HM The King: Morocco Freely Choses To Initiate In-Depth, Proactive Reforms Which Fulfill Aspirations Of Moroccans
PERSISMA, Marrakech, Nov. 27, 2014 – HM King Mohammed VI underlined that Morocco has freely chosen to initiate in-depth, proactive reforms which fulfill the aspirations and expectations of Moroccans, noting that this innovative, inclusive process, which culminated in the adoption of a new Constitution in 2011, has helped consolidate the rule of law and democracy as an irreversible choice.
Morocco, which has been proceeding confidently and serenely along the never-ending road of human rights, can, after 15 years, present quite a decent record covering such vital areas as transitional justice, women’s rights, human development, the rehabilitation of the Amazigh culture as a key component of the Moroccan identity, the consolidation of national human rights institutions and the governance of the religious domain on the basis of the tolerant principles and teachings of Islam, King HM the King said in a message to the 2nd World Forum on Human Rights, read out by Justice and Liberties Minister, Mustapha Ramid.
The Sovereign noted that there are other ongoing projects with a significant impact on the protection of human rights in such areas as justice, the press, civil society, local governance and the protection of vulnerable groups.
In this regard, the Sovereign said that the kingdom is working untiringly to strengthen the conventional practice it has opted for. “Thus, after its accession to the main human rights instruments, my country has gradually lifted reservations it had when it ratified those instruments”, the Monarch said.
Underlining that the Kingdom is consolidating this irreversible decision to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights, HM the King recalled that the Kingdom deposited, earlier this week, its instruments of ratification of the Optional Protocol to the International Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, as a prelude to setting up, in the coming months, a National Preventive Mechanism, to become one of thirty countries to have such a mechanism.
Commending the debate on the death penalty, which is being led by civil society organizations, a large number of parliamentarians and legal experts, the Sovereign said that this debate will help deepen the debate on this question.
Concerning the protection of children’s rights against all sorts of abuse and violation, the Monarch affirmed that this issue represents a constant concern, as evidenced by the support HM the King has been giving to the action of the National Observatory on children’s rights, recalling that the Kingdom has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
The constitutional protection of children has also been a watershed event in the process of consolidating national legislation on child protection, the Sovereign said, adding that Morocco intends to ratify the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which establishes a communications procedure.
“I am convinced your discussions, your debates and your daily work for the promotion of human rights – all human rights, for everyone, everywhere – will contribute significantly to the emergence of a safer world for humanity – a world which treats the most vulnerable and poorest segments of society more fairly and equitably, and which is committed to promoting brotherly relations between all human beings”, HM the King concluded.
