p>The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) publishes its annual report for the year 2019 entitled "Effectiveness of human rights within an emerging model of freedoms”.
The CNDH is an independent constitutional institution mandated to protect, promote human rights and freedoms, ensure their full exercise, and to preserve the dignity of citizens, as individuals and groups. This mandate requires the CNDH to publish this report following Article 35 of its law and after being unanimously approved by its General Assembly held on 6, 7 and 8 March 2020.
This report focuses on the situation of human rights in Morocco. In its introduction, Mrs. Amina Bouayach, the CNDH Chairperson, stresses that the publication of this report is an opportunity for all actors to assess, with sufficient insight, the strong moments of human rights-related events in Morocco within a year.
In relation to the report’s title, the CNDH President adds that “The expansion of freedoms in the public space, which our citizens have been calling for, is the greatest challenge facing the institutions of our emerging democracy with no doubt. I am talking, here, about freedom of expression, which remains the question that should be answered by our society continuously”.
The CNDH report provides a set of reliable and verified information to the reader. It aims to enable him/her to shape his/her opinion on the progress made by Morocco in the field of human rights. It also intends to diagnose the causes behind obstacles, gaps, and failures.
This report seeks to conduct an objective assessment and a comprehensive analysis of the human rights situation in Morocco, in connection with the CNDH missions to protect and promote human rights. Thus, this report adopts an approach that takes into account the nature of the CNDH as an independent and pluralistic institution with a broadened mandate.
In addition to the general introduction, this report presents 7 main axes:
1 - Protection of human rights;
2 - Promotion of human rights culture;
3 - Relationship with the legislative institution;
4 - Human rights and media ;
5 - Cooperation and international relations;
6 - Follow-up of the implementation of the recommendations of the Moroccan Truth Commission (Known under its French acronym IER);
7 - National human rights mechanisms.
The Protection of human rights is of crucial importance in this report, given its priority in the CNDH strategy of action (which was approved by the CNDH General Assembly). Hence, this report also includes the outcome of the CNDH actions for the year 2019 as part of its mandate and missions.
The report also includes recommendations elaborated following the requirements of the Constitution and international human rights instruments. These recommandations aim at strengthening the national system for the protection of human rights. Their implementation is subject to the cooperation of all stakeholders, including government, parliament, judiciary, other relevant institutions and bodies, and civil society organizations.
