FOM Newsletter January 2003
Morocco Week in Review January 11 2003

RABAT, Jan. 08 - The United States donated Morocco US$ 3 million to back the North African country's non-formal education and a program to struggle against child labor. The donation accord was initialed Wednesday here by US labor undersecretary, Thomas B. Moorhead, and Moroccan education and youth minister, Habib Malki and Moroccan employment, social affairs and solidarity minister, Mustapha Mansouri.  Moorhead said Washington will earmark additional resources to back Moroccan programs in matters of education promotion and fight against child labor.  The USA lauds Morocco's efforts in this connection, he said. Morocco scored significant progress since it joined in 2000 the International Program for the Eradication of Child Labor, he said, hailing the role of the Moroccan civil society in attracting attention to the problem.

RABAT, Jan.10 The United States of America sees Morocco "as an example for the Islamic and Arab world", said here on Friday Richard Haass, Director of Policy Planning for the Department of State. Haass told the press, at the end of a two-day visit to the Kingdom, the US Administration is "encouraged by the reforms accomplished in Morocco under the leadership of H.M. King Mohammed VI." "We look forward to help both the Moroccan government and society" to go further in the reform process, he added. He added that his visit to Morocco, third leg of a tour that led him to India and the United Arab Emirates, "is part of regular consultations with a friendly country."

With several Moroccan high officials, Haass discussed "in considerable depth" reforms initiated under the leadership of H.M. King Mohammed VI, the Free Trade Agreement to be signed by Morocco and the United States, as well as the Palestinian and Iraqi issues. Touching on Morocco-US friendship, Haass recalled the Kingdom's support to the United States in the morrow of the 9/11 attacks.  The US official on Thursday met with Taieb Fassi Fihri, foreign affairs and cooperation delegate minister, Mohamed Aujjar, human rights minister, Nabil Benabdellah, communication minister, and Abderrazaq Mossadaq, delegate minister in charge of economic and general affairs and economy upgrading.  

© MAP 2002 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm 

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RABAT, Jan. 10 - Morocco on Thursday stressed determination to further consolidate its good ties with the United States. Moroccan Communication Minister, Nabil Benabdallah, who was meeting with Richard Haas, US Director of Policy Planning Office, voiced hope that the Moroccan-US cooperation will be reinforced through the spurring of US investments in Morocco.  The Minister lauded the contacts under way between the two countries to conclude a free trade agreement and lauded the backing of the US administration to Morocco's fair causes, especially Morocco's territorial integrity. Haas stressed Washington's backing to the political and economic reforms ushered in by Morocco and said his administration is ready to back these reforms.  The US official said the projected Morocco-US free trade accord will undoubtedly positively impact relations between the two countries. Morocco will be the fifth country in the world and the second in the Arab world to have a free trade accord with the USA. Canada, Mexico, Israel and Jordan are already bound to the USA by such a covenant.

© MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm 

RABAT, Jan.08 - The national coordination commission of women members of Moroccan political parties called authorities to take legal, financial and procedural measures to support female candidates in the coming communal elections, namely in constituencies adopting uninominal ballot.In a memorandum circulated here, the commission voices will to carry on working for an effective mobilization of women in various decision-making levels to guarantee an important female representation in legislative institutions, following the coming communal elections, due next June.  Morocco staged last September legislative elections that resulted in the election of 35 women to the Moroccan 325-seat House of Representatives (lower chamber of the Moroccan parliament). Copies of the he memorandum were sent to the ministries of justice, Interior, Human Rights, the secretariat of State in charge of women, as well as to the speakers of chambers of representatives and advisers. The document further stresses that this call aims to make up for the quasi-absence of women in communal institutions, adding that the number of women elected during the last communal elections amounted to 0.34%, that's 84 women out of 24,600 communal advisers. The commission recalled the importance of the coming elections in terms of upgrading the management of public affairs at the local level and consolidating democratic institutions.

© MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm 

A Spanish NGO, announced that a center for children in difficult situation will be set up shortly in the Moroccan northern city of Tangiers. The center will be open for children aged 6 to 17 years, Ms. Maria Rodriguez Almendros, President of the Spanish association, said. The facility will be built part of a partnership between the Spanish association and the Union of Moroccan Women.  Psychologists will assess the needs and expectations of children to be accommodated by the future center, said Ms. Rodriguez, adding the center will mostly likely open doors next February. The center will be managed by Moroccan and Spanish experts specializing in  child education, particularly in handling street children problems.  The center, to be co-financed by the city of Seville, will host in a first stage, 20 children and teenagers.

