MOROCCO: UNITED NATIONS DEMOCRACY FUND PROJECT

UNCLAS RABAT 000742 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG, IO/RHS FOR LEATHAM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID KDEM KPAO PGOV PREL OIIP MO SUBJECT: MOROCCO: UNITED NATIONS DEMOCRACY FUND PROJECT REF: A. STATE 19781 ¶B. 06 RABAT 00024 ¶1. (U) Summary: The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) is supporting "Promoting Women's Role(s) in the Transitional Justice Process in Morocco" with a $350,000 grant for a two-year period (reftel A). This project is being implemented by UNIFEM North Africa in coordination with the Consultative Council on Human Rights (CCDH),a Moroccan parastatal which oversees the implementation and coordination of human rights laws and concerns throughout the country. On April 23, Post met with UNIFEM to review project progress. The project began in January and is still in the organizational stages. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Background: The Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER) which investigated the egregious human rights violations committed by the Government of Morocco (GOM) from 1956 through 1999, the "years of lead," submitted its final report and recommendations to King Mohammed VI on November 30, 2005. The king accepted all of the IER's recommendations and tasked the CCDH with the implementation of the recommendations (reftel B). Among the recommendations was increasing awareness and protection of women's human rights and ensuring the payment of reparations to women whose rights had been denied during the "years of lead." The UNDEF project will ensure the recognition of women's experiences who had their rights violated. ¶3. (U) Project to date: During an April 23 meeting, the UNIFEM coordinator, Zineb Touimi Benjelloun and the Women's Human Rights Program Coordinator, Leila Rhiwi, said that UNIFEM that the project team has been formed, an action/work plan has been prepared, and the necessary documentation on specific cases from the IER's recommendations has been consolidated. UNIFEM did not share a copy of the action/work plan; however, the coordinators indicated that they are "on track." The action/work plan includes a series of training sessions on women's human rights issues and gender equity for the CCDH, local nongovernmental organizations, and parliamentarians. A national seminar has also been proposed as has an "awareness raising" curriculum on women's experiences. A report on gender equity and "transitional justice" will also be produced. ¶4. (U) Comment: Benjelloun informed Post that the project was funded so it could become a model for other countries in the region, i.e., the "Arab World." It is likely that she was making reference to the uniqueness of the IER and the king's acceptance of the IER's recommendations as much as she was to sensitizing Moroccans to women's stories during the "years of lead." End Comment. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** RILEY