SOUTH OF MOROCCO: PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS AMONG FOUR REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONS AND BAR ASSOCIATION TO COURTS OF APPEAL

Four partnership agreements were signed, on Friday 26 March 2021 in Agadir, south of Morocco, among the CNDH’s Regional Commissions of Souss-Massa, Guelmim-Oued Noun, Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab and the Bar Association to the Appeal Courts of Agadir, Guelmim and Laayoune.

Ms. Amina Bouayach, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), announced that the CNDH intends, through these agreements, to promote the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality as rules governing the management of justice, when it comes to restrictions of several fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

On this occasion, she affirmed that the CNDH is well aware of the international normative framework governing the profession of lawyers, particularly the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and several relevant programs. The CNDH is also aware of the legal dimension and the efforts of attorneys in reinforcing and developing the human rights system, taking into account the universality and indivisibility of human rights.

Within the same context, Ms. Bouayach regretted that women are not represented in the Bar Council of Agadir, Guelmim and Laayoune following its election in December 2020.

CNDH Chairperson considered that the absence/ the weak representation of women brings to the fore the issue of the implementation of the principle of parity, as a constitutional pillar of the policies against discrimination between men and women. This issue also brings to attention the societal debate on reinforcing women's access to decision-making positions.

Ms. Bouayach said that the CNDH’s strategy is based on the principle of the effectiveness of rights. This concept is not limited to questioning laws, assessing their ability to change reality and facilitate citizens' access to their basic human rights, especially through litigation. Extra-legal factors should be also taken into account.

By implementing the principle of effectiveness of rights, the CNDH aims at being an effective and accessible redress mechanism and a space for meaningful debate to promote pressing human rights issues.

These Partnership agreements were signed on the occasion of the inauguration of the new administrative compound of the Bar Association to the Appeal Courts of Agadir, Guelmim and Laayoune.

Minister of Justice and national /local judicial, administrative and human rights personalities took part in this event.