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l- The Kingdom of Morocco makes of the promotion and protection g_f.hunran righs and fundamental freedoms a core issue international priorities' That is in fact th" t*.* of its national and ttrat pronpteo the Kingdom a"pr.r"* io candidacy to the Hurnan Rights,counc'. 2- Aware of the irrportance accorded by the united Nations organization to Human Rights issues, which are no less important dealing with dwelopnrn! internafionul p"""t than those and security, the'Kingdom or rur**"o t gs,-from the outset, actively supputed the creation of the Human Rights council, expressingthus its hope that Hu*n Rights will be rrrtt o reinforced and strorgthared. 3- The Kingdom of Morocco' while dnawing upon the tolerant precepts of Islarn, its time-honored civilisational varues and is international conrnitments' has nrade of democracy, the primacy of law ino gooa gorr"--." lneversible choices. Just as undalined constitution' which consecratesthe Kingdoms in its national adherencei; th" ""i""^ulty..ogrrir"g Hu.r,.n Rights and fundamentar freedoms, Morocco reinforc;nrent ruleorlawis the orthe

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4- widely recognized as a crossroad for different civilizations and cultures, Morocco has emerged as a strong actor for peace, tolerance and 5- The Kingdom of Morocco rafified most of the international instruments and undertook. to submit regular national reports on irnplernartation of its multilateral connnitmens. the r, It^ "ir;;"*. ou" ro[o*-uJio ail relevant recommendations and conclusions international organs and treaties' Ensuring of their effective i*pi"tti*",ion continues to t" , top priority of the Moroccan government.

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's achievements in the field of Human 6-Thepastsixyears,witnessedaconsiderableincreaseinthepaceofreforms,,n".lffiotablytheadoptionofnewlaws,the harmonization nationallegislationwith international of commi-tmens,- settils "p "r govemmortat structures nationalforow-up and a.view of eifectivelyimplemanting 1e. retevanl decisions continuousry and reinforcingthe role andconrribution the :::?#lJtiwith of civir
l- Actions taken at the legislative level: A- The revising or adoption of severar nationar registations such as: I The Code of public freedoms; t The paral Code and penal procedures; I The family Code; I The adoption of a new law related to political

parties; t The adoption ofa specific law against rorture; I The panalization of sexual harassment at work place; o The adoption ofa new Code for the press; t The adoption ofa new law regulating the civil status; r The adoption of a law related to poritenfiary institutions; o The reform of a law on children legal custody; o The adoption ofa new r^aw regulating entry and stay of foreigners, in Morocco 7- Furthermore' the Moroccan Parliament adopted a -law against torture, which entered into force on February 2006. This law, which has integrated the definition of torture contained in the convenion against torture: trrd;; sanctions on any State,sagurts found guilty or bad treatment' It aims at reinforcing the of torture Moroc.un :rJLiur upparatus which irelps prevent, fight and deter a I I kinds of abuse or hurnan rights violations. B- Harmonizing the national legislation with international commitments: 8- The harmonizing of the national legislation with -M*o""un the provisions of the intemationar regar instruments on hurnan rights ratified by Morocco for the authoriiies order in

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9- To ensure the continuous follow-up of the co'formity of nafional laws with intemational commitments, two inter-govemmentar bodies set up' namely the Inter-Ministerial commission were in "rt".g" or the Review oi ruro*"o,s reservations and declarations made on certain

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l0-Thus, the krter-Ministerial Commission, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, has recantly decided: t The adherence of the kingdom of Morocco to the first Optional Protocol related to the Covenant on Civil and political Rights; r The withdrawal of the reservations conceming article 14 of the Intemational Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination; t The withdrawal of the resen'ations conceming articles 20 and22 of theConvention against Torture; r The withdrawal of the reservations conceming article 14 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its replacernent by an explanatory declaration, aking into consideration several constitutional and legal references. II- At the institutional level: the Kingdom of Morocco has created many mechanisms such as: 1l-The Consultative Council for Huntan Rights (created in 1994, and reorganized on April, 10s 2001;, on the basis of the paris principles regulating national hurnan rights institutions. The Council orjoys large prerogatives, such as givirg opinions relating to the protection of righc and. fundamental freedoms of citizens, social groups and associations, iuUniitting annual rportr on the sitrution of human rights in Morocco; making recommendations on the conformity of national laws with intemational commitments; ancouraging Morocco's ratification or adherence to various international instruments, examining cases of hurmn righs violations and making recommendations in this regard. The Council is an active member of the International Coordination Cornrnittee olNational Human Rights Lstitutions (ICC), which Morocco chaired for two consecutive terms (2003-2005).

