Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
November 22 , 2008

AfDB Approves 10th Drinking Water Supply Project in Morocco.
African Development Bank (Tunis) SPONSOR WIRE  19 November 2008

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved US$ 97.2 million (33.84 million Euros and 53.34 million dollars) loan to finance Morocco's 10th Drinking Water Supply Project, bringing the Bank Group's overall commitment in the country to US$ 5.64 billion in 93 operations since the Bank started operations in the country in 1970.

The project, approved by the Board of Directors on Wednesday in Tunis, builds on the success of Bank-financed projects and their significant contribution to the achievement of Morocco's drinking water supply and sanitation objectives. It aims at reinforcing drinking water production and supply systems of the towns of Khénifra, Taounate, Settat, Marrakech and Tamesna (Rabat-Casablanca coastal zone) , as well as those of neighbouring rural centres, with a view to improving the socio-economic and health conditions of Moroccans by providing drinking water supply to urban and rural centres.

The project will enhance and improve the quantity and quality of water supply for approximately three (3) million people as from 2010 and enable the National Drinking Water Authority (ONEP), as producer and distributor, and the autonomous state-owned companies as distributors, to meet the demand of the inhabitants of the area that are projected to reach five (5) million by 2030. Designed to meet the priority needs adopted by ONEP in its 2008-2010 Investment Plan, the project comprises five (5) operations to reinforce the drinking water production and supply system for areas where the drinking water supply systems will be saturated as from 2010.

The project is in conformity with the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) on the development and upgrading of infrastructure, and falls within the framework of the third focus area of ONEP's strategy concerning sustainability and protection of existing infrastructures. The Bank's 2007-2011 strategy in Morocco is based on three pillars: strengthening governance systems; development and upgrading infrastructure; and promoting of human development. The overall cost of the project is estimated at US$ 118 million. The AfDB loan accounts for 82.3% of the project costs. The remaining 17.7% of the costs will be provided by ONEP.
* 1 UA = US$ 1.48830 = € 1.16665 = MAD 12.2964 as at 19/11/2008 
CONTACT: Felix Njoku - Tel. : +216 71 10 26 12 - E-mail : f.njoku@afdb.org
http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200811200166.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HRH Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco Says NO to Violence against Women
Date: 21 November 2008

HRH Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco signed on to UNIFEM’s Say NO to Violence against Women campaign on her country’s behalf on 10 November 2008. Princess Lalla is President of the National Union of Moroccan Women and the National Monitoring Agency for Children’s Rights, and sister of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco. In her letter of transmittal to the Minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity, she expressed her support for the global movement to end violence against women, and her commitment to the empowerment of Moroccan women and to their social, economic and cultural development.

The UNIFEM-organized Say NO to Violence against Women campaign is a global advocacy and awareness raising effort on ending violence against women, designed to support UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s multi-year UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign. The UNIFEM initiative aims to demonstrate that there is an ever-growing movement of people who Say NO to violence against women and Say YES to make ending it a top priority for governments everywhere. To date, nearly 990,000 people have signed on to the campaign. All signatures collected will be delivered to Mr. Ban on 25 November 2008, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
http://www.unifem.org/news_events/story_detail.php?StoryID=766#
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco among countries that launch comprehensive gender budgeting initiatives, report.
Addis Ababa, 19 Nov. 2008 (MAP)

Morocco is among the countries that have undertaken comprehensive gender budgeting initiatives, according to a progress report of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Since 2005, the Moroccan Ministry of Finance is producing a Gender Report as an annex to the Annual Economic and Financial Report, which accompanies the presentation of the Budget Law, said the document entitled "Ensuring gender equality and women's empowerment in Africa", distributed at the 6th Forum for Africa's Development (ADF VI), held in Addis Ababa (November 19-21).

In 2006, according to the same source, the Moroccan national budget has included a gender report called "gender budget" as part of the Economic and Financial Report together with the Finance Bill. The ministries of finance, education, health, agriculture and rural development were identified by the gender report as priority sectors for gender mainstreaming in their budget formulation and implementation processes.

