The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco is happy to inform you that the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco has just adopted, during a meeting of the Council of Ministers held in Marrakech on November 12th 2012, three Optional Protocols on Human Rights, namely:
- the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
- the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women;
- the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The adoption of these optional protocols is a further step for the implementation of the new Constitution that highlights, in its preamble and throughout its articles, the commitment of Morocco to promoting Human Rights and fundamental liberties with no discrimination based on race, religion or gender.
Furthermore, this action underscores the determination of the Kingdom of Morocco to harmonize the national legislation on Human Rights with the UN instruments and other relevant international mechanisms.
Sincerely yours,
Abderrahim Rahhaly
DCM
Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco
Washington
Copy of Optional Protocols on Human Rights
From Embassy in Washington DC
Received Nov. 16, 2012
The Embassy of the
Kingdom of Morocco is happy to inform you that the Government of the Kingdom of
Morocco has just adopted, during a meeting of the Council of Ministers held in
Marrakech on November 12th 2012, three Optional Protocols on Human Rights, namely:
-
the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and
other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
-
the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women;
-
the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights.
The adoption of these optional protocols is a further step
for the implementation of the new Constitution that highlights, in its preamble
and throughout its articles, the commitment of Morocco to promoting Human
Rights and fundamental liberties with no discrimination based on race, religion
or gender.
Furthermore, this action underscores the determination of
the Kingdom of Morocco to harmonize the national legislation on Human Rights
with the UN instruments and other relevant international mechanisms.
Sincerely yours,
Adoption of three Optional Protocols on Human Rights
The
Council of Ministers adopted, during its meeting held on November 12th
2012 in Marrakesh, three Optional Protocols on Human Rights, namely:
·
The
Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
·
The
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women,
·
The
Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The
adoption of these optional protocols is in conformity with the international
commitment of Morocco in terms of Human Rights and in the context of the
constitutional reform undertaken by the Moroccan Government.
I-
Optional
Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Morocco
has voluntarily committed itself to endorsing the principles, values and
standards of international human rights law for over two decades. The
ratification of the Convention against
Torture in 1993, the withdrawal of reservation to Article 20 of the Convention,
as well as the ratification in 2011 of the Optional Protocol of the Convention,
were part of the process of deep structural reform of the past two decades.
There
have been constitutional, legislative and institutional reforms, in conformity
with international instruments for the protection and promotion of human
rights. The establishment the Commission for Truth, Equity and Reconciliation
aimed at compensating victims of violations of Human Rights and Torture and
ensuring they do not happen again, as well as, drafting a national strategy to
combat impunity, in particular incriminating torture, enforced disappearance
and arbitrary detention.
By
adopting this optional protocol, Morocco agrees to allow visits, to any place
under its jurisdiction and control where persons are or may be deprived of
their liberty, either by virtue of an order given by a public authority or at
its instigation or with its consent or acquiescence. These visits shall be
undertaken with a view of strengthening, if necessary, the protection of these
persons against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment.
II-
Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW)
By adopting this Optional
Protocol, Morocco reaffirms its determination to ensure the full and equal
enjoyment by women of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and to take
effective action to prevent violations of these rights and freedoms.
Morocco,
which ratified the CEDAW in
1993 and withdrew all reservations to this convention in May 2012, is committed
to consolidating all the achievements that have been made in terms of woman and
girl’s rights, especially by means of:
- The
Family Law reform (2004) which was the culmination of a long national debate;
- The amendment
of the Nationality Law in April 2007 which now entitles Moroccan women to
transfer their nationality to their children (Article 6);
- The partial
amendment of the Penal Code and the enactment of a new Labour Law (2003) which
abolished a certain number of provisions judged discriminatory towards women
and young girls.
The new
constitution adopted in 2011, which guaranties the full equality between men
and women, confirms the commitment of Morocco , to harmonizing the national legislations
with the international instruments in terms of strengthening woman’s rights.
III- Optional Protocol to the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Morocco signed
the international Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in January 1977 and
ratified it in 1979. Since then, Morocco has made important constitutional,
legal and institutional accomplishments that guarantee the full enjoyment by
all citizens of civil and political rights, such as freedom of movement,
association and religion.
By adopting the
Optional Protocol to this Covenant, Morocco allows the Human
Rights
Committee, set up under the Covenant, to receive and consider communications
from individuals claiming to be victims of violations of any of the rights set
forth in the Covenant.
Morocco
recognizes the competence of the Human Rights Committee to receive and consider
communications from individuals, subject to its jurisdiction, who claim to be
victims of a violation by that State of any of the rights set forth in the
Covenant. Individuals who make such a claim, and who have exhausted all
available domestic remedies, are entitled to submit a written communication to
the Committee. A summary of the Committee's activities under the Optional
Protocol is included in the report which it submits annually to the General
Assembly through the Economic and Social Council.
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