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23 November 2000
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CESCR
24th session
23 November 2000
Morning
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this morning concluded its consideration of a second periodic report of Morocco by hearing a Government delegation saying that diarrhoeal diseases were a serious public health problem, producing a sizeable impact on mortality and morbidity.
The Committee will issue its observations and recommendations on the report of Morocco at the end of its three-week session which will conclude on 1 December.
Responding to queries put forward by Committee members, the Moroccan delegation said that diarrhoeal diseases were a serious public health problem, producing a sizable impact on mortality and morbidity; the malnutrition associated with diarrhoea was among the main causes of death among children aged less than 5 years. In 1995, almost 12 per cent of children under five had diarrhoea, down from 29 per cent in 1987. The Ministry of Health had promoted the use of oral rehydration salts to mitigate the symptoms and after-effects of diarrhoeal diseases, the delegation added.
In follow-up questions, Committee Experts asked, among other things, about the fate of persons evicted from old buildings and demolished shanty towns; access to primary health care, which they said was less in rural areas than urban districts; and about the child immunization campaign, which did not cover 10 per cent of the population. An Expert wanted to know about the measures taken by the Government to promote the culture of the Amazigh national minority.
Morocco is among the 143 States parties to the Covenant and as such it is obligated to present periodic reports on its performance in implementing the provisions of the treaty. A 7-member Government delegation was on hand throughout the three meetings to present the report and answer questions raised by Committee Experts.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will consider, in private session, draft concluding observations on country reports already discussed last week. It will next meet in public at 3 p.m. on Friday, 24 November to discuss substantive issues arising in the implementation of the Covenant, as well as developments concerning the World Conference against racism.
Discussion
The members of the Moroccan delegation, responding to pending questions raised by Committee Experts, said that the housing need in urban areas was estimated to be 750,000 housing units and in order to cope with the demographic growth, 130,000 units should be build each year. During the period between 1991 and 1998, the Government had concentrated its efforts on fighting the mushrooming shanty towns around bigger cities and the restructuring of older houses. The Government had devoted 2 per cent of its annual budget for the promotion of social housing and it encouraged low interest mortgage loans for individuals who sought to build their own houses.
The Government of Morocco had set priorities in the fight against poverty and had taken particular action to alleviate the burden of many citizens, the delegation said. The main causes for poverty were unemployment and rural exodus to urban areas. It was estimated that 100,000 households lived below the poverty line and the profile of poverty was vividly seen in rural areas. Poverty was more acute in families having a big number of children and few adults capable of engaging in remunerative activities. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) indicator on poverty had placed Morocco in the 125th place.
Illiteracy was another factor affecting poverty and the Government had taken measures to reduce the actual rate of illiteracy, which was 47 per cent, to a relatively acceptable figure, the delegation said. In partnership with UNDP and non-governmental organizations, the Government was providing social services to poor people living in and around Tanger, Casablanca and Marakesh. Great efforts were also underway to extend the services to other regions. A social development fund was also being created for the purpose of social integration of people marginalized by poverty. Pilot projects had been implemented by non-governmental organizations. In addition, the Government was engaged in partnership with civil society to take a greater part in the fight against poverty.
Under the law of 1977 on maternity leave, pregnant working women had 12 consecutive weeks off before and after delivery, the delegation said. The pregnant working woman received her full salary during her leave of absence; had the right to claim compensation; and could not be fired while she was on maternity leave. Working mothers had the privilege to take a one-hour break every day to nurse their newly born babies. In addition, judicial assistance was offered in the event of any conflict with the employer. During the June 2000 International Labour Organization (ILO) annual meeting in Geneva, Morocco had supported the motion to revise ILO Convention 103 on maternal protection.
A question had been raised concerning DNA testing to prove the fatherhood of a child born out of wedlock. The delegation said that genetic indicators or blood test were rarely used to determine who the father of the child was. However, the national institute for the right of the child had been working to reconcile the Sharia and the civil code to find a way in which a presumed father would approve or refute fatherhood. Up to now, the case of children born out of wedlock had been handled within the context of the Sharia law.