The forum, which brings together more than five hundred participants representing African governments, civil society, regional and international organizations, will discuss issues relating to, inter alia, HIV/AIDS, rights and reproductive health, education, training and skills development, migration, governance, conflict, peace and security, food security, and climate change.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_among_countr/view
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Lalla Asmaa chairs international charity Bazaar inauguration ceremony.
Rabat, 22 Nov. 2008 (MAP)

Princess Lalla Asmaa, younger sister of king Mohammed VI, presided, here Saturday, over the inauguration ceremony of the diplomatic circle international charity bazaar. Organized under an initiative of the spouses of the ambassadors accredited to Morocco, the fair held in the "Théâtre National Mohammed V" of Rabat included several stands displaying items and handicraft from participating countries, including Pakistan, Croatia, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Gambia, Switzerland, Central Africa, Jordan, the USA and Korea.

On this occasion, President of the diplomatic circle, Fatima Altwaijri, said the circle has financed fifteen projects in the fields of education and training, worth about $ 116,000, and eight health projects at a cost of $ 25,000.
The annual event is meant to assist projects of Moroccan NGOs working in education, health and the promotion of rural women and support the action of charity associations in Morocco.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/princess_lalla_asmaa/view
---------------------------------------------------------

Rabat to host seminar on gender approach in Morocco's transitional justice.
Rabat, 21 Nov. 2008 (MAP)

Rabat will host, on November 25, a national seminar on "The Gender Approach in The Process of Transitional Justice in Morocco". The seminar, sponsored by the the Advisory Council of Human Rights (CCDH) in partnership with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), is held part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Equity and Reconciliation commission (IER).

Participants in the event, which is mainly meant to promote women's rights, will examine the extent to which the gender dimension is integrated in the implementation of the IER recommendations, and will ponder on ways to include the gender dimension in the process of transitional justice in Morocco.

This seminar to bring together various actors involved in the implementation of the IER recommendations will debate Three main topics; namely "gender and the process of transitional justice in Morocco", "gender and memory" and "gender and reparation."
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/rabat_to_host_semina/view
---------------------------------------------------------

Japan grants Morocco 12 tank trucks.
Agadir, 20 Nov. 2008 (MAP)

Japan granted Morocco 12 tank trucks worth $ 467,000 for drinking water supply projects in several rural communes in the provinces of Chtouka Ait Baha, Taroudant and Tiznit (south). The grant is part of the non-refundable Japanese human security assistance for local projects, and is to target a population of 400,000 in the rural communes that are stricken the most by drought.

Speaking on the occasion, Japan's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Hakuku Hirose, said the grant falls within the cooperation process between Morocco and Japan, noting that the Japanese assistance is directed to small-scale communitybased projects in the sectors of fisheries, education, health, and rural infrastructure.

Since the creation of the human security assistance program in 1989, a number of grants have been allocated to Morocco to fund 301 sustainable development projects, and to provide basic services in different rural and urban localities for a cost of $ 14.1 mln.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/japan_grants_morocco_2/view
---------------------------------------------------------

Moroccans to modernise civil registry.
By Sarah Touahri 2008-11-20

By 2011, Moroccan officials hope that millions of citizens will have registered in a new modernised civil registry system. "It will mean a higher quality of personal attention," they said. Morocco is integrating more technology in the day-to-day life of its citizens, starting with computerised civil records across the country. It is a long and complicated process, but it’s on track.

By 2011, the government hopes to have computerised more than 2172 civil registry offices in the country and processed tens of millions of documents. A pilot scheme conducted in Casablanca showed that it will be possible to process 70 documents per day per office.

The goal is to make it easier for citizens to register and retrieve government records. There will be an IT database that should improve services provided for the public. The computerised system will include birth certificates, residency certificates and others. "Sometimes, you have to travel to your place of birth to get a birth certificate," said Samira Benahmad, a teacher. "You have to wait in long queues just to get a birth certificate. This is a problem in terms of time and money. With modernisation of the civil registry, they’ll be able to reduce the pressure on registry offices."

