MOROCCO PRESENTS REPORTS TO COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

CERD
62nd session
3 March 2003
Afternoon




The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination began review this afternoon of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth periodic reports of Morocco, among other things praising the Government for efforts to modernize legislation and educate society on matters related to eradicating discrimination.
Introducing his country's reports, Omar Hilale, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that the defense of human rights was one of Morocco's national priorities and that the country was profoundly attached to democratic principles and dedicated to strengthening fundamental liberties. He added that the Head of State, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, on many occasions had reaffirmed Morocco's commitment to the defense and promotion of human rights.
Committee Experts, including the group's country rapporteur for the reports of Morocco, raised a series of questions dealing with the Amazigh culture; access to Moroccan nationality; the status of children born of Moroccan and foreign parents; the situations of Jewish, black, Berber and other ethnic groups; and the ethnic composition of the population.
Taking part in the debate were Committee Experts Kurt Herndl, Tang Chengyuan, Patrick Thornberry, Mohamed Aly Thiam, Alexandre Sicilianos, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, Jose A. Lindgren Alves, Mario Jorge Yutsis; Marc Bossuyt, and Agha Shahi.
As one of 167 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Morocco must present periodic reports to the Committee on efforts to eradicate such bias.
Before adjourning its afternoon meeting, Committee Chairperson Ion Diaconu briefed the group on various visits made by the some its members. They had undertaken missions, among other things, to Switzerland and China (including Hong Kong). Mr. Diaconu also said he had received letters from Israel complaining about a film portraying Jews in Egypt under the title "A Horseman Without a Horse", and about a demonstration in South Africa in support of the Palestinian people. The Chairman said he had responded, indicating that Israel might use the Convention's provision on State-to-State complaints.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 4 March, it will hear the response of the Morocco delegation to the Committee's questions before concluding its review of the country's reports.

Reports of Morocco
The fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth periodic reports of Morocco (document CERD/C/430/Add.1) describe progress in the field of human rights and particular in the fight against racial discrimination. The reports emphasize that Morocco has an Arabic- and Berber-speaking population united in a shared Muslim faith and national identity that transcend all other considerations.
The report contends that racial discrimination does not exist in Morocco, but the Government nonetheless has been supervising, and will continue to supervise, the incorporation of specific legal provisions prohibiting and punishing racial discrimination. These efforts are being carried out as part of the Government's reforms of domestic legislation. There is an increased awareness of the importance of respecting human rights, and Morocco had a policy of incorporate human rights into general education and the training of certain officials working in the executive and judicial branches, the report states.
Morocco's Constitution and laws offer remedies to anyone who considers that his fundamental rights have been violated by an act of discrimination, the report notes. Access to the Kingdom's courts is open to all Moroccans and foreigners under the same conditions. The Government had created a Consultative Council on Human Rights and a Diwan Al Madhalim (Grievances Board) dedicated to the protection of citizen's rights and dignity. These bodies are components of a structure set up at the urging of the Head of the State to provide Morocco with fail-safe mechanisms capable of protecting citizens against any encroachment, from any source, on their legitimate rights.

Introduction of Reports
OMAR HILALE, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the reports reflected the Government's commitment to having a sincere, fruitful and constructive dialogue with the Committee. There also were witness to the country's respect for its obligations arising from international treaties dealing with human rights.
The defense of human rights was one of Morocco's national priorities, and the Government was profoundly attached to democratic principles and committed to strengthening human rights and fundamental liberties, Mr. Hilale said. The Head of State, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, on many occasions had reaffirmed the irrevocability of Morocco's commitment to the defence and promotion of human rights. That choice had been effected by the adoption of concrete and tangible measures, and by the setting up of new institutions. Morocco's commitment to consolidating the democratic process and the rule of law had been furthered by the organization of free legislative elections. The elections had been held in a transparent and honest manner so that the legislative body had credibility and respect.
Mr. Hilale said that following the elections, the new Government had committed itself to continuing to strengthen the rule of law and to consolidating a culture of respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all citizens. The new Prime Minister had reaffirmed his determination to pursue the path of a democratic society, open to the world but deep-rooted in its respect for the Moroccan Arabo-Muslim identity, as well as Morocco's secular cultures.
Mr. Hilale said Morocco had continued its modernization of the judiciary system. The independence, integrity and efficiency of the justice system would reinforce the supremacy of the rule of law, and would assure confidence in the security of persons and goods. In his opening statement for the judiciary year of 2003, the Head of State had reaffirmed that Moroccan society was resolutely turned towards democracy and development. Since the 1990s, the Morocco had not ceased to defend and promote human rights, and it was understood that human rights were an essential factor in the country's socio-economic and cultural development. The Government also had taken undertaken a series of constitutional and other legislative reforms to entrench the culture of human rights.
Within the context of the implementation of the national plan for a democratic society and for modernization, His Majesty King Mohammed VI had put in place on 17 October 2001 the Royal Institute for the Amazigh Culture, which reflected the cultural diversity and richness of the country, the Ambassador said. Upon the recommendations of the Institute, the "Tifinagh" character was adopted for the writing of the Amazigh language.
Mr. Hilale said the country's Consultative Council on Human Rights had been restructured some 13 years after its creation, a concrete sign of the country's commitment to pursuing the promotion and protection of human rights, including fundamental freedoms. New members to the Council had been named by the King in December 2002. The Council was required to produce an annual report on the human rights situation, to furnish an annual account of its activities, to set targets for the following years and to offer an opinion on the annual report produced by the Diwan Al Madhalim. The Office of the Ombudsman -- Diwan Al Madhalim -- had been created on 9 November 2002 and had the capacity to receive complaints of violations of human rights.

Discussion
NOURREDINE AMIR, Committee Expert who served as country rapporteur for the reports of Morocco, said Morocco had been discharging its international human rights obligations on a regular basis. Its reports submitted and its dialogue with the Committee were also regular and dependable.
Mr. Amir asked for concrete results of activities of the Consultative Council on Human Rights since it was created, and asked about the practical implementation of the provisions of the Convention in the country. He also asked, among other things, how the newly ratified conventions on the elimination of racial discrimination concerning women and children had been implemented; how far the implementation of the Convention against Torture had been carried out since it entered into force; about Constitutional guarantees with regard to foreigners and the right to the freedom of movement; about whether or not there were social indicators to identify the most vulnerable groups in society; and about the implementation of the country's code on prisoners.
Other members of the Committee also raised questions. They asked, among other things, about an apparent lack of data on the ethnic composition of the population; about the absence of socio-economic indicators; about the number of complaints received by the Consultative Council; about public awareness on the issue of racial discrimination; about the free expression of the Amazigh culture and the initial results obtained following the creation of the Royal Institute for the Amazigh Culture; about the lack of official recognition of the Amazigh language in schools; about a prohibition of first names of Amazigh origin; about access to Moroccan nationality for foreigners living in the country; about the timetable for the revision of legislation; about the status of children born of a Moroccan and a foreign parent; about the status of freedom of expression and religion; about a reported resurgence of anti-Semitic sentiments due to a rise in Islamic extremism; and about the contribution of civil society to the fight against racial discrimination.



* *** *