At this juncture, an Expert said that if children born out of wedlock did not enjoy the same rights as children born within wedlock in matters of inheritance from the father, and if they were subjected to discrimination, there was a breach of the provisions of the Covenant. The Government should seek to resolve the problem in accordance with its obligations under the Covenant.
Concerning violence against women, the delegation said that because of the fact that women were ashamed to report the violence they were subjected to, the number of such cases was not correctly registered. In addition to concrete measures towards prevention of violence against women, an annual awareness raising campaign, starting 1998, had been carried out from 24 November to 10 December. In addition, legal assistance had been provided to victims against any violence which infringed upon their dignity. The Government was also planning to set up a network of centres to help women having such problems and at least 16 sites would be established soon. Non-governmental organizations and Government agencies would participate in the project in partnership.
In follow-up questions, Committee Experts asked, among other things, about the fate of persons evicted from old buildings and demolished shanty towns; access to primary health care, which they said was less in rural areas than urban districts; and about the child immunization campaign, which did not cover 10 per cent of the population. An Expert wanted know about the measures taken by the Government to promote the culture of the Amazigh national minority. Another Expert said that a circular of the Moroccan Ministry of Interior had prohibited the registration of first names of African or Amazigh origin.
The delegation's attention was drawn to the cases of 234,000 children living in the streets, with an Expert asking why the Government did not help those children by creating institutions instead of leaving it all to non-governmental organizations; the situation of homeless people was also mentioned by the Experts.
The circular which was alluded to by one of the Experts had been brought to the attention of the Government and would be suppressed soon, the delegation said. The issue of the Amazigh was not of concern to the Government because of the fact that every person in the country enjoyed his or her difference without any problem. Morocco was proud of its cultural diversity, and it recognized the Arab and Berber heritage of the society.
Further, the delegation said that eviction was not systematic and it was done to favour the building of better houses and to prevent precarious social dwellings. In the steps taken against the creation of slum areas mainly prompted by rural exodus, the Government had moved people to better areas and had provided them with better accommodations. In the past 49,069 households had been affected by the demolishing of houses built either on unauthorized lands or in hazardous areas.
Responding to questions on the protection of the family, mothers and children, the delegation said that the Moroccan family was based on ties of marriage and kinship; marriage was the legal foundation for creating a family under Moroccan law, in conformity with the provisions of Muslim law. Marriage was the only legal context under which women had the right to procreation.
The delegation said that the national health care strategy placed great emphasis on the monitoring of births and on child development. The many programmes being implemented included vaccination against Hepatitis-B, measures to tackle diarrhoeal diseases, screening and other measures against different types of malnutrition, and prevention of the diseases relating to micro-nutrient deficiencies. In recent years, vaccination rates had reached 88.7 per cent of children aged from 12 to 23 months.
Diarrhoeal diseases were a serious public health problem, producing a sizable impact on mortality and morbidity, the delegation said. The malnutrition associated with diarrhoea was among the main causes of death among children aged less than 5 years. In 1995, almost 12 per cent of children under five had diarrhoea, in comparison to 29 per cent in 1987. The Ministry of Health had promoted the use of oral rehydration salts to mitigate the symptoms and after-effects of diarrhoeal diseases.
Despite a steady reduction, the child mortality level remained worrying, the delegation said; some 37 children out of every 1,000 died before their first birthday over the period 1992-1997, and 46 in every one thousand did not live to be five. The high mortality rate was attributed to the economic and socio-cultural factors.
The Government had been encouraging mothers to breast-feed their children as a way to fight diseases, including diarrhoea, the delegation said. In the urban areas, 45 per cent of mothers ceased breast-feeding after the second month while in the rural areas only 20 per cent did the same.
Besides upgrading its educational quality, the Government of Morocco had opened opportunities for graduates to create their own enterprises without waiting for Government employment, the delegation said. The Government had created an infrastructure to attract investors and young entrepreneurs to engage themselves in self support establishments.
On the cultural aspect, the Government's priorities were to integrate Morocco's cultural heritage into the economic and social life of its population, and to enhance diversity and promote efficient cultural institutions, the delegation said. The Ministry of Culture strived to ensure that all citizens enjoyed the full exercise of their cultural rights, in accordance with the provisions of the Covenant. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was assisting Morocco to develop and revitalize the traditional knowledge of its population.
