Morocco on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the international human rights system, calling for greater efforts to translate global agreements into concrete collective initiatives capable of addressing emerging challenges.
The statement was delivered by Mohamed El Habib Belkouch during the general segment of the high-level portion of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.
Belkouch said the current challenge lies in building on the existing international normative framework to develop practical action that responds to new and evolving issues.
Speaking on behalf of Morocco, the ministerial delegate reaffirmed the country’s commitment to multilateralism and to strengthening the global human rights system. He expressed full support for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and welcomed the High Commissioner’s personal engagement on priority issues, including the prevention of violations, capacity-building at the national level and integrating human rights-based approaches into public policies.
Belkouch said Morocco, in line with royal directives and its Constitution, continues to implement structural reforms aimed at promoting equality and safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms through an ongoing institutional process.
At the level of the Human Rights Council, he said Morocco remains engaged in efforts to foster consensus around the core standards guiding the work of its mechanisms. He also announced that Morocco will soon host two international initiatives to strengthen cooperation in the field of human rights.
The first initiative will consist of a specialized retreat before the summer dedicated to exploring ways to reform the Universal Periodic Review mechanism ahead of its fifth cycle. The second will be a thematic event on the prevention of torture, aimed at promoting the exchange of best practices among national mechanisms, independent institutions and international partners.
Belkouch said Morocco’s commitment to peace is rooted in a comprehensive vision linking security, human dignity and development, in line with the goals of the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
He also emphasized Morocco’s support for enhancing women’s participation in decision-making processes, multilateral diplomacy and conflict prevention efforts as part of a broader strategy to strengthen women’s leadership at both the national and international levels.
The 61st session of the Human Rights Council runs through March 31. Its agenda includes more than 80 reports and around 20 interactive dialogues with independent experts and mandate holders.
Over more than five weeks, the council’s 47 member states are expected to review the human rights situation in nearly 40 countries, as well as examine thematic reports on issues including torture, cultural rights, the right to food, the environment, counterterrorism and the protection of privacy.
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