35 Years of CNDH: Morocco Reaffirms Commitment to Human Rights
Rabat – 35 years ago, Morocco took a bold step. Long before global standards emerged, the country established its first national human rights institution on May 8, 1990, laying the groundwork for what would become a key pillar in its governance landscape.
This week, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) marks that turning point. The anniversary speaks not only to the passage of time, but to the country's steady shift toward greater accountability, justice, and rights protection.
The Council's president, Amina Bouayach, sees this moment as more than symbolic. 'We are looking back on a path of transformation, but also of construction. Morocco changes constantly, so must we,' she said.
What began as a modest advisory body has grown into a constitutional institution with regional branches and a far-reaching mandate.
Since 2018, the Council has operated with expanded powers to address violations, support victims, and defend freedoms.
Morocco had already taken this path in the early 1990s, three years before the UN adopted the Paris Principles that define how human rights institutions should function.
That early move, Bouayach said, reflected a national decision to address past abuses and build a system based on truth, justice, and reconciliation. The country marked the 20th anniversary of that process earlier this year.
Over the years, the Council has played a role in major reforms: from restructuring the justice system and revising the Constitution to observing elections and launching discussions around Morocco's Family Code. 'We are not outside of national dynamics, we stand in the middle of them,' Bouayach explained.
Under the slogan '35 Years: Rights. Freedoms. Effectiveness', the Council plans to mark the anniversary throughout 2025. The goal is to reinforce the rule of law, support victims where needed, and ensure that rights do not remain theoretical but become real and enforceable.
Morocco's human rights body asserts that it stands on principles of independence and accountability. But it also carries a story, one of political will, institutional learning, and the belief that no reform holds weight unless it protects human dignity. Tags: CNDHCNDH Morocochuman rightsmorocco human rights
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Maroc
2 days ago
- Maroc
HRC: Morocco Calls for Placing Human Rights at Heart of Anti-corruption Efforts
Morocco's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Omar Zniber, called on Friday for placing human rights at the heart of all anti-corruption initiatives. "A human rights-based approach remains the cornerstone of any effective anti-corruption strategy," Zniber stated at the opening of a high-level side event on "Human Rights and Anti-Corruption in Practice," held on the sidelines of the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. "From Morocco's perspective, prevention must lie at the center of all efforts to eliminate this scourge from our societies," he noted at the event held by the core group behind the resolution on "The Negative Impact of Corruption on the Enjoyment of Human Rights." The diplomat underlined that the Marrakech Declaration, adopted in 2011, remains a "key roadmap" for states aiming to align anti-corruption efforts with human rights objectives. He further urged stronger synergy between the HRC's work and the monitoring of the declaration's implementation. He also highlighted Morocco's "significant progress" in the fight against corruption as part of its national effort to promote and protect human rights. He cited Morocco's 2011 Constitution, which introduced laws penalizing conflicts of interest, insider trading, and financial crimes, alongside the establishment of the National Authority for Integrity, Prevention, and Anti-Corruption. Reflecting on the impact of corruption, the diplomat warned that it "undermines social cohesion, erodes trust in public institutions, exacerbates inequality, and fosters conditions for the most serious human rights violations." "Effective policies to prevent and combat corruption are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030," he said, adding that "States carry the primary responsibility to prevent and remedy human rights violations arising from corruption." This fundamental obligation was highlighted by the founding report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee in 2015, whose recommendations have since been incorporated into the Council's biannual resolution presented by Morocco on behalf of the core group, which also includes Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Ecuador, the diplomat recalled. This year's resolution builds on progress made since 2015, aiming to clarify states' procedural and substantive obligations in upholding human rights within anti-corruption frameworks. The side event was co-organized by the resolution's sponsors, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Transparency International, and the UNCAC Coalition. It sought to foster stronger links between the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption and international human rights mechanisms, offering practical tools and sharing experiences to help bridge the gap between anti-corruption efforts and human rights protection. MAP: 19 June 2025
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Morocco World
Morocco's Bouayach Meets UN Chief to Call for Rights-Based Global Reform