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24th session
23 November 2000
Morning
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this morning concluded its consideration of a second periodic report of Morocco by hearing a Government delegation saying that diarrhoeal diseases were a serious public health problem, producing a sizeable impact on mortality and morbidity.
The Committee will issue its observations and recommendations on the report of Morocco at the end of its three-week session which will conclude on 1 December.
Responding to queries put forward by Committee members, the Moroccan delegation said that diarrhoeal diseases were a serious public health problem, producing a sizable impact on mortality and morbidity; the malnutrition associated with diarrhoea was among the main causes of death among children aged less than 5 years. In 1995, almost 12 per cent of children under five had diarrhoea, down from 29 per cent in 1987. The Ministry of Health had promoted the use of oral rehydration salts to mitigate the symptoms and after-effects of diarrhoeal diseases, the delegation added.
In follow-up questions, Committee Experts asked, among other things, about the fate of persons evicted from old buildings and demolished shanty towns; access to primary health care, which they said was less in rural areas than urban districts; and about the child immunization campaign, which did not cover 10 per cent of the population. An Expert wanted to know about the measures taken by the Government to promote the culture of the Amazigh national minority.
Morocco is among the 143 States parties to the Covenant and as such it is obligated to present periodic reports on its performance in implementing the provisions of the treaty. A 7-member Government delegation was on hand throughout the three meetings to present the report and answer questions raised by Committee Experts.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will consider, in private session, draft concluding observations on country reports already discussed last week. It will next meet in public at 3 p.m. on Friday, 24 November to discuss substantive issues arising in the implementation of the Covenant, as well as developments concerning the World Conference against racism.
Discussion
The members of the Moroccan delegation, responding to pending questions raised by Committee Experts, said that the housing need in urban areas was estimated to be 750,000 housing units and in order to cope with the demographic growth, 130,000 units should be build each year. During the period between 1991 and 1998, the Government had concentrated its efforts on fighting the mushrooming shanty towns around bigger cities and the restructuring of older houses. The Government had devoted 2 per cent of its annual budget for the promotion of social housing and it encouraged low interest mortgage loans for individuals who sought to build their own houses.
The Government of Morocco had set priorities in the fight against poverty and had taken particular action to alleviate the burden of many citizens, the delegation said. The main causes for poverty were unemployment and rural exodus to urban areas. It was estimated that 100,000 households lived below the poverty line and the profile of poverty was vividly seen in rural areas. Poverty was more acute in families having a big number of children and few adults capable of engaging in remunerative activities. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) indicator on poverty had placed Morocco in the 125th place.
Illiteracy was another factor affecting poverty and the Government had taken measures to reduce the actual rate of illiteracy, which was 47 per cent, to a relatively acceptable figure, the delegation said. In partnership with UNDP and non-governmental organizations, the Government was providing social services to poor people living in and around Tanger, Casablanca and Marakesh. Great efforts were also underway to extend the services to other regions. A social development fund was also being created for the purpose of social integration of people marginalized by poverty. Pilot projects had been implemented by non-governmental organizations. In addition, the Government was engaged in partnership with civil society to take a greater part in the fight against poverty.
Under the law of 1977 on maternity leave, pregnant working women had 12 consecutive weeks off before and after delivery, the delegation said. The pregnant working woman received her full salary during her leave of absence; had the right to claim compensation; and could not be fired while she was on maternity leave. Working mothers had the privilege to take a one-hour break every day to nurse their newly born babies. In addition, judicial assistance was offered in the event of any conflict with the employer. During the June 2000 International Labour Organization (ILO) annual meeting in Geneva, Morocco had supported the motion to revise ILO Convention 103 on maternal protection.
A question had been raised concerning DNA testing to prove the fatherhood of a child born out of wedlock. The delegation said that genetic indicators or blood test were rarely used to determine who the father of the child was. However, the national institute for the right of the child had been working to reconcile the Sharia and the civil code to find a way in which a presumed father would approve or refute fatherhood. Up to now, the case of children born out of wedlock had been handled within the context of the Sharia law.
At this juncture, an Expert said that if children born out of wedlock did not enjoy the same rights as children born within wedlock in matters of inheritance from the father, and if they were subjected to discrimination, there was a breach of the provisions of the Covenant. The Government should seek to resolve the problem in accordance with its obligations under the Covenant.
