National Human Rights Council takes part at World Social Forum in Brazil
A delegation of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) takes part in the World Social Forum (WSF), in Salvador - Bahia, from the 13th to the 17th of March 2018. The WSF returns this year to Brazil, after being held in Porto Alegre (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005), then India, Kenya, Senegal, Tunisia, and Canada, last year.
The main purpose of the forum, the Brazilian Committee said in an Open Letter, dated August 18 2017, launched in São Paulo, is “to think of common solutions for humanity, in a solidarity, democratic perspective, respect for diversity, to face the causes of various forms of violence, social and regional inequalities.”
19 thematic axes will be discussed at the WSF2018, including communication, technology and free media; democracies; economy’s democratization; development and social justice; feminism and women’s fight; migrations; world of work; racism, intolerance and xenophobia; peace and solidarity; etc.
On the sidelines of the WSF2018, the CNDH holds on March 12, 2018, a one-day workshop focusing on the World Human Rights Forum – WHRF, which started in Brazil in 2013 and moved to Morocco (Marrakech, November 2014). The workshop is organized in partnership with three Brazilian institutions (national council for human rights, national council of psychology and national health council)
The four partners will pitch a large human rights tent for their activities during the WSF, from the 14th to the 17th. They will particularly focus on issues related to migration, transitional justice and human rights education. The National Human Rights Council’s reports, opinions and memoranda will be available for the visitors and participants of the forum.
On the sidelines of the social forum, the Secretariat of the World Human Rights Forum and the CNDH will also hold several meetings with their partners in Latin America to exchange on the organization of the 3rd WHRF.
CNDH takes part in the 31st Annual Meeting of the GANHRI in Geneva
The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) will participate in the 31st Annual Meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) which will be held from 21 to 23 February 2018 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on the sidelines of the 37th session of the Human Rights Council (26 February to 23 March 2018). The CNDH delegation will be led by Mr. Driss El Yazami, President of the CNDH.
This year, this event will schedule four key moments: GANHRI Bureau meeting, meetings of regional groups of national human rights institutions (NHRIs), exchange of knowledge between NHRIs, the General Assembly and the Annual Conference.
Mr. Driss El Yazami will take part in the GANHRI General Assembly on 22 February and will present the International Tri-annual Conference to be held from 10 to 12 October 2018 in Marrakech, Morocco. He will also participate in the side-event which will be organized on 23 February 2018 by the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) and the GANHRI. At this event, Mr. El Yazami will give an overview of the new CNDH law and the complementarity between the NHRI and the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (NPM).
Within the same context, the CNDH will participate in the GANHRI annual conference and meeting of the Committee for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on the “Rights of persons with disabilities and the role of NHRIs” which will be held on 23 February 2018. The purpose of this meeting is to highlight the role of NHRIs in promoting and monitoring the conformity of national legislations with international human rights standards.
And as part of the GANHRI’s ‘knowledge exchange’ initiative which was created two years ago, the CNDH will exchange its experiences and best practices on the rights of older persons.
Earlier, on 21 February 2018, the CNDH will participate in the General Assembly of the Network of African National Human rights Institutions (NANHRI) which will be devoted to reviewing the annual plan of action for 2018. The members of the NANHRI will also examine ways to reinforce collaboration between the NANHRI, the African Union Commission and the African Union human rights bodies.
The CNDH, whose president is the vice president of the Francophone Association of NHRIs, known in French as Association francophone des commissions nationales des droits de l’Homme (AFCNDH), will also participate, on the same day, in the Board of Directors meeting of the AFCNDH, which will be devoted to follow up the implementation of the 2018 plan of action.
In another context, the CNDH will speak at the conference on “the impacts of the American president statement on the status of Jerusalem city and the human rights situation in Palestine”, which will be held on 21 February by the Arab Network for NHRIs.
The GANHRI (former International Coordinating committee of NHRIs (ICC)) is the association of NHRIs that brings together more than 100 NHRIs worldwide. Created in 1993, the GANHRI supports and strengthens capacities of NHRIs and accredits them in accordance with the Paris Principles.