The Moroccan anti-corruption association, Transparency-Maroc, on Monday called for updating laws reprimanding corruption in Morocco. Corruption-related laws in Morocco "are outdated and need to be updated for more efficiency," said Bachir Rachdi, Secretary-General of the association, on the occasion of a National Anti-Corruption Day.  The association chose to place this year's campaign on the generic theme of "No to Impunity, and Law for All." Rachdi underlined that his organization has always voiced concern over the manipulation of the law in corruption cases. The activist slammed the Special Court of Justice as a "jurisdiction of exception that has never secured fair trials." "Such a court is unable to fully play the role expected by justice in the dissuasion and sanctioning of corrupt officials and executives," he said. Transparency-Maroc criticized the government for its inaction in financial scandals. "The authorities continue to keep an accomplice silence regarding mismanagement of public matters," deplored the association, which also pointed to selective investigations in corruption-related cases.

The total value of micro-credits extended by various associations between January and September 2002 has reached 303.17 million DH in 2002 (US$ 28.8 Mln), increasing by 65% compared to the same period of 2001 (US$ 15.8 Mln).  The figures, released this Friday by finance and privatization minister Fathallah Oualalou, show that the number of micro-loans increased by 114%, from 227,888 loans as at September 2001 to 488,264 in Jan.-Sept 2002. More than 65% of these loans went to women and 13.79% were disbursed in rural areas. He further explained that the state has earmarked both local and international donations to encourage micro-loaning institutions and adopted a legal framework to regulate and develop the activity. This legal framework provides for the creation of a micro-finance advisory council which held its first session this Friday. The council's first session adopted the statute of a federation gathering micro-finance associations and approved the creation of a micro-finance foundation in northern Morocco.

Brussels Hosts Two-Week Event on Moroccan Jews, Sponsored by Moroccan and Belgian Kings

BRUSSELS, Jan.07 - Art objects, books, manuscripts, jewels and photographs are some of the items displayed in an exhibition to open this Tuesday here to start a two-week cultural event devoted to Jews and Muslims co-existence in Morocco held under the patronage of H.M. King Mohammed VI of Morocco and King Albert II of Belgium. The aim of the event is to show the richness of Morocco, as a multi-cultural society where Jews and Muslims co-existed in a total harmony for over 13 centuries, said Paul Dahan and Mohamed Erroukhou, respectively curator of the Moroccan Jewish art museum of Brussels and of the "Association Citoyennete Plus", co-sponsors of the event. The organizers say the initiative is held against a backdrop of debates in the Belgian society on the multi-cultural options and serves as a message against some current heinous discourses in Belgium.  The event is also part of efforts to promote values of tolerance following the misunderstandings emerging between persons with different cultures and religions, resulting from the 9/11 events and the middle east tension, they explained.  The cultural event features conferences, debates, shows and movies to show that the Moroccan past and present experience is worth pondering and following.  

Exhibition on the Jews of Morocco, a Message of Hope, Reason (Royal Advisor)  

BRUSSELS, Jan. 08 - Andre Azoulay, Advisor to King Mohammed VI, on Tuesday said the exhibition held in Brussels on the Jews of Morocco is a message of hope and reason that fills all Moroccans with pride.  "Beyond its exceptional cultural and patrimonial character, the exhibition on the permanence and depth of the Muslim-Jewish cohabitation in Morocco is a message of hope and reason that fills all Moroccans with pride," said Azoulay, while dedicating in Brussels the 15-day exhibition on the Jews of Morocco. Azoulay recalled the speech made by King Mohammed VI at the dedication of the Mohammed V Square in Paris, a speech, he said, that emphasized once again the fundamental choices of Morocco, "a nation proud of the unity of its identity, anchored in its Muslim faith and which doe not intent to cede its millenary anchorage in the culture of dialogue, overture and sharing with the other." Other speakers took the flour to laud the cohabitation and interaction between Muslims and Jews in Morocco. Such cohabitation is a lesson of tolerance and of rejection of exclusion, a speaker said. The exhibition, sponsored by King Mohammed VI and King Albert II of Belgium, features art pieces, books, ancient manuscripts, jewelry, photos

BRUSSELS, Jan. 09 - The Moroccan singularity marked by a centuries-old cohabitation between Muslims and Jews should not be a mere museum object, but should rather serve as a model wherever tolerance is challenged in these troubled times.  This was emphasized by several speakers at a round table held Wednesday in Brussels part of the 15-day event reserved to the Jews of Morocco in the European capital. The remarkable durability of the "Moroccan model" throughout centuries is partly owed to the overture and tolerance upheld by the Moroccan society in such a way that Morocco spontaneously adheres today to democracy, founded on pluralism, freedom and the respect of the other, the speakers said. For them, the Moroccan model, made of secular interpenetration between Arab-Muslim, Berber and Jewish cultures, is the evidence that Morocco as a nation has never believed in the fatality of confrontation.  The round table was marked by the participation of Andre Azoulay, Advisor to King Mohammed VI, Hassan Abouyoub, Morocco's Ambassador to France, and other figures.  The speakers stressed the foundations of the memory and identity of hundreds of thousands of Moroccan Jews who live today everywhere in the world while being close their country of origin (Morocco). This Moroccan singularity was forged during the long history lived by Muslims and Jews in Muslim Spain and was later consolidated when they were expelled together towards Morocco in the 15th century, they said.  The most determinant element in the relation of attachment between Muslims and Jews in Morocco is the attitude of the King of Morocco, who is also Commander of the Faithful, they said, adding this Royal protection never changed throughout centuries. The speakers unanimously agreed that the Moroccan model, which transcends the logic of confrontation and refuses to cede to the "geo-policy of fear", can serve as an example in the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Israel can never feign to be a state of law as long as the Palestinian people have not retrieved their rights and full dignity, one speaker said.

