10/12/2015 President
At the end of her official visit to Morocco, the PACE President praised Morocco’s commitment to an effective, stable and constructive partnership with the Council of Europe.
“Our partnership is stable, effective, mutually beneficial and enriching. The values and standards of human rights, democracy and the rule of law are central to it. Our goal is to work together on issues of common interest and support the reforms under way in Morocco in the areas of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. We must continue our co-operation and give fresh momentum to our dialogue, drawing fully on the expertise and support which Council of Europe bodies can provide”, she said.
During her meetings in Rabat and Fez, the President discussed the main reform projects in progress in Morocco, in particular judicial reform, the fight against corruption, gender equality and parity and the implementation of advanced regionalisation. These reforms are part of an ongoing process and are based on efforts to achieve a broad consensus within society.
Substantial progress has been made in all these areas and Anne Brasseur urged the Moroccan partners to take full account of the standards and opinions of the various Council of Europe bodies, in particular the Venice Commission. In addition, she underlined that the Council of Europe can also provide useful support during the implementation of the legislation currently being drawn up. “The potential of our collaboration is very great and the co-operation priorities for 2015-2017 offer good prospects for launching new co-operation projects,” she said.
With regard to the role of Parliament, the President noted the key part played by lawmakers in passing the organic laws provided for in the 2011 Constitution. “You have a complex and busy legislative agenda and I fully appreciate the challenges which you are facing. Our Assembly is willing to help you identify practical co-operation needs in order better to support your work”, said Anne Brasseur.
The fight against radicalisation and extremism and the management of migration flows are both global challenges which demand global responses. “On the first point, I welcome the fact that our Moroccan partners agree that respect for human rights, democratic freedoms and the principles of the rule of law are vital in the fight against terrorism.”
“With regard to the management of migration flows and the situation of refugees, Morocco’s efforts deserve our full respect, in particular in terms of the integration of migrants and refugees. At a time when many countries on the northern shores of the Mediterranean are having to cope with the same challenges, Morocco’s experience ought to be shared and taken into account,” said the PACE President. In this context, she praised the commitment and active involvement of the members of the Moroccan delegation to the PACE in the Assembly’s debates and activities.
Lastly, Anne Brasseur welcomed the strong and unanimous support of the authorities and all political players for the efforts to combat hate speech and intolerance. “I am very pleased that the Prime Minister, the Presidents of the two Chambers of Parliament, the Minister for Justice, the Minister in charge of Migration Affairs and the Deputy Ministers for the Interior and Foreign Affairs have agreed to join our support group of the No Hate Speech Parliamentary Alliance and the No Hate Speech Campaign”, she said in conclusion.
During the visit, Anne Brasseur met Rachid Talbi Alami, President of the Chamber of Representatives, Abdelhakim Benchamach, President of the Chamber of Counsellors, Abdelilah Benkirane, Head of Government, Anis Birou, Minister in charge of Moroccans residing abroad and Migration Affairs, Mustafa Ramid, Minister for Justice and Freedoms, Charki Draiss, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of the Interior, and Mbarka Bouaida, Deputy Minister in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation.
She also had talks with the members of the Moroccan Parliament’s delegation to the PACE and representatives of the National Human Rights Council. In Fez, the President met Lahcen Daoudi, Minister for Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive Development, Mohand Laenser, President of Fez-Meknès Region, and representatives of Fez Euro-Mediterranean University.