MORE THAN 60 EVENTS AND 200 NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS AT THE CNDH PAVILION CELEBRATING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UDHR
For the seventh consecutive year, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) took part this year in the 24th edition of the International Publishing and Book Fair, known in French as Salon International de l’Edition et du Livre (SIEL) which ended this Sunday 18 February 2018, in Casablanca.
This year, the CNDH chose the theme “Together for Human Rights” to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights (UDHR). The CNDH pavilion hosted more than 25,000 visitors in a place where different articles of the UDHR, the founding international law text of 1948, were revived.
Covering more than 340 m², the CNDH pavilion scheduled a rich and diverse program which was developed with several partners (NGOs, universities, government, private sector…)
From 9 to 18 February, around 60 events and more than 200 national and international stakeholders from several countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Gambia, Belgium, Egypt, United States, France, Switzerland and Nigeria) participated in five scheduled sections: “My Declaration”, “New human rights territories”, “Tribute”, “An article, a region”, and “the book of the day”.
The section “My Declaration” gave the floor to personalities (such as Mesdames Amina Lemrini El Ouahabi, Souhayr Belhassan, Fatima Layachi, Bochra Bel Haj Hmida, Nadia Salah, and Messrs Ali Benmakhlouf, Mohamed-Sghir Janjar, Mustapha Ramid, Michel Forst) to freely comment on an article of the UDHR of her/his choice or to make her/his own reading of the whole Declaration.
During this event, the thirteen Regional Human Rights Commissions (CRDHs) invited their civil society partners from their respective regions to participate in ”An Article, a Region” section. Each CRDH illustrated one of the UDHR articles through live testimonies on concrete actions related to the subjects treated in the chosen article (equality, the right to culture, the right to health, the right to education…).
The section “New human rights territories” shed the light on new rights which are not explicitly stated in the UDHR. These rights are imposed today on the international community as new rights to be consecrated. This section was an opportunity to host Ministers Charafat Afailal and Nezha El Ouafi to tackle issues such as the right to water and environmental rights. The issue of the rights of older persons, new technologies, bioethics, business and human rights, sexual and reproductive health were also raised in this section.
One of the highlights of the CNDH’s program was, undeniably, the tribute paid to personalities and associations in recognition of their achievements in the promotion and protection of human rights. Tribute was paid to Mohamed Chafik, Najat Mjid, Najat Ikhich, Hanny Megally, Mahjoub El Haiba, Mohamed Sektaoui, Albert Sasson, “L'Boulvard” and the Association “Hanane”.
“The book of the day” section was devoted to invite writers and present their recent books, particularly L'idée de Constitution au Maroc: documents et textes by Mr. Mohamed Nabil Mouline, Sexualité et célibat au Maroc, pratique et verbalisation by Mrs. Sanaa El Aji, Dames de fraises, doigts de fée, les invisibles de la migration saisonnière marocaine en Espagne by Mrs. Chadia Arab, La parole et l’action by Mr. Henri Leclerc, Un jihad de l’amour by Mr. Mohamed El Bachiri and Abdelaziz Bennani, l’éclaireur, etc.
All the events of the CNDH were broadcasted through live streaming on Facebook and followed up by printed, audio-visual media and social networks (around 400,000 views and interactions to date, and videos that exceeded 30,000 minutes of duration).
As every year, the CNDH pavilion was equipped with accessibilities for persons with disabilities and all debates were translated into sign language and simultaneous interpretation in Arabic and French.
24th International Publishing and Book Fair: CNDH celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) will participate, for the seventh consecutive year, in the International Publishing and Book Fair, known in French as Salon International de l’Edition et du Livre (SIEL), to be held from 8 to 18 February 2018 in Casablanca. The Council will dedicate its exhibition this year to the celebration of the 70thanniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The celebration of the UDHR, which is the foundation of the international human rights law, was launched on the Human Rights Day on 10 December 2017. This anniversary is celebrated all over the world throughout the year 2018. Thus, thousands of events will be organized by governments, NGOs, UN mechanisms and agencies, etc.
As part of this event, the CNDH will devote all its activities to commemorate this event under the theme “Together for Human Rights”.
The CNDH aims to promote the universal values of equality, justice, human dignity and the fight against discrimination provided for by the UDHR. These principles are as relevant today as they were adopted in 1948. Hence, it is a necessity and a common responsibility to defend and promote those principles.
