SCENESETTER FOR DAS SPIRNAK'S VISIT TO MOROCCO

UNCLAS RABAT 000252 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NEA, NEA/PI AMD NEA/MAG BEIRUT PLS PASS NEA DAS SPIRNAK TUNIS FOR MEPI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA PHUM PGOV PREL KMPI KDEM WI MO SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR DAS SPIRNAK'S VISIT TO MOROCCO REF: RABAT 0231 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: DAS Spirnak, we are looking forward to your visit to Morocco. The Kingdom is a country "on the move", in the throes, albeit unevenly, of change and reform as detailed in reftel. Morocco is one of our strongest allies in the Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) region. Morocco's top priority is U.S. and broader international support for its position on the Western Sahara territorial dispute and for North African integration. You will surely be asked about our position, as well as about a possible visit by the Secretary. Morocco deeply appreciates the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and would like to see some similar mechanism remain in place for the future. End Summary. -------------- Forum for The Future -------------- ¶2. (SBU) As the host of the first Forum for the Future (FFF),Morocco has been a long-time supporter of the concept. Secretary General Youssef Amrani (number two at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation) told Charge on March 17 that he is personally committed to a successful FFF. Charge noted that the USG feels strongly that a parallel civil society forum is needed during the FFF, and Amrani indicated that it should be on the agenda for the coordinating meeting, which would include the Governments of Morocco, Italy and the United States, as well as No Peace Without Justice from Turkey and the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH). ¶3. (SBU) MFA Deskoff Mouaad Ibriz informed PolOff on March 27 that a de-briefing with BMENA civil society leaders would not be part of the coordinating meeting agenda next week because Morocco did not receive such a request from No Peace without Justice or OMDH. Ibriz noted that both partner NGOs would be able to disseminate any information from the coordination meeting with other NGOs in upcoming meetings in May. You will want to reinforce the importance of including civil society in the FFF meeting this fall. You should anticipate questions regarding the new Obama administration's commitment to the BMENA process. Ambassador Amrani, who coordinated the First Forum in Morocco with Secretary Powell, will likely push for Secretary Clinton's participation in the upcoming Forum for the Future. -------------- Mission Strategic Goals and MEPI -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Mission strategic goals are, in order, economic growth and reform, countering terror, promoting U.S.-Moroccan partnership, enhancing democracy and governance, and resolving regional conflicts while maintaining close strategic cooperation. With regard to economic growth and reform, we believe expanding Morocco's economic base will do as much to address popular dissatisfaction with the political system as will strengthening democratic institutions. ¶5. (SBU) MEPI is very active in Morocco due in large part to the active civil society and the freedoms enjoyed in the country. There are several ongoing MEPI local grants as well as MEPI programs funded from Washington. We see MEPI as a vital instrument to boost Moroccan civil society, while Morocco serves as a platform, both exemplary and logistically for MEPI goals in the region. Our most recent MEPI project, launched on March 21, is the Women's Election Program. It focuses on encouraging women to run as candidates in the upcoming June 2009 local elections. Though most Moroccan partners welcome the opportunity to work with MEPI and would like to see a similar program continue in the new administration, some have argued that it should be renamed. Local young activists contend that the words &Middle East8 in the MEPI title bring an unwelcome association with controversial U.S. policies in the region. ¶6. (SBU) Other recent and ongoing MEPI efforts include support for civil society and youth organizations, developing freedom of expression via the Internet, supporting development of democratic leaders, technical assistance to meet environmental obligations under the FTA, political party training and capacity building, and the Financial Services Volunteer Corps. In 2007, MEPI funded the first-ever international observation of the Moroccan parliamentary elections through the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Although turnout was low and plagued by protest votes and frequent vote buying, we believe the observation promoted more transparent management of the voting process and a relative absence of government manipulation. Other USG-funded projects support anti-corruption efforts (with the American Bar Association) and prison reform to undermine the foundations of extremism. (Note: MEPI provided the needed technical support for this S/CT funded project. End note.) -------------- MEPI-Funded Election Program -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Representatives from the NDI and the International Republican Institute (IRI) will brief you on their activities and future plans for the recently launched, MEPI-funded Women's Election Project. Post proposed this project to MEPI Washington after the Government of Morocco negotiated an agreement with political parties reserving approximately 3,000 local council seats for women. The project is focused on training women how to effectively run for office in the upcoming local elections to take advantage of the change. The Mission is extremely grateful to MEPI Washington for accepting and funding our request in record time. ¶8. (SBU) IRI Resident Director Jamie Tronnes informed PolOff that by March 28, IRI will have already trained more than 500 women candidates for the June elections, and it is apparently being inundated with requests from Morocco's political parties to train more women candidates. The fact that so many women are being trained is a good indication that there will be enough women candidates to fill the available 3,000 seats that will be up for grabs. -------------- Other Meetings -------------- ¶9. (SBU) In addition to the FFF meeting, you will have the opportunity to meet our interagency Democracy Working Group and discuss the range of our democracy and reform activities. Our Public Affairs Section (PAS) is organizing a working dinner with American and Moroccan academics and Moroccan MEPI exchange program alumni. PAS is also organizing a My Arabic Library book distribution and a Citizen Journalism Youth Blogging Event targeting youth ages 10-16. ¶10. (SBU) Finally, you will also have the opportunity to meet participants in the recent, MEPI alumni sponsored Caravan for Young Leaders program as well as representatives from the MEPI-sponsored Women In Technology program and MEPI Women's Election Program. At the Ministry of Justice's National Judicial Training Institute, you will see a demonstration of the 15 MEPI-funded e-learning modules on the family code and labor laws designed by the American Bar Association. During each of your engagements with MEPI alumni and project implementers, you may wish to stress that MEPI will continue under the new Administration (although it may evolve),and encourage local NGOs to continue to submit proposals for the MEPI local grant program. ***************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Moro cco ***************************************** Jackson