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CNDH URGES MOROCCAN GOVERNMENT TO RATIFY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF ALL PERSONS FROM ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

During an interactive dialogue at the UN Human Rights Council on enforced or involuntary disappearances.

Participating in an interactive dialogue on enforced or involuntary disappearances, organized within the framework of the 16th session of the UNHRC, on 8 March 2011, in Geneva, the National Human Rights Council urged the Moroccan government to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances, bearing in mind that Morocco contributed to the preparation of the draft convention.

The Council announced first that the Advisory Council on Human Rights, a national institution accredited by the ICC, has been deeply reformed. This institution is now the National Human Rights Council (CNDH).

The new law creating the Council, issued on March 3, consolidates its autonomy and expands its powers in the protection and promotion of human rights in their entirety. It also strengthens its pluralism, while adopting, for the selection of its members, the principles of expertise and specialization in areas related to human rights. It is also distinguished by regional mechanisms for the protection of human rights.

The CNDH took this opportunity to highlight the good cooperation between the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) and the Moroccan government. Through the Advisory Council on Human Rights, the National Human Rights Council provided information to the WGEID on activities relating to the disappeared persons. It followed with great interest the recommendations of the Working Group following its visit to Morocco in June 2009.

It should be noted that the investigative work conducted by the Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER) and the Advisory Council on Human Rights eventually led to the clarification of 939 cases of people whose fate was unknown. By publishing in January 2010 the main report on the implementation of the IER recommendations, followed in December 2010 an appendix containing the lists of persons with unknown fate, CCDH has reached a very advanced stage in establishing and disclosing the truth about the past grave human rights violations.

The surviving victims and rights holders benefited from reparations programs, including financial compensation, medical coverage by the state, social reintegration and settlement of administrative and financial problems.

The National Human Rights Council indicated that the Advisory Council carried out two studies on the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. They include proposals aiming to criminalize serious human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, and to strengthen the protection of victims.

During his concluding remarks, Mr. Jeremy Sarkin, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances, expressly praised the cooperation of the Moroccan government and positive reaction to its recommendations. He called on all countries to create national mechanisms and adopt national laws to prevent enforced disappearances.

The Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances visited the Kingdom of Morocco from 22 to 25 June 2009. It paid a visit to the Advisory Council on Human Rights to learn more about the Moroccan experience in the field of transitional justice. A field visit was also organized to Derb Moulay Cherif and Kelaat Megouna and Agdez, old centers of detention, to witness the progress of the community reparation program, mainly concerning the preservation of memory.

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