This event is an opportunity to explore new rights, which are not explicitly stated in the UDHR, but they are imposed on the international community nowadays, such as the rights of the elderly, the right to water, as well as business and human rights. It is also an opportunity to address unprecedented challenges of new technologies, bioethics, etc.
The CNDH’s pavilion will schedule five sections: “My Statement”; “New human rights territories”; “Tribute”; “An Article, a Region”; and “The book of the day”.
The first section “My statement” will give the floor to personalities (such as Mesdames Amina Lemrini El Ouahabi, Souhayr Belhassan, Fatima Layachi, Bochra Bel Haj Hmida, Nadia Salah, and Messrs Ali Benmakhlouf, Abdelkader Chaoui, Mohamed-Sghir Janjar, Mustapha Ramid, Michel Forst) to freely comment on an article of the UDHR of her/his choice or to make her/his own reading of the whole Declaration.
The second section “New human rights territories” will shed light on the emerging themes of human rights. It will include the participation of Ministers Mrs. Charafat Afailal on the right to water, and Mrs. Nezha El Ouafi on the environmental rights. This section will also be an opportunity to discuss sexual and reproductive health, sport, personal liberties, culture, etc.
In recognition of the achievements of human rights pioneers in Morocco or in the world, the CNDH will pay tribute to Mr. Mohamed Chafik, former rector of the Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture (IRCAM), Najat Mjid, Hany Megally, Mahjoub El Haiba, Albert Sasson, L’Boulvard, etc.
At “The book of the day” section, the CNDH will invite writers and present their recent books, particularly L'idée de Constitution au Maroc: documents et textes by Mr. Mohamed Nabil Mouline, Les fourmis prédatrices, ou l’itinéraire d'un expulsé d'Algérie by Mrs. Fatiha Saidi and Mr. Mohamed Moulay, Dames de fraises, doigts de fée, les invisibles de la migration saisonnière marocaine en Espagne by Mrs. Chadia Arab, La parole et l’action by Mr. Henri Leclerc, Sexualité et célibat au Maroc, pratique et verbalisation by Mrs. Sanaa El Aji, and Un jihad de l’amour by Mr. Mohamed El Bachiri, etc.
The thirteen Regional Human Rights Commissions (CRDHs) will invite their civil society partners from their respective regions to participate in ”An Article, a Region” section. Each CRDH will illustrate one of the UDHR articles through live testimonials on concrete actions related to the chosen article.
Finally, on the side-line of this campaign, three round tables including two are scheduled at breakfast time. Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mr. Hatem Essaiem, Commissioner to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and Mr. Mabassa Fall, member of the Steering Committee of the NGO forum to the ACHPR will speak on international criminal justice and the African Human Rights System. The third round table will be devoted to the Center for Saharan Studies.
Covering 340 m², the CNDH pavilion, at the 24th International Publishing and Book Fair- Casablanca, will host more than 50 events and around 200 speakers from Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Mali, Belgium, Egypt, the United States, France, Switzerland and Nigeria.
CNDH hands archives of Morocco’s truth Commission over to national archives institution
In commemoration of the (international) Human Rights Day (Dec. 10th), the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) will hand the archives of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission over to Archives of Morocco, at an official ceremony on Saturday, December, 9th 2017 in the capital city Rabat.
Morocco’s transitional justice archives, of both the Independent Arbitration Commission ((1999-2003) and the Equity and Reconciliation Commission (2004-2006) have a high symbolic, legal and historical value. Fully aware of this fact, the CNDH launched in February 2017 a project to reorganize and archive all transitional justice documents and files, starting with the arbitration commission’s and later the archives of the truth commission.
The archives of the Independent Arbitration Commission were handed over to Archives of Morocco in July 2017. Now it’s time to implement the second phase of the project that concerns the Equity and Reconciliation Commission’s archives.
Indeed, on December, 9th, 2017, the CNDH will hand 17362 files, in 1239 archival and storage boxes, over to Archives of Morocco. The total number of files handed over by the CNDH will increase then to 22050 files archived in 1480 special boxes.
These documents will be made available for historians and researchers in human sciences to deepen the historical analysis of the human rights evolution in Morocco. They can also help identify lessons and best practices to strengthen democracy and promote the rule of law in Morocco.
