CNDH launches “taabiratraqmya.ma", an interactive platform on online freedom of opinion and expression
Following its Bureau’s decision on May 6, 2020, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) launched, on May 14, 2020, an interactive platform on the right to freedom of opinion and expression in the digital space: www.taabiratraqmya.ma (digital expressions in Arabic).
This platform aims to interact with specialists, various stakeholders, and the general public on this right and its restrictions, as enshrined in international human rights law protecting freedom of opinion and expression. This includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
“The idea behind the platform takes into account the fundamental and central role of freedom of opinion and expression and its importance in a democratic society, CNDH Chairperson Ms. Amina Bouayach said. “The right to freedom of expression is a fundamental right in itself. It’s also essential to the enjoyment of other rights and freedoms. That’s why freedom of expression is considered as a cornerstone in any society where freedom and democracy prevail”, she added.
Through this platform, the CNDH aspires to contribute to the public debate related to the challenges of the new forms and ways of freedom of opinion and expression and to the collective insight on the ethics of using digital technologies and social media as tools to exercise freedoms. This initiative also aspires to learn from experiences and best practices to draw national ethics to use digital space in the public arena.
The platform is launched in line with CNDH’s prerogatives and its thorough mandate, defined by its founding law # 76-15 and the Paris Principles. It’s a follow up on the general conclusion of its 2019 annual human rights report, which considered that extending freedoms in public space is the greatest challenge facing our emerging democratic institutions, mainly freedom of expression, in general, and online freedom of expression in particular. The platform is launched in implementation of specific recommendation of the report: opening a public debate on this topic, bringing together all stakeholders and taking into account the related evolutions, particularly in the digital and social media platforms, to promote and protect the right to freedom of opinion and expression, but also protect and promote individuals’ right to privacy.
“1990-2020: An Ongoing Process for the Effectiveness of Rights”: Thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the National Human Rights Institution in Morocco
On Friday, May 8, 2020, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) commemorates the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the National Human Rights Institution in Morocco.
This institution contributed distinguishably to the evolution of human rights in Morocco, in its legislative, institutional, legal and societal aspects, through the actions of the Advisory Human rights Council (1990-2011) and the CNDH (2011-2018), which was reorganized under the Law No. 76.15 in February 2018.
During a 30-year process, the CNDH was present at major milestones, playing its roles independently. The CNDH was bridging the State and society in issues related to human rights. It was a mechanism for the harmonization of national legislation with international human rights law in its universality and indivisibility.
“The establishment of the Council optimized the conditions to integrate the Kingdom of Morocco, willingly and voluntarily, into the human rights system. It enhanced the unprecedented interaction between the State's will and the democratic and human rights movement to draw attention to human rights issues harming Moroccan society”, said the CNDH Chairperson on this occasion.
She also added that “the outcome of this interaction is shaped in changes witnessed in Morocco in recent decades. It includes the release of political prisoners and the return of exiles in mid-nineties, developing transitional justice in Morocco through the establishment of the Instance of Equity and Reconciliation (IER) at the beginning of the millennium, and the major institutional, legislative and constitutional reforms in Morocco”.
This process was distinguished by several major turning points during these three decades. The most prominent are: the stage of the institutional consolidation, the establishment of the foundations of democracy and the rule of law, the reconciliation with the past, the constitutionalization of human rights, strengthening the regional dimension of human rights actions, and promoting education on citizenship and human rights.
In light of the increasing claims for democracy and human rights values, the CNDH has adopted, since 2019, an approach based on three pillars: the prevention from violations, the protection of human rights victims, and the promotion of human rights culture. Therefore, the CNDH is opening a new human rights horizon through the elaboration of a new vision that connects reflection, conservation, and human rights actions. This vision focuses on providing collective Moroccan responses to changes happening in the space of freedoms as part of the identity and cultural diversity in Morocco, and the protection of freedom of each individual.
The CNDH had planned a program of events throughout this year to commemorate this anniversary and make a collective reading of this human rights process with all actors and partners, under the slogan "1990-2020: An Ongoing Process For The Effectiveness Of Rights". It was officially launched at the participation of the CNDH in the 26th chapter of the International Publishing and Book Fair in Casablanca (6-16 February 2020), before the Council announced the postponement of its national and international events due to the circumstances related to health emergency.
CNDH: Permanent Committee on Parity concerned by violence against women
At the request of the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), the Permanent Committee on Parity, Non-Discrimination and New Generations of Human Rights held on Thursday, April 30, 2020, a meeting by videoconference to discuss the situation of women's rights as part of the current health emergency.
Moderated by the CNDH President, this meeting was an opportunity to present the first elements on monitoring violence against women. These elements were identified by the CNDH at the central level, through its Regional Commissions and in consultation with civil society and institutional stakeholders.
