Morocco is firmly committed to recognizing NMIRFs as essential pillar for promoting human rights

Morocco is firmly committed to advancing the recognition of National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRFs) as a cornerstone of efforts to promote and protect human rights, the Interministerial Delegate for Human Rights, Mohammed El Habib Belkouch, said on Monday in Geneva.

Speaking at a seminar on experiences and best practices in establishing and strengthening NMIRFs, held during the 59th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), he recalled that as early as 2011, Morocco set up a dedicated national mechanism for this purpose: the Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights (DIDH), anticipating the 2012 call by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for states to create such bodies.

Morocco, Belkouch added, has played an active role in international efforts to promote NMIRFs as an essential part of national human rights infrastructure and has become a key partner of UN mechanisms. This commitment was illustrated by the Marrakech Declaration of December 2022, which set out a shared vision for promoting NMIRFs and called for the establishment of an international network.

Alongside Paraguay and Portugal, Morocco contributed to drafting the reference framework for this network, culminating in the adoption of the Asunción Declaration in May 2024 and the accession of 24 states, Belkouch added, recalling that the Kingdom, represented by the DIDH, was elected to coordinate the Network’s Executive Committee.

In October 2024, Morocco hosted the 10th Glion Human Rights Dialogue, which led to the adoption of the Marrakech Guidance Framework (MGF), a roadmap for effectively establishing NMIRFs, he pointed out, noting that Morocco is currently leading work on the Network’s action plan, the draft of which has already been approved by the Executive Committee and will be formally adopted during the third international seminar in Lisbon.

Belkouch, who is leading a DIDH delegation to the HRC this week, stressed the importance of this seminar for strengthening synergies and pooling resources to develop innovative tools for data collection and sharing, interinstitutional coordination, and integrating international commitments into public policies.

During the seminar, which was attended by Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, DIDH Secretary General Fatima Barkan reviewed Morocco’s experience in balancing national priorities and international obligations, promoting interministerial coordination, and responding to transnational challenges.

Speaking at a panel on “National Human Rights Action Plans,” she recalled that Morocco’s commitment to human rights, viewed as both a strategic priority and a driver of sustainable development, began in the 1990s with institutional and legislative reforms, which were further reinforced by the 2011 Constitution placing universal principles at the heart of public policy.

Reviewing key achievements, Barkan highlighted the launch of the National Action Plan for Democracy and Human Rights (PANDDH) and the creation of the DIDH in 2011 to coordinate government action on human rights, monitor international obligations, and invigorate dialogue with national and international stakeholders.

Developed through a broad consultative process bringing together diverse perspectives within a coherent strategic framework, the PANDDH was revised in 2017 to align with post-2011 constitutional reforms and international standards. It was adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2017 and presented to His Majesty King Mohammed VI in 2019, underscoring “the unwavering support of the Monarchy,” she noted.