An international conference on archives and human rights will also be held on the occasion. The gathering brings together experts in archives, history, transitional justice and human rights, from Morocco, France, Senegal, Cameroon, Brazil and Rwanda.
Exchanging experiences and sharing best practices among archives experts, professionals, researchers and human rights defenders is the main purpose of this international event. The participants will also discuss best ways to collect, process, preserve archives. The gathering will be an opportunity also to tackle and analyse, with a comparative approach, the essential role of archives in the transitional justice experiences and in the protection of human rights.
The conference will be chaired by CNDH President Mr. Driss El Yazami and Mr. Jamaa Baida, Director of Archives of Morocco. The agenda of the event has two main sessions: “Archives, human rights and transitional justice” and “Archives, history and ways of preservation”.
Media contact:
CNDH: Abdelghani Berdi +212 6 62 76 23 25 / a.berdi@cndh.org.ma
Archives of Morocco: +212 662450274
Tribute in Rabat to human rights defender Abdelaziz Bennani, former member of Morocco’s truth commission and first president of EuroMed Rights…
Moroccan and international senior officials, activists, journalists and human rights defenders will gather in Rabat on 9th of December 2017 to pay tribute to Mr. Abdelaziz Bennani, a renowned human rights figure, at the national and international levels. The ceremony is held by the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), within the framework of its multi-activity plan to celebrate the Human Rights Day (10thDecember).
Mr. Bennani is a former member of Morocco’s truth and reconciliation commission and a founding member and former president (1992-2000) of the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH) that was established in 1988.
Mr. Bennani is a lawyer, member of the Casablanca Bar of Lawyers, since March 1965. He was active in several coalitions defending prisoners of opinion in the sixties and the seventies. He also served as an administrator of the Arab Institute for Human Rights and vice-president of the International Federation of Human Right Leagues (FIDH).
A collective book will be published by the CNDH on this occasion with contributions from Mr. Bennani’s friends and companions.
Indeed, the book includes testimonies of current and former ministers, current ambassadors, and members of Morocco’s truth commission, journalists, lawyers, well-known Moroccan and international human rights defenders, etc.
Also in the book, there are testimonies from colleagues who helped create, along with Mr. Bennani, the Euro-Mediterranean Network of Human Rights (EuroMed Rights now) in 1997 (Mrs. Eva Norström -Sweden and Mr. Baheyedine Hassan -Egypt), in addition to papers from Mr. Michel Tubiana (France) and Mr. Marc Schade-Poulsen (Denmark), president and director of EuroMed Rights, respectively.
Mr. Bennani chaired the Euro-Mediterranean Network of Human Rights until 2003.
First meeting on the second operation for the regularization of foreigners in irregular administrative situations
Following the second operation to regularize undocumented foreigners, the National Appeal Committee held its first meeting on November 22nd 2017 at the headquarters of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) in Rabat, Morocco.
Mr. Driss El Yazami President of the Committee and CNDH Chairman, Mr. Abdelkrim Benatiq, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in charge of Moroccans living abroad and Migration Affairs, Mr. Khalid Zerouali, Wali, Director of Migration and Border Surveillance for Morocco at the Ministry of Interior participated to this meeting jointly with members of the Committee representing different ministerial department and civil society.
At this meeting, the committee examined the conduct of the second regularization operation launched on December 14th 2016 by His Majesty King Mohammed VI. This operation has so far collected 25,690 requests from 70 prefectures and provinces, of which 58.32% were issued by men, 32.95% by women and 8.73% by minors. Based on these data and the comments elaborated on the conduct of this operation, the Committee deliberated on the general criteria that should be taken into consideration when examining the individual appeals. This deliberation aimed to extend the number of people regularized in term of the operation.
Following this meeting, the Committee decided to:
- Establish a technical committee to examine the remaining files rejected at first instance;
- Speed up the process of the adoption of the law related to asylum;
- Accelerate the reform of the law 02-03 on the entry and the residency of foreigners in the Kingdom of Morocco, illegal emigration and immigration.