The Permanent Committee brought up formes of violence against women (physical, economic, psychological, verbal, sexual…) which are potentially amplified by the conditions of confinement, restriction of movement, and limitation of access to assistance, protection, or remedy. The CNDH Permanent Committee on Parity, Non-Discrimination and New Generations of Human Rights also shed lights on the situation of vulnerable categories, including single mothers, women in contingent or precarious employment.
The Permanent Committee welcomed the role played by civil society actors and their efforts to maintain their assistance to women victims of violence under confinement conditions. The Committee also called on public authorities to strengthen measures to support vulnerable groups and ensure access of women to protection services.
CNDH- UNFPA partnership agreement to eliminate child marriage and promote women's rights to sexual and reproductive health
Mrs. Amina Bouayach, President of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and Mr. Luis Mora, Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), signed a partnership agreement for the period 2020-2021 to promote the rights of women and girls, including the rights to sexual and reproductive health in Morocco.
CNDH Annual report on the situation of human rights in Morocco- 2019: “Effectiveness of human rights within an emerging model of freedoms”
The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) publishes its annual report for the year 2019 entitled "Effectiveness of human rights within an emerging model of freedoms”.
The CNDH is an independent constitutional institution mandated to protect, promote human rights and freedoms, ensure their full exercise, and to preserve the dignity of citizens, as individuals and groups. This mandate requires the CNDH to publish this report following Article 35 of its law and after being unanimously approved by its General Assembly held on 6, 7 and 8 March 2020.
This report focuses on the situation of human rights in Morocco. In its introduction, Mrs. Amina Bouayach, the CNDH Chairperson, stresses that the publication of this report is an opportunity for all actors to assess, with sufficient insight, the strong moments of human rights-related events in Morocco within a year.
In relation to the report’s title, the CNDH President adds that “The expansion of freedoms in the public space, which our citizens have been calling for, is the greatest challenge facing the institutions of our emerging democracy with no doubt. I am talking, here, about freedom of expression, which remains the question that should be answered by our society continuously”.
The CNDH report provides a set of reliable and verified information to the reader. It aims to enable him/her to shape his/her opinion on the progress made by Morocco in the field of human rights. It also intends to diagnose the causes behind obstacles, gaps, and failures.
This report seeks to conduct an objective assessment and a comprehensive analysis of the human rights situation in Morocco, in connection with the CNDH missions to protect and promote human rights. Thus, this report adopts an approach that takes into account the nature of the CNDH as an independent and pluralistic institution with a broadened mandate.
In addition to the general introduction, this report presents 7 main axes:
1 - Protection of human rights;
2 - Promotion of human rights culture;
3 - Relationship with the legislative institution;
4 - Human rights and media ;
5 - Cooperation and international relations;
6 - Follow-up of the implementation of the recommendations of the Moroccan Truth Commission (Known under its French acronym IER);
7 - National human rights mechanisms.
The Protection of human rights is of crucial importance in this report, given its priority in the CNDH strategy of action (which was approved by the CNDH General Assembly). Hence, this report also includes the outcome of the CNDH actions for the year 2019 as part of its mandate and missions.
The report also includes recommendations elaborated following the requirements of the Constitution and international human rights instruments. These recommandations aim at strengthening the national system for the protection of human rights. Their implementation is subject to the cooperation of all stakeholders, including government, parliament, judiciary, other relevant institutions and bodies, and civil society organizations.
Download the report (available in Arabic)
Videoconference on the role of NHRIs to counter (COVID-19)
The National Human Rights Council of Morocco (CNDH), in partnership with the Association francophone des Commissions nationales des droits de l’Homme (AFCNDH) “Francophone Association of National Human Rights Commissions”, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), organized, on April 14, 2020, at 2 p.m., a videoconference to share and exchange good practices on the role of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) to counter the COVID-19 health crisis.
As part of their mandate to promote and protect human rights, the 19 participating Francophone NHRIs, represented by 30 participants, exchanged their insights on their role and practices in promoting and protecting human rights in health crisis. They also discussed the challenges that NHRIs face under these exceptional circumstances.
On this occasion, the CNDH presented its actions relating to monitoring the situation in terms of rights and freedoms, complaints handling, raising awareness, advocacy, regional and international cooperation, and internal prevention measures.
In addition to the GANHRI, AFCNDH and NANHRI representatives, 19 French-speaking NHRIs took part in this videoconference, namely those from Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Congo Brazzaville, Cape Verde, Egypt, France, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, DRC, Rwanda, Togo and Tunisia.
It should be noted that the CNDH is the Vice-president of the AFCNDH, which is chaired by the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission.
African National Human Rights Institutions statement on the Covid-19 Pandemic
Alarmed by the rapid and exponential spread of the novel corona virus within the African continent, and upon proposal from Morocco's national human rights institution, the Network of African NHRIs published this statement on COVID 19 Pandemic, on April 4, 2020.