According to interior ministry records, more than one million Moroccans are not registered in stat’s civil records. There are marriage certificates that have not been prepared or recorded. The country's many abandoned children are also missing from the civil records. With modernised registry system, the hope is to include all the citizens in one networked and reliable database. "We have to raise public awareness," said Younès Sekkouri, the director of the modernisation project, "and explain that if people do not appear on the civil records, they cannot access education or receive their national identity card, be employed or vote."

To achieve its goals and organise the process, the government will create a national labelling centre, Sekkouri said. The centre will create and facilitate the process of loading the database on the computerised system. Because it’s a new system, the government will provide training for registry offices staff and improve working conditions, said wali local authorities director Noureddine Boutayeb. "It will mean a higher quality of personal attention," said Hamid Mbarki, who works at a registry office, "a more personalised approach and a reduction in the time taken to obtain services." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/11/20/feature-02
---------------------------------------------------------

Morocco emergency plan incentivises private school investment .
By Sarah Touahri 2008-11-21

The Moroccan government is pursuing a two-part plan to improve the nation's education system, including aid to public institutions and a campaign to expand private schools into rural areas. With many Moroccan families willing to take on the financial burden of private school tuition rather than send their children to overcrowded and often inferior state schools, the government is now working on two fronts to enhance educational options for the country's youth: fixing problems in public institutions and encouraging private school development in rural areas.

Morocco's education ministry wants the private sector to work alongside the state to make education universally available. Incentivising the expansion of private schools also helps relieve the financial burden public education imposes on the government. There are more than 500,000 private school students attending some 1,800 institutions in the Kingdom, according to a survey last year by Moroccan economic TV show magazine EchoEco. The education ministry reports that private education accounts for 7.4% of all school education in Morocco.

The charter for education and training aims to increase that portion to 20% by 2010. In Morocco's big cities, however, there is no shortage of enthusiasm for private schools. There are many parents who prefer to send their children to private establishments, despite the financial constraints. Some even take out bank loans to avoid state schools, which have a number of disadvantages as far as they are concerned. They believe that by doing so they are guaranteeing good quality education for their offspring.

Fatima Bahiji, a nurse, has raised her son Badr on her own following her husband’s death. Her salary is barely enough to cover the rent and essential everyday expenses. Despite finding it difficult to make ends meet, she decided that Badr would be educated in a private school. She has had to work additional hours in a private clinic to achieve this goal. "The school costs 1,500 dirhams per month, which is nearly half of my salary, while the rent is 2,000 dirhams. I had to find a solution so that my son could have a decent education, without violence," she said with conviction.

State schools, she told Magharebia, have been unable to keep up with the needs of the new age, due to the poor morale of teachers, overcrowded classrooms and poorly prepared courses. Like many parents, Mohamed Bezioui, a public sector worker, could not resist the temptation of private education. His daughter Myriam was studying in a well-respected private school in Rabat. But when his second son reached school age, he simply could not send him to the same school as his sister. "After thinking about it for a few days, I decided to send them both a state school. I felt bitter about it, but I wanted to make sure they both had the same opportunities. I would be happier if state schools offered a much better service. Sadly, the level is dropping more and more," he said.

The "collapse" of state schools has had a crippling effect on parents, says sociologist Maraouane Balimi. Today, families are more concerned than ever about their children's future, whereas a few decades ago there was great confidence in state education. "Parents were convinced that a baccalaureate or degree would be sure to guarantee a place in the labour market. But now with the levels of graduate unemployment and the failure of state schooling, families are looking for quality education which will meet the needs of the future," she explained to Magharebia.

The government is encouraging more widespread development in the private school sector, which suffers from a concentration of establishments along the Kénitra-Casablanca axis. Rural areas, where purchasing power is low, are of little interest to investors. Investment in the major cities guarantees a considerable profit margin, investor Mohamed Kamal told Magharebia. It is less certain in the country or in smaller towns. "You have to realise that private schools are set up by investors to make a profit, and that takes priority over any educational aim," he said.

"There is plenty of demand in the cities. The market has not yet been saturated." To generate interest from private education investors in regions outside the usual urban centres, the government has launched several incentives. Investors are not required to pay VAT on equipment and, for the first five years of operations, they receive a 50% exemption from corporate income tax. Educational projects are additionally underwritten by the treasury.