Those decisions are part of the new migration policy launched in September 2013. This new policy enabled, particularly, the opening of the Moroccan Office for asylum seekers and stateless persons. Also, as a result of this new policy, the publication of circulars in October 2013 and January 2014 authorized migrant children to study in public schools (formal and non-formal education) and allowed the drafting of bills relating to asylum, migration and people trafficking.
More than 23090 people benefited from the first exceptional campaign to document irregular migrants in 2014. Chaired by the CNDH, the mission of the National Appeal Committee is to review the conformity of the files submitted to the provincial commissions of regularization with the Constitution and the international human rights law or humanitarian criteria.
CNDH report on Gdeim Izik trail observation
The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) will hold a press conference to present its report on Gdeim Izik trial observation on 2 November 2017 at 9h30 at its headquarters in Rabat, Morocco.
The CNDH had entrusted team of seven senior officers to monitor the different stages of this trail where 23 defendants were prosecuted. The defendants were arrested following the death of 11 law enforcement officers at the events of dismantling the Gdeim Izik camp (a site close to Laayoune city) on 8 November 2010.
To be noted that the CNDH has already published a preliminary report on the conduct of the trial before the military court. Later on, the decisions rendered by this court were revoked and the case was brought before the Court of Appeal, following of the promulgation of a new law on military justice stipulating that the military court is no longer competent to prosecute civilians.
CNDH’s observing team monitored different hearings of the trial as of December 2016 to 19 July 2017, when the judgement was pronounced. The CNDH report aims to determine whether the case has met the conditions of a fair trial, as provided for by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Media contact: Abdelghani Berdi +2126 62 76 23 25 / a.berdi@cndh.org.ma
Study day on the implementation of CNDH report recommendations on “Crisis in Prisons, A Shared Responsibility”
As a part of the commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the report of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) on the situation of prisons in Morocco entitled “Crisis in prisons: a shared responsibility: 100 recommendations for protecting the rights of prisoners”, the CNDH organized, in partnership with the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR), a study day on the implementation of the recommendation of this report. This Study day will be held on 31 October 2017 at the CNDH’s National Institute for Human Rights Training Driss Benzekri in Rabat, Morocco.
This event will provide an opportunity to assess the implementation of the recommendation of the report. Participants will discuss the following subjects:
- Moroccan prisons, five years following the report of the CNDH;
- Legislative and regulatory framework: constant and changing provisions;
- Fundamental rights of prisoners: achievements and constraints;
- Support of civil society.
Representatives of State departments concerned with these recommendations including the Prime Minister Office, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Heath, Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Office of Public Prosecutor, etc. will participate in this event.
Mr. Driss El Yazami, CNDH’s Chairperson, and Mr. Mohamed Saleh Tamek, General delegate of the Prison Administration and Reintegration, will open of this event starting at 9 am.
To be noted that the report of the CNDH on the situation of prisons issued in October 2012, contains about 100 recommendations, addressed to various government department, legislative authority and civil society. This report analyses thoroughly the situation of prisons in Morocco in light of the legislative and regulatory framework and the daily management. This report was developed in line with a human rights approach following visits to 15 sampled prisons throughout Morocco, based on a scientific methodology. The team that visited those prisons was composed of medico-legal experts, psychologists, legal experts, sociologists, etc.
Media contact: Abdelghani Berdi +2126 62 76 23 25 / a.berdi@cndh.org.ma
Oujda-Figuig: Regional consultative meeting with children
The Regional Human Rights Commission in Oujda- Figuig (CRDH) will organize a regional consultation with children in the East region of Morocco on Saturday 28 October 2017 at the headquarters of the CRDH in Oujda. This meeting is part of a partnership agreement between the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and the UNICEF.
This consultation meeting is organized in cooperation with the Regional Academy of Education and Training, the Regional Delegates of the Entreaide national “National Mutual Aid”, the Regional Youth and Sports Delegates and the Child Protection Center in Oujda.
The purpose of this meeting is to explore and gather views and suggestions of children regarding the contribution of the CNDH to protecting the rights of the child. It aims as well to reinforce the participation of children in decisions-making that concern them.
Children from formal and informal education, students from public and private schools, foreign children, children with disabilities, children under probation system, children from the social welfare centers, etc. will participate in this consultative meeting.
Media contact: Abdelghani Berdi +2126 62 76 23 25 / a.berdi@cndh.org.ma