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Rabat – Morocco will soon host two international events aimed at strengthening multilateral cooperation and building consensus around core human rights standards, the country’s Minister Delegate for Human Rights, Mohamed El Habib Belkouch, announced on Wednesday in Geneva.
Speaking during the high-level segment of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Belkouch said the first event will be a specialized retreat expected to take place before the summer. The meeting will focus on ways to reform the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism as it approaches its fifth cycle.
The Universal Periodic Review is a key process under the Council through which the human rights records of all UN member states are reviewed on a rotating basis. Morocco considers the mechanism an important tool for dialogue, transparency, and accountability among countries.
Belkouch also announced that Morocco will organize a thematic event dedicated to the prevention of torture. The initiative aims to encourage the exchange of best practices among national prevention mechanisms, independent institutions, and international partners.
He said that both initiatives are part of Morocco’s ongoing efforts to contribute to building consensus on the fundamental standards guiding the work of the Human Rights Council.
The official reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to multilateralism and to strengthening the international human rights system. He also expressed the country’s full support for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He recalled the High Commissioner’s personal engagement on key priority issues, particularly the prevention of violations, capacity-building, and the promotion of human rights-based approaches in public policies.
Morocco continues to pursue structural reforms aimed at promoting equality and protecting fundamental rights and freedoms, in line with the directives of King Mohammed VI and the principles enshrined in the country’s Constitution, Belkouch noted.
He stressed that the kingdom has been an active member of the Human Rights Council and regularly participates in the Universal Periodic Review process, both as a country under review and as a state making recommendations to others.
MWN with MAP