Along with private investors, students and teachers are receiving some government accommodations. Under one such policy, private school teaching staff may take training courses at centres run by the national education ministry. Pupils attending private education establishments can also now sit public examinations and teachers from the state sector may also, once authorised, work part-time in private schools.

Although the government is taking these steps to aid private schools, it is also trying to restore the image of the state education sector. The rehabilitation of public schools is crucial to the development of a democratic and modern Morocco, Education Minister Ahmed Akhchichine said in September when the government unveiled a new multi-tier education strategy. Moreover, the successes of public and private education are inextricably linked, sector leaders maintain.

The 2009-2012 national education reform programme hopes to bring new life to Morocco's schools. Officials say planned reforms will make state schools more attractive, more receptive, and more in tune with the needs of their neighbourhoods.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/reportage/2008/11/21/reportage-01
---------------------------------------------------------

Morocco to build 600 dormitories in rural junior high schools.
Rabat, 20 Nov. 2008 (MAP)

Morocco will build 600 dormitories in rural junior high schools, part of the emergency education program aiming to guarantee equality in compulsory education, State Secretary in charge of Education, Latifa El Abida, said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the House of Representatives' question time, El Abida underlined the deficit in dormitories, underlining that the creation of these facilities will provide 73,000 additional beds and quintuple the number of benefiting students by 2012. The State Secretary said her department will earmark important funds to implement the 2009 emergency education program, which notably aims at promoting social support services.

In this regards, El Abida said the beneficiaries from school canteens in rural areas will increase eightfold and the number of scholarships will quintuple.Within the framework of the schools rehabilitation project, the official said all dormitories throughout Morocco will be revamped and provided with new equipment.

The 2009-2012 emergency education program seeks to extend compulsory education until the age of 15, promote the gender approach, improve schooling quality and fight school dropout. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_to_build_600/view
---------------------------------------------------------

EU loans Morocco 73 million euros to fund administration reform.
Rabat, Nov. 21 (MAP)

The European Union has granted Morocco a €73 mln financial assistance destined to finance the second phase of the reform program of the administration and public governance (PARAP II). The program is part of a strategy to modernize the public administration in order to make it more result-oriented and to improve its efficiency in terms of managing public expenditures and human resources.

Speaking here Friday at the signing ceremony of the grant convention, Finance Minister, Salaheddine Mezouar said PARAP is one of the key projects supporting the changes that are reshaping the face of Morocco. He said the development ambitions of the north African kingdom can only be achieved through the reform of the administration, the aim being to boost the quality of its human resources, bring it closer to the citizen and streamline its procedures.

For his part, the head of the European commission in Rabat, Bruno Dethomas, who signed the deal on behalf of the EU, said PARAP has allowed Morocco to take advantage from the best practices in other countries, while adapting the modalities of the reform to the national characteristics.

PARAP II, which spans over four years, is a continuation of the first phase of the program set up in cooperation with the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box4/eu_loans_morocco_73/view
---------------------------------------------------------

Shouk Lounge: Morocco meets Philadelphia
by Lindsay Lovier , Philadelphia Restaurant Examiner  Nov.21, 2008

Upstairs at Shouk LoungeThe recent cold snap calls for an exotic trip – immediately and preferably somewhere with waving date trees. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t rolling like “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” so this is where my Plan B comes in (and no ladies, I’m not talking about that Plan B, although after a few too many drinks at Shouk…).

As it turns out, you don’t need a Daddy Warbucks to travel to Marrakesh – just enough cash to get you to Queen’s Village. Here you’ll find a wormhole to Morocco by way of Philadelphia, its otherworldly presence announced by an illuminated sign featuring a graphic image of a hookah. How very Alice in Wonderland.

Once inside, the dimly lit spot is filled with hanging glass lanterns, flickering candlelight and a mixed bag of furniture that successfully (though one suspects accidentally) results in some sort of happy bazaar-meets-boho decorating accident. Downstairs, diners nosh on an assortment of small plates – creamy hummus, juicy kabobs, flatbreads and assorted other mezza. Upstairs, in a small bird’s nest of a room overlooking the ground floor, laidback trendsetters smoke flavored tobacco from hookahs. Decked out with plush banquette seating and moody lighting, the upstairs room is preferable for sipping cocktails and smoking as it affords more privacy, while the downstairs tables closest to the door are more suitable for eating. DJ’s spin fun 80’s remixes, new favorites and a variety of upbeat party music late into the night. It’s sexy, romantic and extremely relaxed.

