CNDH releases two advisory opinions to implement constitutional safeguards for women’s rights and family and children’s rights

The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) released yesterday, Tuesday, December 29, 2015, in Rabat-Morocco, an advisory opinion on draft law # 79-14 on the Authority for Parity and Fight against All Forms of Discrimination, and a second on draft law #78-14 on the Advisory Council for Family and Childhood. The two draft laws were referred to the Council for a human rights-based advisory opinion by the Speaker of the first Chamber of Moroccan Parliament (the House of Representatives) on November 24, 2014.

According to CNDH’s opinion, the parity and fight against discrimination authority must be independent and has all necessary resources and broader powers to guarantee total gender parity and investigate and monitor all forms of discrimination against women.  

CNDH recommends giving the authority quasi-judicial powers. But it should have, anyway, broader powers to protect and fight against all forms of gender discriminations.

Similarly, the Advisory Council for Family and Childhood should also be independent and have broader powers to monitor and evaluate family and childhood public policies and the impact of public expenditure on the implementation of the rights of the child. The Advisory Council must ensure that the best interests of the child are always taken as a primary consideration, as recommended by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (General comment No. 14).  

CNDH's opinions concerning include recommendations on the nature of the two bodies, autonomy, focus areas, composition, administrative and financial organization, etc.

CNDH’s recommendations are based on the Constitution and international conventions ratified by Morocco (the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, for the Authority for Parity and Fight against All Forms of Discrimination, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, regarding the Council of Family and Children), the general comments of treaty bodies, UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council’s resolutions, opinions of international bodies, and CNDH’s prior contributions on these two institutions).

CNDH has conducted several studies, memoranda and contributions advocating for the implementation of parity and gender equality. It published a first memorandum on the establishment of the Authority for Parity and Fight against All Forms of Discrimination, a comparative study on international experiences in the institutionalization of the fight against discrimination, a memorandum on the fight against violence against women, a thematic report on equality and parity in Morocco, etc. It released in December 2013 a memorandum on the Advisory Council for the Family and Children.

CNDH's two advisory opinions on the parity and fight against discrimination authority and the Advisory Council for Family and Childhood are available in French and Arabic.

English will be available soon.