FOM Newsletter July 2003
Morocco Week in Review 
July 19 2003

Morocco reiterates resolve to fight all forms of injustice against women.
Morocco to Host World Congress of Youth
Central Bank Governor Briefs H.M King Mohammed VI on Economy Performance
Prime minister sees modernization of public service as key to fulfilling economic aspirations
Morocco to cancel some reservations on international conventions
Morocco braced to consolidate democracy through coming elections, Moroccan premier
Morocco's May deflation 1.3 pct yr/yr
Women associations call Moroccan government to honor its commitments
King Mohammed receives director Ridley Scott and Producer Branko Lustig
Agadir's festival of popular, nomadic music starts; US jazz musician to join

Morocco reiterates resolve to fight all forms of injustice against women.

Culture, 7/17/2003

Morocco reiterated in New York on Tuesday before the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) its resolve to endeavor for fighting all forms of discrimination against Moroccan women.

Presenting Morocco's second periodic report on the implementation of the convention of the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, Morocco's  Ambassador to the UN, Mohammed Bennouna, underlined that this process is being conducted in Morocco "within the respect of our religion, culture, and civilization."

He also detailed Morocco's moves to materialize the convention, underlining that Morocco is keen on having women play an important role in various walks of life.

In 2002, the scope of responsibilities taken by women was enlarged, he said, citing as an example the 30 seats reserved to women at the House of Representatives.

The diplomat also recalled that micro-credits allocated by the government and that benefited mainly to women part of a policy to help poor populations, adding that substantial progress was achieved regarding women access to education, health and labor.

As to the national strategy to fight violence against women, it includes several axes that deal most importantly with legislative reforms, extending assistance to violence-victim women and developing infrastructures, financial resources and human resources development.

Adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, CEDAW is often described as an international bill of rights for women that defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. By accepting the Convention, States commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms.

Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.

The Convention is the only human rights treaty which affirms the reproductive rights of women and targets culture and tradition as influential forces shaping gender roles and family relations

Morocco to Host World Congress of Youth

RABAT, July 17 - Morocco will play host next August 16-28 to the second World Congress of Youth, which will take place in Casablanca.

The international event, which follows the first Millennium Youth Congress held in Hawaii in 1999, is being organised in partnership between the Moroccan Youth Forum of the Third Millennium and non governmental organisation "Peace Child International."

The congress will bring together some 1,000 young delegates aged 15 to 25 from all over the world to discuss promoting tolerance, solidarity and youth-led action for sustainable development. Young participants will be selected through national consultations organised by the countries invited to participate in the congress, or will be selected as active members of NGOs involved in sustainable development.

Participants will debate in the twelve-day congress means to support the United Nations efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), elaborate a declaration to be addressed to the UN Secretary General and members states to encourage them to further involve young people in the achievement of the MDGs and participate in sustainable development projects throughout the 16 regions of Morocco.

The action projects deal with poverty, food-security, fighting AIDS and illiteracy, health, the promotion of cultural and sports activities and gender equality, environment protection and natural resources preservations.

Renowned figures from the world of culture, politics, art, sports and communication are invited to the congress and as well as UN good-will ambassadors to supervise and sponsor action projects.   UN secretary general and president of the European Union commission are expected to address a message to the congress. MAP 2003

Central Bank Governor Briefs H.M King Mohammed VI on Economy Performance

RABAT, July 14 - H.M. King Mohammed VI received this Monday afternoon at the Royal Palace in Rabat the Wali (governor) of Bank Al Maghrib (central bank), Abdellatif Jouahri, who presented to the sovereign the Bank's annual report on the state of Morocco's economy in 2002.

The report notes that, despite a negative international environment, the Moroccan economy posted favorable results as it was able to maintain domestic and international balances.

Although the GDP growth did not exceed 3.2% after having reached 6.3% a year before, the employment situation has improved while inflation, though in progression, remains moderate and the current account of the balance of payments once again posted a surplus.

Despite failure to go ahead with some privatization operations, the budget deficit was reduced, although it remained short of the initially-set target of 3% of the GDP. This good performance was mainly the result of non-financial resources, says the document that notes that the progression of the currency reserves was overall conform to forecasts, enabling, thus the continuation of the interest rate reduction policy.

The foreign currency reserves reached an unprecedented level, accounting for over nine months of imports, at a time Morocco carried on its process of active foreign debt management.

