Speaking on the occasion of the 111th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Abderrafie Hamdi, Director of Human Rights Monitoring and Protection at the CNDH, recommended establishing a comprehensive legal framework to combat all forms of racial discrimination and speeding up the adoption of the bill amending and supplementing the Penal Code, in line with the recommendations of the CNDH contained in its 2019 memorandum.
During this session, dedicated to examining the 19th, 20th, and 21st periodic reports on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the CNDH also recommended amending the Nationality Law to allow foreign men married to Moroccan women to acquire Moroccan nationality.
Regarding the Amazigh language and culture, the official welcomed the various government initiatives to establish the official status of Amazigh, insisting on the importance of taking all necessary measures to speed up the implementation of the provisions of Organic Law 26-16 establishing the process for implementing the official status of Amazigh as well as the modalities for its integration in education and priority areas of public life.
Hamdi also praised Morocco's efforts to protect and promote the rights of foreigners and prevent all forms of discrimination, calling on the government to continue guaranteeing respect for the principle of non-refoulement of asylum seekers.
Between 2019 and 2022, the CNDH handled nearly 12,000 complaints and requests, of which fewer than 15 cases related to allegations of racial discrimination, the official reported.
In general, these were cases involving the medical field, stigmatizing comments by online media that could incite hatred or racial discrimination, complaints of gender-based violence against a foreign detainee, as well as allegations of discrimination in access to justice for non-regularized foreigners, he detailed.
The CNDH and its commissions have taken the necessary steps to deal with the complaints, including field visits, mediation, and interaction with the relevant authorities while guiding the complainants in the steps to be taken, Hamdi said.
A Moroccan delegation, led by Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, is taking part in the session to highlight the Kingdom's multi-sectoral efforts and policies in its fight against all forms of racial discrimination. The delegation includes Morocco's Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva, Omar Zniber, and the Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights Secretary General, Abdelkarim Boujradi.