King highlights reconciliation and reform
King Mohammed VI in a speech to members on the worldwide convention on Morocco’s expertise in transitional justice, emphasised the nation’s dedication to transparency, reconciliation, and democratic progress.
King Mohammed VI acknowledged that Morocco’s expertise in transitional justice “is marked by transparency and objectivity; it also serves as an opportunity to remind current and future generations of the reforms and reconciliations achieved by the Kingdom, within a framework of consensus and courage in addressing our history and past without complexes or inferiority.”
In a message addressed to members in a global convention held on the House of Representatives on “Morocco’s Experience in Transitional Justice,” the King highlighted that the choice to determine the Equity and Reconciliation Commission, as a continuation of the impartial fee for compensating victims of enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention arrange by the late King Hassan II, “was a sovereign decision within a voluntary path for managing public affairs based on a new concept of power and institutional accountability, ensuring the dignity of all Moroccans.”
The message, learn by Amina Bouayach, President of the National Human Rights Council, additional defined that this expertise, “in addition to achieving national reconciliation and addressing past violations, aimed to make transitional justice a priority within the broader context of democratic transition.”
The King emphasised that “at the time, both the state and society in Morocco developed a forward-thinking vision of the deep transformations the world was undergoing at the end of the 1980s, and the importance of democratic values and human rights as part of strategic choices.”
The monarch continued: “Transitional justice in our country was built on solid foundations—historical, related to the unique Moroccan character, as well as geographical and regional,” noting that the objective was to handle the considerations of all victims, no matter their backgrounds or orientations, and to deal with all human rights violations from the early years of independence till the institution of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission.
For the King, this strategy “allowed for the identification and analysis of all forms and dimensions of violations that occurred in our country, regardless of their nature or scale, through field investigations, hearings, and public sessions in cities and villages to collect testimonies, uncover the truth, and provide individual and collective reparations, with consideration for gender sensitivity; thus, strengthening reconciliation between Moroccan society and its history.”
King Mohammed VI emphasised that one of the crucial distinctive features of Morocco’s transitional justice expertise was the lively involvement of civil society, which performed a key function in shaping and succeeding the method. He defined that the choice to implement transitional justice opened up the general public area to discussions and neighborhood dialogues on numerous reforms and important problems with nationwide concern.
The King added that transitional justice additionally contributed to elevating collective consciousness about combating human rights violations. “Lessons have been learned from this experience, highlighting the need to continue consolidating the foundations of the rule of law, ensuring respect and protection of rights and freedoms, while balancing the right to exercise them with a spirit of responsibility and committed citizenship, alongside upholding duties.”
“Transitional justice in Morocco was a unique and pioneering experience that marked a qualitative leap in the national political path, enabling a smooth, consensual democratic transition and establishing best practices in the continued building of a state of law and institutions,” the King affirmed.
He additionally famous that the suggestions of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission included “proposals related to public policies, and stressed the need to strengthen constitutional protection of human rights.”
The King’s message additionally talked about “the creation of a regulatory framework for wide-ranging societal reforms, including constitutional and legislative changes, and the establishment of consultative and institutional mechanisms to break with past violations and institutionalize public management based on the rule of law, highlighting the emergence of renewed societal dynamics.”
He defined additional: “From this perspective, we ensured that human rights in the Constitution, laws, and public policies have a broad scope, ranging from the political to the environmental, and including the economic, social, and cultural spheres. We also established the necessary constitutional institutions and mechanisms to protect human rights in its various dimensions.”
It ought to be famous that the worldwide convention on “Morocco’s Transitional Justice Experience,” which started on Friday and can proceed for 2 days (December 6-7), is held beneath royal patronage to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the institution of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission and is organized by the Parliament in each its chambers.
