Morocco aims to enhance human rights reporting credibility with new interministerial approach
via Le Matin7 min read
Morocco is preparing to submit three periodic human rights reports to UN committees, covering the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This initiative aims to strengthen Morocco's credibility within the international human rights system. Mohamed El Habib Belkouch, the interministerial delegate, emphasized the need to revise working methods to ensure reports accurately reflect state efforts and challenges, moving beyond a "showcase report" culture. The reports will cover an extended period of approximately ten years, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation of national performance across legislative, operational, and programmatic levels. This period includes significant reforms such as the social protection framework law and revisions to the criminal procedure code, as well as responses to global health crises and natural disasters like the Al Haouz earthquake. The Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights DIDH has developed three thematic matrices to structure sectoral contributions, addressing specific questions from UN committees. For reports on civil and political rights and the rights of the child, Morocco will use a simplified procedure based on targeted question lists. A tight deadline requires ministerial contributions by early June 2026, with the final reports due to UN committees by the end of 2026 for review in 2027. Beyond these repo
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
The government is addressing repayment difficulties faced by some beneficiaries of the Forsa program, which has supported over 21,000 project holders since its launch. The program emphasizes accompaniment, with nearly 16,000 projects currently active due to monitoring, supervision, and coaching. For entrepreneurs experiencing constraints in meeting repayment deadlines, the government offers the option to request credit rescheduling based on individual situations, providing additional time to consolidate activities. Between June 2025 and June 2026, 4,600 rescheduling requests were filed. To date, approximately 1,400 beneficiaries have completed the necessary steps to defer loan repayments for up to twelve months, following an amendment to their loan and guarantee contracts. Other requests are still under review by financial institutions in coordination with regional stakeholders. The support system for the first edition of the program, launched in 2022, is provided by financial institutions and regional offices, while incubators support project holders from the second edition, initiated in 2023. These measures aim to sustain the entrepreneurial momentum of the Forsa program and reduce business failures, highlighting post-financing support as crucial for project longevity.
Meryem Belhoussine's research, based on testimonies from over 80 former Moroccan female parliamentarians, highlights the persistent exclusion of women from political governance. She identifies financial and sociocultural obstacles, such as limited resources for campaigns and gender stereotypes within parties, as well as "invisible resistances" like psychological violence and unfulfilled promises. Many women wait 30 to 35 years in activism before reaching parliament, revealing systemic dysfunctions. While quotas have significantly increased women's presence in parliament, they haven't transformed party operations, which remain opaque and influenced by informal networks. Quotas have often led to women being elected through reserved lists rather than competitive local constituencies, and are sometimes seen as political rent rather than merit-based promotion. Belhoussine notes that Moroccan political parties, despite constitutional reforms and legal requirements for female representation in leadership, often only partially adhere to these obligations without developing genuine strategies for promoting female leadership. She argues that the main challenge is no longer just getting women into institutions, but ensuring they have equal conditions, career prospects, and evaluation criteria as men. For the upcoming September 23, 2026 legislative elections, Belhoussine emphasizes that parties must invest in women in truly competitive constituencies. She advocates for democratizing the
Must ReadThe 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting concluded with the signing of several agreements across strategic sectors. These agreements demonstrate the commitment of both nations to deepen their strategic partnership through structured projects. The meeting, held in Rabat, signifies a new phase in the cooperation between Morocco and France.