NATIONAL PLAN ON DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS: A MECHANISM TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS AND COORDINATES RELATED PROJECTS

The (Moroccan) National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Human Rights organized a round table on the National Plan on Democracy and Human Rights, on December 10, 2011, to celebrate the 63rd international human rights day.

Opening this gathering, Mr. Mohammed Essabbar, CNDH Secretary General, indicated that the National Plan on Democracy and Human Rights is in line with the international commitments of Morocco (ratification of international human rights conventions, recommendations and conclusions of the 1993 Vienna human rights conference, Millennium Development Goals, nomination to the UN Human Rights Council, etc.). It embodied a formal commitment that confirms the political will to fulfill the country’s obligations and adopt sustainable mechanisms to strengthen the foundations of the rule of law and further reforms and democratization, he added. It’s therefore an integral part of the reform and democratic-building process Morocco started more than two decades ago.

Ministerial human rights delegate Mr. Mahjoub El Hiba gave a detailed presentation on the preparation process of the plan and its general context, structure, strategic areas and the functions and work mechanisms of its steering committee. He said that the provisions of the new Moroccan Constitution include several objectives of the plan. Some objectives were implemented through the creation of the National Human Rights Council, with a broader mandate and reinforced independence and pluralism, the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Human Rights, the Mediator, etc. The plan was revised and updated in light with the current reforms and the provisions of the constitution before resubmission to the government for ratification.

Morocco engaged, for five years now, in strategic planning in the field of human rights, both with regard to some legal issues or some group rights, through the preparation and adoption of relevant plans of action. In this regard, the Citizenship Platform to promote human rights culture and the National Plan on Democracy and Human Rights were drafted.

The National Plan was prepared according to a participatory approach by a steering committee chaired by the Minister of Justice. The Secretary General of the former Advisory Council on Human Right (now CNDH) was in charge of the secretariat of the committee.

It was drafted following a recommendation issued by the World Conference on Human Rights, which was held in Vienna in 1993, and within a context of reforms, especially in light with the Moroccan experience in the field of transitional justice. It is meant to be a platform to coordinate relevant human rights projects and plans.

Second of the kind in the Mediterranean region after Spain’s and the twenty-seventh in the world, the Moroccan National Plan on Democracy and Human Rights include several measures and recommendations in its four strategic areas, namely governance and democracy; economic, social, cultural and environmental rights; protection and promotion of group rights and the legal and institutional framework.