On Friday, May 8, 2020, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) commemorates the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the National Human Rights Institution in Morocco.

This institution contributed distinguishably to the evolution of human rights in Morocco, in its legislative, institutional, legal and societal aspects, through the actions of the Advisory Human rights Council (1990-2011) and the CNDH (2011-2018), which was reorganized under the Law No. 76.15 in February 2018.

During a 30-year process, the CNDH was present at major milestones, playing its roles independently. The CNDH was bridging the State and society in issues related to human rights. It was a mechanism for the harmonization of national legislation with international human rights law in its universality and indivisibility.

“The establishment of the Council optimized the conditions to integrate the Kingdom of Morocco, willingly and voluntarily, into the human rights system. It enhanced the unprecedented interaction between the State's will and the democratic and human rights movement to draw attention to human rights issues harming Moroccan society”, said the CNDH Chairperson on this occasion.

She also added that “the outcome of this interaction is shaped in changes witnessed in Morocco in recent decades. It includes the release of political prisoners and the return of exiles in mid-nineties, developing transitional justice in Morocco through the establishment of the Instance of Equity and Reconciliation (IER) at the beginning of the millennium, and the major institutional, legislative and constitutional reforms in Morocco”.

This process was distinguished by several major turning points during these three decades. The most prominent are: the stage of the institutional consolidation, the establishment of the foundations of democracy and the rule of law, the reconciliation with the past, the constitutionalization of human rights, strengthening the regional dimension of human rights actions, and promoting education on citizenship and human rights.

In light of the increasing claims for democracy and human rights values, the CNDH has adopted, since 2019, an approach based on three pillars: the prevention from violations, the protection of human rights victims, and the promotion of human rights culture. Therefore, the CNDH is opening a new human rights horizon through the elaboration of a new vision that connects reflection, conservation, and human rights actions. This vision focuses on providing collective Moroccan responses to changes happening in the space of freedoms as part of the identity and cultural diversity in Morocco, and the protection of freedom of each individual.

The CNDH had planned a program of events throughout this year to commemorate this anniversary and make a collective reading of this human rights process with all actors and partners, under the slogan "1990-2020: An Ongoing Process For The Effectiveness Of Rights". It was officially launched at the participation of the CNDH in the 26th chapter of the International Publishing and Book Fair in Casablanca (6-16 February 2020), before the Council announced the postponement of its national and international events due to the circumstances related to health emergency.