HM King Mohammed VI underlined that a comprehensive, non-selective approach to human rights can be a significant contribution on the eve of important international events.

By African Bulletin on November 28, 2014

This Forum is being held on the eve of important international events in which a comprehensive, non-selective approach to human rights can be a significant contribution. There are many important meetings and events in the pipeline, HM the King said in a message to the 2nd World Forum on Human Rights, read out by Justice and Liberties Minister, Mustapha Ramid.

“I would like to share a few ideas on three issues with the human rights advocates who are attending this Forum”: gender equality, post-2015 development goals, and international migration and asylum seekers, the Monarch said.

Concerning the first issue, the Sovereign noted that twenty years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action for mainstreaming gender perspectives in the policies, strategies and programs of all countries, the data available and the daily lives of women and girls in many parts of the world attest to the magnitude of the reluctance to achieve the goals set out in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. “Despite the progress made, results still fall well short of the afore-mentioned ambitious goals”, HM the King deplored.

In this regard, the Monarch noted that Morocco has made the gender equality one of the pillars of its public policies, promoting, to this end, gender budgeting, which is recognized by the United Nations as a pioneering approach. “We realize, however, that there is still much to do”, the Sovereign said.

Concerning the second issue, HM the King hailed that several thematic conferences, being held as part of this Forum, reflect the concerns expressed by civil society, UN agencies and the experts involved in the evaluation of the Millennium Development Goals and the preparation of new Sustainable Development Goals.

In this respect, the Sovereign said that the Kingdom supports efforts aimed at putting human rights at the heart of those new objectives, which calls for greater involvement in the various regional and international meetings and events scheduled from now until September 2015.

Related to international migration and asylum seekers, the Monarch said that with 240 million international migrants in 2012, migration is a constant concern which is being debated around the world today and which involves governments, civil society and the international community.

Deploring that controversial approaches persist and are even gaining, HM the King noted that not only have South-South migration flows increased, but there has also been a feminization of these flows. Moreover, sophisticated networks specialized in human trafficking have emerged; the profile of migrants and refugees has become more diverse, their socio-cultural conditions have improved and, finally, there are now minors among the migrants.

The Sovereign said that Morocco has decided to implement a new migration policy, based on a humane approach which is consistent with its Constitution and its international commitments, recalling that an exceptional regularization program, It aims to regularize the situation of all those who meet the necessary conditions, was started in January 2014 and should be completed by the end of December.

“I call on the international community to resume negotiations more actively with a view to achieving regional and international governance of migration issues, in accordance with the High-Level Dialogue initiated by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan”, HM the King concluded.

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