Press release following meeting of CNDH Bureau on Wednesday April 1st, 2020
The Bureau of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) held its ordinary periodic meeting, via video-conference, on Wednesday April 1st, 2020.
The Bureau exchanged on the measures taken by the Council to continue its human rights monitoring, protection and promotion tasks during the current health emergency, in line with national legislation and relevant international standards.
The members of the Bureau also exchanged on several points, namely:
- The particularities of the difficult situation Morocco and the world face, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which cannot be prevented, so far, except by raising citizens’ awareness to adopt and abide by barrier gestures and strict social distancing measures;
- The CNDH’s actions and its correspondence to and communications with public authorities, in fulfillment of its prerogatives and its proactive action mission;
- The measures the Council has taken to adopt and reorganize its work and action, including the action of its three national mechanisms and its permanent commissions.
The Bureau welcomes the measures taken by the State to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to support vulnerable groups and calls for expanding the measures to all vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, children, women, migrants, refugees and the elderly.
It announces that establishment of a specialized working group to monitor the situation of human rights situation national and regional levels and reaffirms that the CNDH will intensify contacts at the regional and international level with the networks of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and the UN and regional bodies to share best practices to counter the spread of the pandemic.
In the past few days, the CNDH has taken several initiatives to promote the preventive measures in Morocco’s two official languages (Arabic and Amazigh), sign language, French, Spanish, and English. The CNDH also used Wolof and Lingala to communicate with migrants and refugees residing in Morocco about health emergency response and measures.
Press release on precautionary measures taken by the CNDH's Administration to prevent the spread of the pandemic (20 March 2020)
Under the legal and regulatory provisions;
Considering the decision of the public authorities to declare a health emergency and restrict movement in the country from 6 p.m. on Friday 20 March 2020 to keep the Coronavirus under control;
Considering the force majeure represented by the danger of the spread of the new Coronavirus pandemic "Covid 19”;
And completing the precautionary measures taken previously,
The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) decides for members and staff:
- To continue working both: remotely and with unpaid mission orders for trips from home to the workplace, if best interests require. This last measure concerns: the CNDH Chairperson, the Secretary-General, the coordinators of national mechanisms, the presidents of regional human rights commissions (CRDHs), the directors at the headquarters, the chiefs of both Cabinets, the treasurer of the CNDH, the executive directors of CRDHs or their representatives, the head of the registration section, the head of the vehicle fleet, the social worker of the CNDH, the head of the information systems section.
- To reaffirm, until further notice, the cancellation of all its events and meetings, at the national, regional and local levels;
- To grant exceptional leave, from 24 March to 3 April 2020, for the rest of the CNDH staff;
- During this period of exceptional leave, staff are required to stay in their homes following measures taken by public authorities;
- Following the current legal and regulatory texts, the CNDH may ask any staff to be present at the workplace if necessary and for the continuity of public service;
- The CNDH makes the social worker phone available to its members and staff in emergencies related to the onset of symptoms.
- The CNDH continues to fulfill its missions related to receiving complaints and correspondence by phone and email.
- The CNDH also continues fulfilling its missions related to monitoring human rights situation in Morocco following the national legislation and relevant international covenants.
- The CNDH welcomes the contribution of its members and staff to the Special Solidarity Fund. It also reaffirms values of solidarity towards vulnerable categories and reiterates the need to take into consideration the directives related to banning gatherings and respecting hygiene, prevention and sanitary measures.
Coronavirus (COVID 19): Precautionary measures taken by the administration of the CNDH to prevent the spread of the epidemic
The exceptional situation facing humankind, including the Moroccan people, is calling us to raise the level of vigilance and prudence. Therefore, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) calls for:
The consecration of values of solidarity, compassion and benevolence towards vulnerable categories;
The respect of directives relating to the prohibition of gatherings and those linked to hygiene and prevention measures;
Combating disinformation and misleading information by public authorities, media, general public and citizens and choosing transparent communication to implement the right to access health information;
The CNDH also welcomes the efforts made by various actors to counter this epidemic, in particular the medical profession.
Besides, the CNDH announces the following decisions:
Cancellation, until further notice, of all its meetings, at national, regional and local levels;
Disinfection of the headquarters, the Regional Commissions and the Rabat Institute for human rights- Idriss Benzkri;
- Establishment of a phone number and e-mail for users:
- Telephone number: 00212 537 54 00 00
- Electronic messaging for correspondence and requests for information: cndh@cndh.org.ma
- Electronic messaging for complaints: chikaya@cndh.org.ma.
- Adoption of telework for 70% of CNDH employees. This measure does not concern:
- The CNDH Chairperson, the Secretary-General and the presidents of the Regional Commissions;
- Directors and directors of cabinets;
- Heads of Section, project managers and executive directors of the regional commissions (or their representatives);
- Secretariat of the presidency and the secretary-general;
- Permanence officers: Registry office, standard work, car fleet, IT, …
Rabat, on Monday 16 March 2020.