Likewise, the report goes on, although the budget deficit exceeded the ceiling of 3% of the GDP, it was maintained at 4.3%, a rate that stands well below the level reached in 2002, privatization proceeds excluded.

The performance was ascribed to the increase in fiscal receipts, a reduction in operation expenses and the alleviation of the clearing and interests load.

Including the reimbursement of external debt, the early paying back of expensive loans and the swapping of debts into investments, the public treasury financing needs were high. But they were easily covered by recourse to the bidding market in a context of liquidity abundance. 

Regarding external transactions, the report notes that exports progressed at a pace of 7.4%, much more frantically that the rhythm of imports, inducing a high trade deficit, though it slightly regressed, while the coverage of imports by exports reached 66.5%.

Buoyed by a high level of tourism receipts and Moroccan expatriates' remittances, the current account of the balance of payments has again posted a surplus that accounts for 4.1% of the GDP while the surplus of the general balance stood at 7 billion Dirhams (US$ 736.8 million)

The report concludes that inflation remained moderate (2.8%) and the increase in the price of non-food goods and of services even slowed down to 1.6% in 2002.

For Bank Al Maghrib, this year's economic and financial performances show that Morocco has consolidated gains achieved in macro-economic stabilization, a crucial condition to fulfill the country's growth and employment goals. 

However, the report notes that the national economy remains weakened by the public finance reliance on non-recurrent receipts and by the load of running expenses, mainly civil servants and debt expenses. Other factors affecting the Moroccan economy include the poor development of long-saving and the protraction of the process to ease financing conditions of small and medium-sized enterprises and to upgrade industry.

The report recommends that public authorities and enterprises should endeavor to speed up the economy competitiveness upgrading, in order to improve financial transparency and, therefore, contain costs to integrate an increasingly competitive environment.

The Bank also sees that the Moroccan legislation and regulation arsenal should be adapted to the evolution of the national economy and even to the international context. © MAP 2003

Prime minister sees modernization of public service as key to fulfilling economic aspirations

Economics, 7/12/2003

Moroccan prime minister, Driss Jettou, said on Thursday the key to fulfilling economic aspirations lies in modernizing public sectors and their management means as well as improving the administration's capacity to meet openness and competition requirements.

The prime minister, who made a report on his government's action at the House of Representatives, said the government has devised a comprehensive program meant to lay down the bases of a modern and transparent administration. Likewise, he went on, the government has also developed an e-government program in order to provide information to citizens and, consequently, facilitate access to the administration basic services.

Furthermore, said the prime minister, in a bid to improve standards of public officials and fight corruption, a law that compels administrations to justify their decisions entered into force on February 1st as a text that will establish modern relationships between the administration and citizens, on the basis of transparence and responsibility. In the same vein, the government is drafting an anti-corruption bill that will be referred to the parliament.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030712/2003071218.html

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Morocco to cancel some reservations on international conventions

Politics, 7/14/2003

Moroccan human rights minister, Mohamed Aujjar, said on Friday his department is preparing a project to cancel reservations expressed by Morocco on some international conventions, provided that they do not contradict Islam and the constitution.

The official told a press conference, held to present Morocco's 2nd periodic report on the implementation of the international convention for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, explained that gains achieved in several fields have led Morocco to reduce reservations it had on international conventions.

Morocco is strictly observing international conventions it has ratified, in the respect of Islam teachings and national law, he insisted.

Morocco will present a comprehensive report on the situation of women in Morocco, with accurate statistics on the access of women to executive positions and data on efforts made by Morocco to fight gender-based discrimination, promote women's rights to education, health services and work and struggle against exploitation and violence against women.

The report was compiled by several ministerial department, including the ministries of family, solidarity and social action, education and youth, justice and human rights.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030714/2003071415.html

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Morocco braced to consolidate democracy through coming elections, Moroccan premier

Politics, 7/12/2003

Moroccan prime minister, Driss Jettou, renewed on Thursday the government's resolve to endeavor so that the coming elections consecrate the democratic process and civil liberties, as part of the rule of law guaranteed by King Mohammed VI.

The prime minister who made a government declaration at the chamber of representatives to evaluate the government's action in the past eight months, vowed that the government will "create an appropriate political atmosphere, take all organizational and material measures and mobilize the administrative and security bodies to guarantee free and transparent elections." He added that the government is also committed to have democracy prevail over all other considerations and interests.