Concerning violence against women, the delegation said that because of the fact that women were ashamed to report the violence they were subjected to, the number of such cases was not correctly registered. In addition to concrete measures towards prevention of violence against women, an annual awareness raising campaign, starting 1998, had been carried out from 24 November to 10 December. In addition, legal assistance had been provided to victims against any violence which infringed upon their dignity. The Government was also planning to set up a network of centres to help women having such problems and at least 16 sites would be established soon. Non-governmental organizations and Government agencies would participate in the project in partnership.
In follow-up questions, Committee Experts asked, among other things, about the fate of persons evicted from old buildings and demolished shanty towns; access to primary health care, which they said was less in rural areas than urban districts; and about the child immunization campaign, which did not cover 10 per cent of the population. An Expert wanted know about the measures taken by the Government to promote the culture of the Amazigh national minority. Another Expert said that a circular of the Moroccan Ministry of Interior had prohibited the registration of first names of African or Amazigh origin.
The delegation's attention was drawn to the cases of 234,000 children living in the streets, with an Expert asking why the Government did not help those children by creating institutions instead of leaving it all to non-governmental organizations; the situation of homeless people was also mentioned by the Experts.
The circular which was alluded to by one of the Experts had been brought to the attention of the Government and would be suppressed soon, the delegation said. The issue of the Amazigh was not of concern to the Government because of the fact that every person in the country enjoyed his or her difference without any problem. Morocco was proud of its cultural diversity, and it recognized the Arab and Berber heritage of the society.
Further, the delegation said that eviction was not systematic and it was done to favour the building of better houses and to prevent precarious social dwellings. In the steps taken against the creation of slum areas mainly prompted by rural exodus, the Government had moved people to better areas and had provided them with better accommodations. In the past 49,069 households had been affected by the demolishing of houses built either on unauthorized lands or in hazardous areas.
Responding to questions on the protection of the family, mothers and children, the delegation said that the Moroccan family was based on ties of marriage and kinship; marriage was the legal foundation for creating a family under Moroccan law, in conformity with the provisions of Muslim law. Marriage was the only legal context under which women had the right to procreation.
The delegation said that the national health care strategy placed great emphasis on the monitoring of births and on child development. The many programmes being implemented included vaccination against Hepatitis-B, measures to tackle diarrhoeal diseases, screening and other measures against different types of malnutrition, and prevention of the diseases relating to micro-nutrient deficiencies. In recent years, vaccination rates had reached 88.7 per cent of children aged from 12 to 23 months.
Diarrhoeal diseases were a serious public health problem, producing a sizable impact on mortality and morbidity, the delegation said. The malnutrition associated with diarrhoea was among the main causes of death among children aged less than 5 years. In 1995, almost 12 per cent of children under five had diarrhoea, in comparison to 29 per cent in 1987. The Ministry of Health had promoted the use of oral rehydration salts to mitigate the symptoms and after-effects of diarrhoeal diseases.
Despite a steady reduction, the child mortality level remained worrying, the delegation said; some 37 children out of every 1,000 died before their first birthday over the period 1992-1997, and 46 in every one thousand did not live to be five. The high mortality rate was attributed to the economic and socio-cultural factors.
The Government had been encouraging mothers to breast-feed their children as a way to fight diseases, including diarrhoea, the delegation said. In the urban areas, 45 per cent of mothers ceased breast-feeding after the second month while in the rural areas only 20 per cent did the same.
Besides upgrading its educational quality, the Government of Morocco had opened opportunities for graduates to create their own enterprises without waiting for Government employment, the delegation said. The Government had created an infrastructure to attract investors and young entrepreneurs to engage themselves in self support establishments.
On the cultural aspect, the Government's priorities were to integrate Morocco's cultural heritage into the economic and social life of its population, and to enhance diversity and promote efficient cultural institutions, the delegation said. The Ministry of Culture strived to ensure that all citizens enjoyed the full exercise of their cultural rights, in accordance with the provisions of the Covenant. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was assisting Morocco to develop and revitalize the traditional knowledge of its population.
* *** *