07/12/2012 President
Strasbourg, 07.12.12 – At the end of his official visit to Morocco, Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), welcomed the exemplary co-operation between the Moroccan Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly. He encouraged co-operation on an equal footing to the mutual benefit of both partners.
Over the two days of his visit, the President discussed ways of enhancing the partnership for democracy, which had been established prior to the Arab Spring and which was therefore a long-term undertaking. Jean-Claude Mignon discussed all the commitments which the Moroccan Parliament had entered into upon obtaining partner for democracy status. He said that the progress which Morocco was making with regard to its commitments would serve as an example among other countries in the region.
He discussed the reforms that had been launched since the entry into force of the new constitution in July 2012 and talked with those he met about the substantial amount of work that was being carried out and to which the Council of Europe was contributing while learning from Moroccan experience. The President had offered the Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Europe’s assistance in the enactment of organic laws and the establishment of institutions in keeping with the new constitution.
The discussions in connection with co-operation in the context of the joint Council of Europe/European Union agreement “Strengthening democratic reform in the southern Neighbourhood” mainly concerned justice, human rights, the situation of women, combating violence against women, fighting corruption, people trafficking and child labour.
The agenda for the visit also included a discussion on the challenges facing Morocco as a result of sub-Saharan migration, the Parliamentary Assembly’s possible contribution with regard to the situation in the Western Sahara and the situation of countries in the region.
The Ministers’ Deputies have recently proposed that Morocco accede to some of the Council of Europe’s Conventions and the President strongly encouraged the country to do so.
During the visit, on which he was accompanied by Fatiha Saïdi (Belgium, SOC), member of the Parliamentary Assembly and rapporteur on “Equality between women and men: a condition for the success of the Arab Spring”, Jean-Claude Mignon met the Speakers of the Chamber of Representatives and the Chamber of Councillors, the Head of Government, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation, the Minister for Solidarity, Women, Family and Social Development, the Deputy Minister of the Interior and the President of the National Human Rights Council.
The progress made in the partnership for democracy with the Parliament of Morocco will be discussed at the June session of the Parliamentary Assembly on the basis of a report by Luca Volontè (Italy, EPP/CD).