 11.9% in 2014 to 6.8% in 2024, mountainous and oases areas show above-average poverty levels, according to the national statistics agency. Most of the country's population, financial and industrial hubs and vital infrastructure are concentrated in the northwest, leaving the rest of the country reliant on farming, fisheries and tourism. Thousands lined the avenue leading to parliament to greet King Mohammed VI who wore traditional attire and was accompanied by his brother and his son, the crown prince. The same square in front of the Parliament saw only dozens protesting on Thursday night in response to a call by the country's Generation Z protest version, a leaderless group known as GenZ 212. The group said on its Discord server it would suspend its protests on Friday out of respect for the King. (Reporting by Ahmed El Jechtimi; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Diane Craft)

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