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2nd World Human Rights Forum: international issues and world human rights challenges

Morocco hosted from the 27 to the 30th of November 2014 the 2nd World Human Rights Forum (Marrakesh 2014). Thousands of people and human rights activists, gathered on Friday 27 Nov. for the opening ceremony of the Forum, inaugurated by a Royal Speech that highlighted the important human rights achievements and challenges in Morocco and the world and announced officially Morocco’s full adherence to the 2nd protocol to the international torture convention, paving the road for the soon to be established National Preventive Mechanism.

 

Morocco hosted from the 27 to the 30th of November 2014 the 2nd World Human Rights Forum (Marrakesh 2014). Thousands of people and human rights activists, gathered on Friday 27 Nov. for the opening ceremony of the Forum, inaugurated by a Royal Speech that highlighted the important human rights achievements and challenges in Morocco and the world and announced officially Morocco’s full adherence to the 2nd protocol to the international torture convention, paving the road for the soon to be established National Preventive Mechanism.

The Forum was an opportunity to bring attention to some urgent international human rights challenges. It urged States to double their efforts to promote and protect human rights and to respect their international commitments. It tackled different issues like the rule of law, the rights of individuals and communities, equality between men and women, violence against women across the globe, growth of extremism and hatred in the world, transparency and good governance and how can they strengthen the values of democracy, the universality of human rights, etc.

Women's rights, environmental rights, the rights of the child, freedom of speech, religious traditions and human rights, the internet, the MDGs, the abolition of the death penalty, the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or to change one’s religion, business & human rights, and other related human rights issues, were openly debated by experts, professionals, academicians, civil society, private or public stakeholders, students… from all walks of life.

This major international meeting shed light on recent national, regional and international developments concerning torture, war crimes and grave human rights violations, impunity and accountability at the international level, the protection of journalists especially in areas of armed conflicts and hotbeds of tension... For the participants, the Forum was an important international platform that can contribute to addressing these issues and the new human rights challenges and concerns. It was also an opportunity for stakeholders from all over the world, including representatives of states, human rights defenders, different civil society actors, etc., to dialogue, debate and exchange experiences and best practices in the area.

Speaking at the closing session of this global event, Ms. Navy Pilay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, commended this “magnificent Forum”. “As an African black woman spending a lifetime advocating for human rights, I take particular pride in this world forum… which started in Brazil, has been now given life in Morocco and will be developed further in Argentine.” These are three developing countries from the south contributing to human rights in the world. For the former world’s top human rights official, “this shows that human rights are not the product of any particular group, culture or civilization but a genuine common heritage of humanity”. She also welcomed the strong involvement of civil society in the forum and the mobilization of students young volunteers in its organization, expressing hope to see representatives of the youth on the podium in the 3rd World Human Rights forum that will be held in Argentina.  

For his part, Mr. Driss El Yazami, CNDH Chairman, said that after four days of fruitful debate and discussions, the human rights actors go back to their daily struggle for freedom and dignity for all our fellow human beings. “We will continue, we will not give up our dreams, our values or our beliefs.” “We will persevere, peacefully united and diverse, tolerant to our differences, ready, permanently listening to each other, dreaming of this utopia of a fraternal and united humanity, universality both firm and open” he concluded.

WHRF in figures

More than 7000 participants from over 100 countries, 300 national and international partners, over 155 activities: 50 thematic forums (12 on women’s rights), 41 self-organized activities, 18 internal activities, 15 specific events, 11 workshops, 6 exhibits, a web TV, a radio channel; celebrating the universality of human rights. 

People who could not attend these activities in person had the chance to follow the discussions mainly through the Forum’s website, Web TV and radio channel. All in all, some 30 million hits were recorded by Sunday, Nov. 30, on the different communication tools administered by the Forum.

Everyone had the chance at the 2nd World Human Rights Forum to freely express his/her views. The Forum was an opportunity to exchange, to debate, to learn from different best practices, to criticize, to protest, to agree, to disagree…

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