12-The Equity and Reconciliation Commission (ERC): The commissfon was set up in April2004 with the objective to ultirnately close up the -December file of past Human rights violations in Morocco. It has presented i ts final report in 2005. r The ERC has carried out a global assessment of settling cases of enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and Human righc violations in Morocco-betwcenl956 and 1999. It has led anquiries in cooperation with public authoriiies, victims, their families and represantativesas well as concemed non governmantal orpnizations. It has organized publi" hearings for victims orih"i, relatives. i In terms of corrpensation, the ERC has decided on casesof victims of gross Human Rights violations or from their assigns.Besides the corrpensafion decisions, the ERC equally recornrnendedmedical and psychological rehabilitation, social reintegration, tf," settlement of some legal, administrative and professional disputes, as well as expropriation cases. Thus, a statement was made to the effect that certain regions and communities have suffered collectively and directly or indirectly from the sequels of political violorce. The ERC gives particular attsntion to community reparation. o The ERC has finalized a report conprising the results of investigations and analyses conceming violations and their contexts, as well as reform recommendations likely to preserve the memory, guarantee the non reoccurrerce of violations, eliminate their sequels, restore and reinforce confidence in the institutions and respect the rule of law and Human Rights. The Consultative Council for Human Rights is responsible for taking the necessary measures at the governmental and non govemmental levels to ensure the follow-up and the implemortation of these recommendations. 13-Diwan Al Madhalim (Onrbudsman): This body is an institution in charge of mediafing between citizens and public authorities in order to respectthe rules of equality' equity and the primacy of law. It equally contributes to conciliation between citizens and administrations as well as to extra-judiciary settlements of administrative disputes while examining complaints of those who consider themselves victims of illegal or inequitable administrative decisions. 14-The Royal Institute for the Amazigh Clultnre (IRCA*I) was created on October, l7h z}Ol,and has as its rnain mission the promotion of different forms of expression of the Amazigh (Berber) culture and patrimony and their full integration in the national educational system. The Institute mission is to promote and prcsewe the Mmoccan Amazigh cultural wealth ur uti irrport"nt and crucial componant of the national identity, III- The advanced status of Moroccan women:

t The Kingdom of Morocco is conrnitted to promoting the status of women. On January 26rh2}04,the parliament adopted a new family code, making of the gander equality a fundamental principle of the Moroccan society and a basis for the strargthoring of the farnili unit, while keeping in mind the foremost interests of children to whom Morocco auachls a crucial importance. In addition, the Moroccan Government couns rnany women among its Cabinet members. Also, the ratio of women represantation in the Parliament has increased from 0.6% in the lggT legislative elections to 10.8% in the 2001 elections (the presant pailiament counts 35 woman MPs). lV- Promotion of the Human Rights culture: I 5- To achieve the objectives of the United Nations Hunmn Rights Education decade, a national program for Hunun fights education has been implemorted at various school levels and training institutes ofjudges and Stateagents.

16-Convinced that Hunran Rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent, Morocco launched the National hritiative for Hunun Developrrmt (NIHD) as an integrated plan aiming at reducing social dispmities and achieving sustained and harmonious socio-economic developnrng based on proximity, good govemance, goal-oriented Fojects and transparent and rational managernent of budgeary resources.

