Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RABAT252
2009-03-30 15:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Rabat
Cable title:
SCENESETTER FOR DAS SPIRNAK'S VISIT TO MOROCCO
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHRB #0252/01 0891511 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 301511Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY RABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9861 INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 0583
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
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
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