MEPI UPDATE FOR MOROCCO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 000813 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/PI and PDAS CARPENTER, DRL TUNIS FOR MEPI RO SIPDIS E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV ETRD EINV KMPI MO SUBJECT: MEPI UPDATE FOR MOROCCO REF: A) Rabat 0399, B) 06 Rabat 2509 ¶1. Summary: This cable highlights MEPI programs and initiatives in Morocco from January 1-March 31. Activities included the Advancing Learning and Employability for a Better Future (ALEF) literacy project, pharmaceutical and Agribusiness workshops, preparations for the 2007 legislative elections, the International Republican Institute's (IRI) activities, a conference on media development, a National Colloquium on Judicial Ethics, the Moroccan Center for Civic Education (MCCE) and Scholastic's activities, Financial Services Volunteer Corps (FSVC) and Global Rights projects. Implementers are partnering with local NGOs at the grassroots level to support numerous programs committed to reform in the four MEPI pillars. End Summary. -------------- ALEF LITERACY -------------- ¶2. ALEF literacy project held various training workshops for literacy teachers in communication and facilitation, instruments for monitoring and evaluation. ALEF was invited by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to present the Literacy program as part of MOE's second national conference on literacy. MOE has confirmed its support for the Passerelle program (a bridge from colloquial dialects to classical Arabic),introduced with ALEF leadership and assistance, to be integrated officially into the government's full literacy program in 2007-08. At the Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, the university opened its doors on March 8th to celebrate international women's day. The event included a competition on knowledge pertaining to the family code, which involved only women drawn from ALEF-supported literacy classes. -------------- PHARMACEUTICAL AND AGRIBUSINESS WORKSHOPS -------------- ¶3. The International Executive Service Corps (IESC),in the framework of its Morocco Fast Track Trade program (MFTT),held two workshops. First, a pharmaceutical workshop on the FDA's Abbreviated New Drug Application as a number of MFTT clients in the pharmaceutical sector see a competitive advantage in producing medicines for the U.S. market, and several are seeking U.S. regulatory approval to enter the American market. Eighteen participants attended the workshop that was held on March 19-20 in Casablanca. Second, an Agribusiness workshop on "Creating Packaging and Labeling for the U.S. Market" as MFTT canvassed clients in the agribusiness sector and concluded that this issue was blocking entry into the U.S. market. Twenty-four participants attended this workshop that was held on March 21st in Casablanca. -------------- -- PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2007 LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS -------------- -- ¶4. During this reporting period, the National Democratic Institute's (NDI) organized a series of activities to kick off its political party strengthening program. Two sets of communication trainings on drafting a campaign plan, including communication plan and advertising, were organized for the four largest parties: the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP),National Rally of Independents (RNI),the Popular Movement (MP),and the Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS). The training was based on the results of focus groups conducted last December by NDI People's Mirror Center. ¶5. With the support of NDI programs, parties are already in the process of finalizing their communication plans by developing clearer positions vis-`-vis other parties. The focus groups results along with the training played an important role in helping parties position themselves, they are better able to craft their messages and use the appropriate communication and media outreach strategies to make sure they target the largest audiences possible. This step has become essential for Moroccan political parties, who have long been criticized for having generic messages. -------------- IRI'S ACTIVITIES -------------- ¶6. According to public opinion research and contacts, the number one issue in the minds of Moroccans heading into the September 7 legislative elections is jobs and the economy. To assist political parties in responding to the priorities of voters, IRI is conducting RABAT 00000813 002 OF 003 a series of Economic Policy Development conferences. The goal of these conferences is two-fold: the first is to stress the importance of the issue and to create ways of expressing a vision for job creation and economic development for the upcoming campaign. Second, IRI is assisting the parties in developing a strategy for rapidly implementing policies right after the election, quickly delivering on campaign promises to build trust with Moroccans that the parties are acting in the best interest of the voters. -------------- CONFERENCE ON MEDIA DEVELOPMENT -------------- ¶7. Media Professionals from fifteen countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA),Europe, and the U.S. gathered in Marrakech January 14-16 to discuss media development in the region. The conference also discussed the Media Sustainability Index, a newly released study of the state of the media prepared by the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) and MENA region media professionals. Mark Whitehouse, Director