Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination completes conclusions and recommendations on reports of Morocco

CERD
62nd session
20 March 2003
Morning

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination completed this morning its adoption of conclusions and recommendations on the fourteenth to sixteenth periodic reports of Morocco.
In the remaining paragraph adopted, the Committee welcomed the information provided in the reports on legislative amendments to the Code of Public Freedoms and the Press Code, and on Morocco's ongoing revision of its the Labour Code, as requested by the Committee in concluding observations on Morocco's previous report.
Following an intensive debate, the Committee decided to delete a paragraph adopted yesterday afternoon. The paragraph read as follows: "While noting the State party's long tradition of reception and integration, particularly in respect of the Jewish community, concern is expressed about reports of acts of anti-Semitism and hate speech in the country."
Some Experts argued that a paragraph already adopted should not be revoked, adding that an Expert who was absent during the adoption of the text should not go back to a paragraph that was approved by a majority of Experts.
As one of the 167 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Morocco must provide the Committee with periodic reports on its efforts to eliminate racial prejudice.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it is scheduled to adopt concluding observations and recommendations on reports of Ecuador, Poland, Saudi Arabia and the Russian Federation.