04/09/2014 Political Affairs and Democracy
Bogdan Klich (Poland, EPP/CD), rapporteur on evaluation of the partnership for democracy in respect of the Parliament of Morocco, has called on the Parliament to play a more active role in pushing for reforms in areas such as gender equality, the abolition of the death penalty, the independence of the judiciary and freedom of the press, particularly as the 2011 Constitution provides a legal framework that can foster democratic changes.
In his conclusions in the information note on his visit to Morocco (7-10 July 2014), Mr Klich said he believed that the level of co-operation between the Council of Europe and Morocco could be upgraded to further mobilise the expertise of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the Venice Commission, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) and the Istanbul Convention.
The Moroccan Parliament obtained partner for democracy status in June 2011. The Assembly evaluates the partnership every two years and the last report was drafted in June 2013.