Morocco's employers union (CGEM) said the 2003 appropriation bill will not spur investments as it is based on "previous orientations and choices that failed to create an environment conducive to economic and social development." "Despite the authorities' will to produce an innovative bill geared to stimulate investments, as an employment-oriented instrument for development, the bill is still entangled in a classical framework," says CGEM in its weekly newsletter "CGEM INFOS." While commending the "modernist" approach of the government's declaration made by the prime minister before the parliament prior to the bill adoption, the same source deems the appropriation bill's provisions as a hindrance to the declaration's implementation itself. The editorial further stresses that the bill either does not take into consideration - or does in some measure -- the government's declaration, which it termed as "ambitious" and containing important measures able to upgrade the national economy, initiate a progressive modernization of the public sector and improve the administration performance. CGEM recalled the propositions it put forward aiming mainly to improve the environment of enterprises operating in various sectors and to set up a fair taxation, as an incentive to economic and social growth.

Morocco is taking part this Jan.11-14 in the world carpet fair of Hanover, together with over 1,000 exhibitors from 65 countries. Morocco will showcase typical rugs representing various Moroccan regions. Germany is the largest outlet for Moroccan rugs, with 76% of production being sold to the European country. In the three first quarters of 2001, Moroccan rugs exports to Germany were worth 17 million Marks. Morocco is the world's 7th largest exporter of carpets, with a total of 400,000 square meters.

Rabat, 2003 Arab culture capital: an opportunity to showcase Morocco's diversity and richness

Morocco's culture minister, Mohamed Achaari, says events scheduled as part of "Rabat, 2003 Arab culture capital" are an opportunity to showcase the Moroccan cultural diversity and richness. The official told a press conference the year-long activities slated for this event will underscore Morocco's strategic position as a link and crossroads of civilizations between the Arab states, Europe and Africa and portray a positive image of Morocco. Several colloquia, exhibitions and movies are scheduled during the event while the Moroccan capital's traditional annual festivals will be maintained. Cultural weeks will be devoted to several Arab states to showcase their artistic, literary and musical richness.  Drama, poetry and civilizations are other highlights of happenings scheduled in the capital's theaters and other sites.

Universal Music, a subsidiary of French group Vivendi Universal, will open a branch in Casablanca, as of next summer, announced Pascal Negre, UM's CEO, in an interview published by Moroccan journal Menara.  "We are about to set up an administrative board with our Moroccan partners and will open a branch next summer in Casablanca," said Negre, adding that the branch will have to work on international and French catalogues and promote Moroccan artists both in Morocco, France and elsewhere. UM's Casablanca branch, he went on, will also make people discover Morocco's traditional music.

He dismissed allegations that VU is planning to withdraw from Moroccan market, stressing that VU's decision to open a branch in Casablanca came in recognition of the Kingdom's "rich history and melting pot culture." "There is an important potential of talents in Morocco that need to be introduced both to Morocco and the rest of the world," he added.  According to Pascal Negre, the Moroccan government wishes to develop and promote Moroccan culture, as evidenced by its endeavours to enforce anti-piracy laws. UM's CEO further disclosed his company's intention to use agencies of Maroc Telecom where VU's stakes amount to 35 percent, as selling outlets for CDs. "We will thus have both a new and different distribution network that will beef up sales in those agencies and help in the fight against piracy," he  said.

Saudi group "Safola" and a group of Moroccan investors decided to create a joint-venture specialized in producing 45,000 tons of vegetal oil per year, to be marketed in Morocco. According to Saudi paper Al Iqtissadia, the capital of this joint venture amounts to US $ 20 million dollars. The plant construction works will kick off this January to be operational by mid-year 2004.  The Saudi group already created a similar venture with Sudanese businessmen, which will start as of next year, in a move to cover the Sudanese market vegetal oil needs, assessed at 250,000 tons/year.