Morocco will be holding elections to chose members of urban and rural communes, prefectoral and provincial assemblies,  regional councils, representatives of professional chambers and of wage-earners and renewal of one third of the chamber of advisors (upper parliamentary chamber).

Jettou stressed that this electoral agenda will consolidate the democratic process and constitute a source of pride for all Moroccans and a reply to all champions of obscurantism and despotism.

The prime minister also hoped that the coming elections will be a new opportunity to increase the presence of women in elected bodies, in a natural continuation of achievements covered so far regarding the presence of women in the House of  representatives.

For the government, he insisted, the participation of women in political, economic and social life in Morocco is a must if Morocco is to win future challenges.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030712/2003071222.html

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Morocco's May deflation 1.3 pct yr/yr

RABAT, July 15 (Reuters) - Morocco experienced deflation of 1.3 percent year-on-year in May as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the state Statistics Directorate said on Tuesday.  Inflation for 2003 is forecast at 2.0 percent down from 2.8 percent in 2002.

May's CPI rose 0.2 percent compared to April due mainly to a 0.4 percent rise in the foodstuff prices index and 0.1 percent rise in the non-foodstuff prices index, the directorate said.  Officials at the directorate said the CPI was unstable in the first half of

the year because of speculation about the outcome of the farming season. It is set to stabilise from June.  Morocco has announced a bumper cereals harvest for 2003 and hiked tariffs on cereals imports to prevent prices from crashing on the local market. Foodstuff accounts for nearly 45 percent of CPI's total basket weighting. ((Reporting by Souhail Karam, Reuters Messaging: souhail.karam.reuters.com@reuters.net; +212-37 720065))

http://www.zawya.com/ 

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Women associations call Moroccan government to honor its commitments

Politics, 7/17/2003

A group of women non-governmental organization called on Tuesday the government to live up to its commitments in women issues.

The government should honor its commitments by crafting a clear and coherent policy to eliminate all kinds of discrimination against women, said Amina Lemrini, member of the Democratic Association of Moroccan women (ADFM), in a press conference during which NGOs presented a counter-report to the government's periodic report submitted to the international "convention on the elimination of discrimination against women."

The NGOs report to be also referred to the 29th session of the convention was developed by 22 associations. It deals with six "fundamental and structural issues on which the associations want the UN meeting to question the Moroccan government," said the ADFM representative.

The six issues are related to the absence in Morocco of a clear and coherent policy to end gender-based discrimination, the personal statute law reforms, gender equality, the absence of an integrated and resolved strategy to promote the culture of equality and the problem of violence against women.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030717/2003071722.html

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King Mohammed receives director Ridley Scott and Producer Branko Lustig

 Local, 7/15/2003

Morocco's King Mohammed VI received this Monday afternoon at the royal palace of Rabat director Ridley Scott and producer Branko Lustig.

Scott who already shot in Morocco two acclaimed movies, Gladiator in 1999 and Black Hawk Down in 2002 informed the sovereign of his project to shoot in Essaouira (southwestern Morocco) and Ouarzazate (southern Morocco) his new movie on the life of Salah Eddine Al Ayoubi.

The movie, to be produced by the 20th Century Fox, will be one of the biggest cinema productions of the beginning of this century. Spain will be another location for the movie.

The sovereign voiced Morocco's will to extend all the needed support to the project, underscoring the economic and social impact that the motion picture industry had on several southern Moroccan regions.

Scott described the meeting as "decisive" in the ongoing process for a final decision regarding the choice of Morocco as a location for the movie.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030715/2003071518.html

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Agadir's festival of popular, nomadic music starts; US jazz musician to join

Economics, 7/12/2003

The first festival of Popular and Nomads Music of the region of Souss (southern Morocco) opened in Agadir (southern Morocco Atlantic city) on Thursday with the participation of some 600 musicians, artists and dancers from Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, America and Europe.

The festival's opening ceremony was followed by a parade of women wearing traditional outfits and carrying huge dolls and 500 musicians and artists that formed diverse musical groups, all walking through the different roads of the city.

The four-day cultural event will offer a unique atmosphere as it will gather for the first time artists from various regions of the world who will make improvised performances the way they have been performing in their villages of origin for decades to highlight a rich and spirited heritage.

Renowned US jazzmen like Arthur Blythe, Chico Freeman and Corey Harris will also take part in the event along with Berber and nomad musicians and a French street show group.

The festival also features sculpture workshops and conferences by Moroccan and European researchers and academics.

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