Morocco's commitments in the field of Human Rights
Hance, by presanting its candidacy to the Council of Human Rights, The Kingdom of Morocco wishes to confibute to the reinforcernent of the standards and institutional organs set up by the international community with a view to deepening the culture of Hunun rights and consolidating intemational cooperation The Kingdomof Morocco cornnrits to: A-Ensure the ratification or the adherence to the very few international instruments to which Morocco has not yet become a pafry, including those in the process of being frnalized (the Intemational Convention for the Promotion and Protecfion of the Rights of and dignity of disabled Persons)or those to be adopted (The International Convention or enforced Dsappearances); B-Continue cooperation with the special procedures. In this context, it is worth rnentioning that the special Rapporteur on the sale of childran, child prostitution and child pomography and the special Rapporteuron the Human rights of migrants paid two visits to Morocco, respectively in 2000 and 2003. Morocco will continue to respond pronptly and regularly to any future communications addressedby the special procedures; C-Presant, on a regular basis, periodical reports to the relevant Treaty bodies, ensure the participation of high level delegations in this regard and implernent pertinent recorrnendations and observations. In 2006, Monocco presented its initial report on the inplonentation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the sale of Children, child prostitution and child pornography. Next month, Morocco will present its periodical report to the commiuee for economicnsocial and Cultural Rights; D-Contribute actively to the work of the Human Rights Council through an approach based on cooperation, consultation and dialogue for the promotion, protection and the respect of all hurnan rights be they economic, social, cultural, or civil and political and the right to developmant; E- Maintain and strangthen the support to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Hurmn Rights in the implanantation of its mandate and contributing within its capacity, to its budget; F- Continue its cooperation with different bodies and international and regional Organizations working in the Human Rights' field; G-Strengthat national mechanisms in charge of the promotion of Hurran Rights culture, such as the Centre of Documentation, Information and Training in the field of human rights, which was created in Morocco with the contribution of the office of the United Nations High Cornrnissioner for Human Rights. This Centre supports the efforts made in favor of hurran rights education and fundanental freedoms; H-Continue to prornote the role of women in various national sectors, to protect the children from abuse and to guaxantee the complete participation of the wlnerable persons in active life; I- Share experiences with the members of the International comnunity, including in the arena of the reparation of past hurrnn rights violations as well as benefit from the successful experiencesof other countries in the area of human rights; J- Ensure high level participation to the debates of the Council, take active part in the negotiations of its different decisions and resolutions, co-sponsor existing and upcoming initiatives and support concretely the international Human rights corpus. kr this context, it is worth mantioning that Norway and Morocco were the initiators of the resolution on Hurnan Rights defendsrs at the Hurnan Rights Commission; K-Continue to maintain a genuine, responsible and constructive dialogue together with permanent consultations with the civil society, both at the national and the international levels: L- Continue to harmonize the national legislation with internafional commitments. A new penal code is in its final stage of examination, which deals with the issue of death paralty on the basis of the national debate on its abolition. M- Maintain under examination, in view of their withdrawal, Morocco's reservations rnade on certain international instruments. As a case in point the Kingdom of Morocco is conunitted to withdrawing, very soon, the following reservations concerning the Convention on the elimination of all forms ofdiscrimination against women (CEDAW): r The reservation on paragruph 2 in article 9 stipulating that Women enjoy the same rights as men in terms of their children' citizenship; t The reservation of the indentd line h, paragraph 1, article 16 stipulating that women have the right to decide, on an equal basis as men, on the right of establishing family planning and to access data related to it and the reservation on paragraph 2, article 16, concerning the absence of all legal effects related to engagement and marriage of childrar and stipulating the necessity to fix the minimum age for rnarriage and is consignation in official records; t The review of the paraphrasing of the second part of the declaration presanted on article 2 of the Convention, stipulating the adoption of the legal provisions for the consecration of the equality principle between rnen and women; o The removal of the declaration in paragraph 4, article 15 stipulating that men and wofiren enjoy the same rights in terrns of the legislation regarding the movement of individuals and the freedom to choose their place of residence; t The replacement of the reservation formulated for paragraph 1, article 16 by an explanatory declaration; In addition, The Kingdom of Morocco will soon adhere to the optional Protocol of the CEDAW Convention. Willing to continue its active contribution to the reinforcement of the rule of law and the promotion of the Human Rights, both at the national and internafional levels, the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco would therefore highly appreciate the valuable suppot of the Member States of the United Nations to the candidature of Morocco to the Human Riehts Council.