Brussels, 14/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) has called on the EU and Morocco to put human rights at the centre of their discussions at the 13th EU-Morocco Association Council in Brussels on Monday 14 December.
As at each session, the EMHRN has reviewed the state of application of these rights - and this time “deplores the fact that Moroccan and Sahrawi associations do no obtain legal recognition, thus limiting their capacity to organise public meetings and to call demonstrations”. In Morocco, “the freedoms of movement and association remain fragile and several human rights defence organisations are greatly hindered”, says EMHRN, reiterating “the importance of a climate of confidence and dialogue with independent civil society organisations, even the most critical”.
This point of view is shared by the EU which, in preparing its position ahead of the Association Council session on Monday evening, had already stated that “over the course of 2015, a relative slowdown in the reform process for human rights and fundamental freedoms has been noted”. However, the EU “is ready to continue its support and encourages the Moroccan authorities to strengthen their efforts” - particularly on gender equality and against any form of violence towards women. It also underlines the need not to violate the “freedoms of association, assembly and expression (especially the reform of the press code, in connection with the reform of the criminal code) upholding the fundamental principles of Morocco's constitution and international commitments”. (Original version in French by Fathi B'Chir)