Shouk succeeds as a late night spot to drink Red Turks, nibble on warm pita and smoke sheesha. However, its service falls miserably short of the mark (woefully understaffed) and the music can be overwhelmingly loud. But given the upside and Shouk’s mean Moroccan martinis, it’s a place I’d gladly travel back to, no passport required.
http://www.examiner.com/x-1258-Philadelphia-Restaurant-Examiner~y2008m11d21-Shouk-Lounge-Morocco-meets-Philadelphia
---------------------------------------------------------

Arielle Miles: Lessons from Morocco. Miles speaks English, French, Arabic, Spanish and basic Hebrew.
By Neale McDevitt

Arielle Miles likes logic. That’s one of the reasons she was drawn toward chemistry at Seekonk High School, in Seekonk, Mass. “The periodic table makes so much sense,” she said with a laugh. “You go from left to right, there are certain trends and each element has one more proton.” But Arielle Miles also likes beauty. That’s why, when she stumbled across a book in Arabic at home a few years back, she decided to teach herself the language. “Arabic is such a beautiful script,” she said. “Once I looked at this book, I knew I had to learn it.”

Flash forward to spring 2008 when, after taking two years of Arabic as part of her Arts and Science degree at McGill (for which she is doing a rare chemistry/Middle Eastern Studies double major), Miles got a letter from the U.S. State Department informing her she had won a scholarship to spend the summer studying advanced Arabic in Tangiers, Morocco. The program, part of the National Security Language Initiative, sponsors U.S. citizens to study “critical need” languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindi and Farsi.

Following orientation in Washington, Miles flew to Morocco with the program’s 29 other participants for a seven-day cultural tour of Marrakech, Casablanca and Fez. Once the sightseeing was over, however, it was time to hit the books.

The program was run out of the American School in Tangiers, an English-language school for Moroccan students. Studying three to four hours of grammar every morning from Monday to Friday, and with a heavy assignment load, Miles and her classmates didn’t get to take in too many sights. “The program director made sure we had at least five hours of homework every afternoon,” said Miles. “That made it kind of hard to go into the city.”

“Eventually I told myself to stop being such a goody two- shoes and go out and meet people,” Miles said.
Once off school grounds, Miles’s education in Arabic began in earnest. “Right away, I found out the big problem was that no one in Morocco speaks the kind of classical Arabic we were learning,” said Miles with a chuckle. “The Moroccan dialect is notorious for being totally incomprehensible to anyone who isn’t from the region.”

As a foreigner speaking the highest form of Arabic, Miles got bemused – if not impressed – looks from Moroccans. “They would play along, trying to imitate me,” said Miles. “It was fun because they had to try to speak a register of Arabic they hadn’t studied since high school.” Think wheeling out your rusty subjunctive from your old high school French courses.

Miles says that her McGill studies combined with her Moroccan experience have made her Arabic adventure more than an exercise in linguistics. “You can’t learn a language like Arabic without becoming immersed in the culture,” she said. “Eventually, I’d like to learn Palestinian Arabic because part of my motivation is that I’m Jewish and I think it is important to communicate with people as equals.” What could be more logical than that?
http://reporter.mcgill.ca/2008/11/arielle-miles-lessons-from-morocco/
---------------------------------------------------------

Washington D.C. restaurant Marrakesh is a taste of Morocco.
Jennifer Barthole

Located on New York Avenue in Washington, D.C., Marrakesh is one of Washington's most remarkable restaurants. It offers a unique dining experience and a taste of Moroccan culture. For three decades, the restaurant has been critically acclaimed, and it is certainly worthy of that praise. Everything from the atmosphere to the entertainment and the food will leave you anticipating your next visit.