Rabat – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Amina Bouayach, head of Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and current president of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), to discuss how national institutions could claim a stronger voice in shaping the global agenda. The meeting, held yesterday at the UN headquarters in New York, reflects a growing push from Bouayach and the GANHRI network to ensure that institutions rooted in local realities help guide international decisions, especially as the world confronts overlapping crises. Bouayach spoke on behalf of more than 120 national institutions across the globe. She thanked Guterres for placing rights at the core of the UN's work and called his 'Call to Action' and the 'Pact for the Future' crucial reference points for those working to defend dignity on the ground. 'Human rights are not a decorative element of global diplomacy,' she said. 'They form the very core of justice. National institutions speak with the voices of those who often go unheard, victims, citizens, activists, and carry their realities from the field to decision-making halls.' During the meeting, Bouayach laid out two key proposals to Guterres. First, she called for national institutions to be granted formal participation in key UN platforms held in New York, such as the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), and the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). These forums shape the UN's long-term goals, and Bouayach argued that national institutions, with their direct knowledge of conditions on the ground, would bring valuable contributions. Second, she urged for a greater role for GANHRI in the upcoming 'UN80' initiative, a UN-wide reflection ahead of its 80th anniversary. With growing mistrust in global systems and widening gaps between people and power, Bouayach urged the UN to restore the balance between its three founding pillars: peace and security, development, and human rights. 'This moment calls for courage,' she said. 'Rights must return to the center of international reform.' Bouayach also pointed to the existing partnership between GANHRI, the UN Human Rights Office, and UNDP as a model of collaboration that supports national institutions in bolstering their work and independence. This tripartite effort held its annual gathering in New York earlier this week, just before she met with Guterres. 'The challenges we face today are not abstract. They touch lives,' Bouayach lamented. 'GANHRI will remain fully engaged in defending rights across borders. We ask the United Nations to stand with us, so that every country has an institution that protects the dignity of its people, with independence and real impact,' she added. Bouayach was elected president of GANHRI by unanimous vote in March. The election followed strong backing from the African regional group, NANHRI, which officially nominated Bouayach in January 2025. Tags: Amina BouayachCNDHGuterreshuman rightsMorocco
Morocco World
14-06-2025
- Morocco World
CNDH President: Child Participation Must Be Written into Moroccan Law
Rabat – Amina Bouayach, President of Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH), said children are not just beneficiaries of rights but active participants in shaping the laws and policies that affect them. Bouayach made remarks during the national consultation with children, held in Rabat on June 13 and 14. The national event brought together children from all 12 regions of Morocco, after a year-long series of regional consultations launched in February 2023. Supported by UNICEF, the consultations aimed to strengthen children's participation in public decisions, and to help prepare a parallel children's report to be submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in September. This journey started in Guelmim in February 2023 and closed in Es-Semara in February 2024. 'Together with the children, we launched an unprecedented experience that lasted a full year, aiming to reinforce the principle of participation,' Bouayach said. She added that this initiative shows that children are capable of deep reflection and making realistic recommendations, 'not just on issues that affect them directly, but on issues that concern us all as a society.' Bouayach commended the children's democratic practice during the election of their national representatives and described their contribution as a model of participatory democracy. She also called for the principle of child participation to be formally included in Morocco's upcoming Child Code. According to Bouayach, this work marks a shift from consultation to what she calls 'contractual participation,' a method of working with children, not just for them. She stressed that this participatory model should be legally protected and structured through clear laws or administrative rules. As part of the two-day consultation, children led the discussion sessions and workshops, including a drawing activity focused on safe digital spaces. The event ended with the launch of the 'Rabat Call,' a collective statement expressing children's vision and top priorities. Two child representatives will travel to Geneva in September to present this report and share the views of Morocco's children directly with the UN. UNICEF Morocco's Representative, Laura Bill, noted the importance of including children's voices in all stages of government policy. CNDH and UNICEF are set to sign a new cooperation agreement to continue strengthening children's participation in Morocco under the theme: 'Listen. Act. Participate.' Tags: child codechildrenCNDHpolitics
