SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS TO VISIT MOROCCO FROM 19 TO 31 OCTOBER 2003

Gabriela Rodriguez Pizarro, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the human rights of migrants, will visit Morocco from 19 to 31 October 2003 at the invitation of the Government. During her trip, she will visit Rabat, Casablanca, Khouribga, Tangiers, Tetoua, Oujda and Nador.

In Rabat, the Special Rapporteur will meet with the Minister of Human Rights, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in charge of Moroccans living abroad, the Minister of Employment and Social Affairs, the Director of Consular and Social Affairs, as well as the President of the Advisory Council for Human Rights and the President of the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans living abroad. She will also have meetings with representatives of non-governmental organizations and academic institutions.

During the other legs of her trip, Ms. Pizarro will meet with representatives of local authorities and will visit centres for migrants. She will also meet with groups of migrants.

At the end of her visit, the Special Rapporteur will prepare a report which will be submitted to the next session of the Commission on Human Rights in March-April 2004.

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur includes examining ways to overcome difficulties concerning migrants which violate the effective protection of the rights of migrants, especially difficulties affecting the return of migrants without papers and those in irregular situations. The Commission on Human Rights established the mandate of the Special Rapporteur in 1999.

More information on the activities of the Special Rapporteur and her previous visits and reports can be found at www.ohchr.org (index - migrants - Special Rapporteur).