Catholic Information Service For Africa (Nairobi) January 7, 2003 Rabat

In a message for the New Year, Archbishop Vincent Landel of Rabat looks back at the activity in the diocese in 2002.  "I travelled the diocese length and breadth," he writes, and remarks on the fact that the number of tourists, an important source of income for the local people, is decreasing. He recalls major national events, such as the wedding of King Mohammed VI, at which the Archbishop was a special guest, and elections last September.  The Archbishop underlines the need to address the problem of emigration. "More than fifty percent of our young Moroccans have only one thought on their mind: how to reach Europe." Mgr Landel stresses the need to continue to work in this New Year for "peace, justice and forgiveness" as in 2002. He encourages Christians to reach out to followers of Islam with an open heart, in an attitude of listening, exchange and dialogue.

Moroccan women want law to ensure them more local council seats  

RABAT, Jan 8 (AFP) - Moroccan women, largely excluded from politics until a law adopted last year reserved 10 percent of seats in parliament for them, have called for a similar positive quota to be applied in local elections in June.  "Lists (for the local elections) should not have more than two-thirds of candidates of the same sex ... to rectify the virtual absence of women in local government," a coordinating committee of women politicians said in a statement issued in Rabat Tuesday. The positive discrimination law saw the number of women lawmakers jump from two after a 1997 election to 35 in the 325-seat parliament after legislative elections held last October.  Moroccan women currently hold just 84 local council seats out of 24,600 -- or around one-third of one percent of seats chosen in elections in 1997. An increased number of women local councillors would allow "more openness in terms of social affairs", in particular concerning subjects that are virtually ignored at present, such as family life, the statement said.  

aff/dp/kdz/ns  Morocco-politics

LIMA, Jan.09 - A twining accord between the Moroccan Southern city of Dakhla and Peruvian city of Ica was signed here on Wednesday, on the fringes of a visit by Morocco's foreign affairs and cooperation minister, Mohamed Benaissa's to Peru, third leg of a South American tour started Monday.  The accord was deemed by Ica's municipal authorities as "highly significant, between two hard working towns promised to a great future." A representative of Ica's municipal council voiced "thanks and eternal friendship to H.M. King Mohammed VI", who donated camels to help repopulate Peruvian desert Southern regions. Dakhla's municipal council unanimously adopted last November the twining project with Ica, 308 km South of Lima. A major agricultural centre, Ica hosts textile and food industries, and is a tourism destination thanks to its rich historical sites and natural reserves.

Founded in 1563, Ica is home to 150.000 inhabitants living in area of 21,387 square metres. Ica department is divided into five provinces with rich agricultural and mineral potential. Baptized "The City of Eternal Sun", Ica means in local dialect "water that stems from the earth".

© MAP 2003  http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm 

RABAT, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Morocco expects to cut a huge housing shortage of 1.24 million units by half by 2012 through incentives for buyers and an aggressive construction programme, the official MAP news agency said on Thursday.  The new government of Prime Minister Driss Jettou has promised to put 100,000 housing units on the market each year. The agency, quoting Minister-Delegate in charge of Housing and Urbanism Ahmed Toufiq Hjira, said the government hoped to reduce the housing deficit in a country of currently 30 million people to 900,000 units in 2007 and to 570,000 units by 2012.  The minister, who was speaking on a television programme on Wednesday night, said there were 500,000 vacant housing units in the North African country while 260,000 families lived in slums. Attempts in recent years to cut Morocco's housing deficit have been hampered by high prices and rigid mortgage procedures. Jettou said last week he intended to solve the problem by easing financing requirements for buyers and encouraging greater private sector involvement.  

((Reporting by Gilles Trequesser; rabat.newsroom@reuters.com; +212-37720065))

RABAT, Morocco, Jan 09, 2003 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Morocco is preparing to introduce measures to boost its ability to fight terrorism - giving the Muslim kingdom its first legislation directed at tracking down terrorists, a minister said in an interview published Thursday. "The fight against terrorism must be conducted in a legal framework," Human Rights Minister Mohammed Aujjar told the daily "Le Matin du Sahara." Among measures to be presented shortly to the Cabinet is the extension of the detention period for holding suspected terrorists, he said.  People can currently be detained up to six days before being charged. The minister did not specify in the interview how much longer suspected terrorists could be detained under the proposed legislation. The goal is to "harmonize" Moroccan law with that of other nations engaged in the fight against terrorism, Aujjar was quoted as saying.  The tranquil image of this North African kingdom was dealt a blow with the arrests in May of three Saudi Arabians accused of leading an al-Qaida plot to attack U.S. and British warships in the Strait of Gibraltar. Since then, dozens of Moroccans have been arrested in an effort to rout out Islamic extremists.  In the interview, the minister denied accusations by several Moroccan non-governmental organizations that Moroccans had disappeared or been kidnapped. He said the cases were linked to judicial probes against the people in question, underscoring the need for an anti-terrorism law.  The fight against terrorism is a "national duty for the stability of Morocco," the minister was quoted as saying, but "must not be a pretext for violations of human rights."

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