Instantly, the Marrakesh experience begins as you knock on a heavy door outside of the restaurant. A host opens up and invites you in, as if he or she is bringing you into a home. The intimate ambiance continues inside of the restaurant, which can only be described as a Moroccan living room. Couches adorned with oriental rugs are divided into sections for large groups. The walls are covered with richly colored silk tapestries and golden urns sitting on shelves. Soft Moroccan instrumentals and dim lighting add to the cozy environment.

As soon as my group was seated, our waitress sat on a couch facing us and casually took our drink orders. Encounters like this make Marrakesh's staff personable yet professional. Throughout your meal, you may have up to five different servers dressed in traditional Moroccan garb. Each is open to answering questions and explaining the Marrakesh experience.

The most unique feature of Marrakesh is its lack of utensils. Fellow diners share a large plate of authentic Moroccan food which they are encouraged to dive into using their hands. Any inhibitions are erased after a server pours warm water on each persons hands, cleaning them.

Each group receives a seven-course meal (yes, seven) beginning with warm bread and eggplant dip and ending with fruit and baklava. The traditional Moroccan dishes are fresh and tasty. Some of the dishes were spicy chicken in cumin sauce, lamb with almonds and honey and couscous with raisins and eggs. The most interesting was a chicken pastry with nuts, eggs and onions. A seven-course vegetarian option is available as well.

The restaurant is a celebrity favorite as well. Pictures of the owner with everyone from the likes of Brad Pitt to Bill Clinton cover an entire hallway.

For a meal that will keep you full for days and the ultimate dining experience, the meal is prix fixe at $35 a person.
http://media.www.loyolagreyhound.com/media/storage/paper665/news/2008/11/18/ArtsSociety/Washington.D.c.Restaurant.Marrakesh.Is.A.Taste.Of.Morocco-3548122.shtml
---------------------------------------------------------

Sahara dunes to set tone of Tan-Tan festival.
Tan-Tan, 21 Nov. 2008 (MAP)

Moroccan and foreign tourists will pour into the southern city of Tan-Tan to celebrate the desert and nomadic life, as part of the fifth Tan-Tan festival, slated for November 28-30.

Nomadic tribes from all over the Sahara -Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and as far as Niger- will meet in the southern city and set up tents to pay tribute to a lifestyle that few men and women struggle to keep alive within a globalized world. The tents will hold thematic displays on Berber and Hassani lifestyles: cooking, marriage ceremonies, weaving, popular games, the teaching of the Koran, and the nomadic lifestyle. Through the nights of the three-day festival, the dunes will vibrate to the sounds of concerts given by local and foreign folklore groups in wonderful spots. A special night will be held at the embouchure of Chbika river, one of the few breaks in the undulating cliffs where the flat, rocky hammada landscape of the desert meets the sure, strong currents of the Atlantic Ocean. However, the major entertainment will incontestably be the Camel, the “desert ship”. Tourists and participants alike will queue to follow camel races, the popular sports of the desert, and camel parades that feature the best camels in the region. The festival will feature other sports and cultural activities, such as the 2nd international road race, Hassani poetry and movie screening.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/culture/sahara_dunes_to_set/view
---------------------------------------------------------

Symposium calls for fostering awareness of child sexual abuse phenomenon.
Rabat, 20 Nov. 2008 (MAP)

Participants in a symposium held here Wednesday on the occasion of the World Children's Day have stressed the need to foster awareness of child sexual abuse and to devise the appropriate mechanisms to address the phenomenon. During the meeting, initiated by the Coalition Against Sexual Abuse of Children (COCASSE), participants stressed the necessity to resort to specific means and methods to protect children from sexual abuse and to enforce the relevant legal provisions to this end, calling for devising a specific law against sexual abuses.

The symposium debates focused on the fight against all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation whether at home, at school or through the internet and the media. The conference was marked by the participation of many Moroccan and foreign human rights and child rights defenders and civil society's actors.

Morocco is among the signatory countries to the Convention on the Rights of the Child since 1993. The COCASSE, set up in 2006, musters 56 civil society associations which endeavor to fight sexual assault against children.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/symposium_calls_for/view
##########################################################

These postings are provided without permission of the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the identified copyright owner.  The poster does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the message, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Return to Friends of Morocco Home Page