of Media Development at IREX, noted the changes in the region, "While there has been much discussion of the role of Pan-Arab Satellite television, other technologies and approaches such as blogging and on-line journalism are having a dramatic impact on the media and practice of journalism." Topics of discussion included new media (internet, mobile phone messaging (SMS),on-line journalism, blogging),local news, children's programming, the legal environment, and journalism education. As media rapidly develops and responds to rapid technological change, media must increasingly share experiences and lessons learned to help form the basis of further media development. -------------- NATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON JUDICIAL ETHICS -------------- ¶8. More than forty judges and leading representatives of the Moroccan Judges' Association, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ),the Judicial Training Institute "Institut Superieure de la Magistrature"(ISM),the High Judicial Council "Conseil Superieure de la Magistrature" (CSM),and the Supreme Court met in Tangier on March 30, to discuss adopting a national ethics charter for the profession. The colloquium was organized by the national judges' association, the Amicale Hassaniya, with support from the American Bar Association and MEPI. The colloquium was the first-ever gathering of Moroccan judges to discuss adoption of a national judicial code or charter, no such code currently exists. As a result of discussions at the Tangier colloquium, a majority of Moroccan judges and the leadership of the MOJ, the CSM, the ISM and the Supreme Court appear ready to support adoption of a professional ethics code. -------------- -------------- THE MOROCCAN CENTER FOR CIVIC EDUCATION'S ACTIVITIES -------------- -------------- ¶9. During this quarter, a number of training workshops were conducted for teachers, supervisors, university students, teachers in training and administrators in various cities. The workshops featured intensive training on Project Citizen and Foundations of Democracy programs. Hundreds of students from different institutions have been working in teams to identify community problems, gather information, examine alternative policies and propose a public policy in order to develop an action plan that they will present during the local, regional and national showcases before a panel of judges in May and June, 2007. -------------- SCHOLASTIC'S ACTIVITIES -------------- ¶10. During this reporting period, Scholastic's representative in Morocco visited eight Regional Academies of Education (AREF). During these visits, she met with the teachers, the schools' principals, and representatives of the delegations, and of the parents' associations. She visited 46 primary schools and had activities with the children. She received extensive support from regional authorities who provided her logistical assistance so that she could visit the schools in remote locations. She launched training sessions within the Delegation of Education of Kenitra and within two delegations in Marrakech. -------------- RABAT 00000813 003 OF 003 FSVC PROJECTS -------------- ¶11. FSVC continued its collaboration with Morocco's central bank, Bank Al Maghrib (BAM),focused on strengthening BAM's capacity in banking supervision and risk management. In January 2007, volunteers from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and the Bank of Canada provided training and consultations on best practice approaches to internal operational risk management for central banks, advancing BAM's work on evaluating its operational risk and unit plans for risk mitigation. FSVC also organized in February a study tour for BAM supervision staff to Switzerland, following up on in- country consultations. The program focused on supervision and reporting standards for financial conglomerates, an area of key concern for BAM given a system where 80% of the banking sector is part of a larger conglomerate. The consultations helped the bank further develop its financial conglomerates supervision framework, including supervisory tools and reporting methodologies for financial conglomerates. Both projects continued U.S. assistance to BAM in building up its capacity to effectively take on its newly independent role as supervisor and policy setter for the financial sector. -------------- GLOBAL RIGHTS PROJECTS -------------- ¶12. Under the Ensuring Access to Justice for Women through Court Accompaniment Initiative the Global Rights Morocco field office held a three day training workshop for representatives of local NGOs in Agadir. The workshop included the topics of Court Accompaniment: Staff Training and Management; Legal Orientation and Counseling: Systems and Strategies; Violations of Women's Human Rights: Court Monitoring, Documentation and Advocacy; Law Related Strategies: Advocacy Preparation and Tools; and Strategic Litigation: Elements of a Test Case Strategy. Under the Promoting Women's Human Rights through a National Young Activists Network Initiative, the Morocco field office developed and held a three-day training workshop in Agadir for representatives of local NGOs. The workshop focused on the practical elements of managing organizations focused on women's rights such as operationalizing values, integrating beneficiaries, working in networks, and fundraising in networks. ¶13. A detailed description of MEPI programs in Morocco can be found on the Mission unclassified Internet web page at www.usembassy.ma. RILEY