Committee: Human Rights Council

Topic: Protection of Human Rights during Armed Conflicts

Country: Morocco

With the multitude of conflicts across the globe, it is not uncommon to observe atrocious abuses
of human rights by the armed parties. The International Humanitarian Law consists of a set of
rules that the parties must oblige to during armed conflicts. However, in many cases, the
countries are breaching these rules and violation of human rights persists.
Morocco is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy that is greatly committed to protecting
human rights throughout the Kingdom. It has also undertaken various initiatives to promote and
respect the human rights of the citizens of the world. Morocco is a signatory to many
international human rights treaties such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights; International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced
Disappearance, et al.
Morocco recognizes the fact that peaceful settlement of disputes is the best solution for the
encroachment of the law. The nation promotes world peace and supports the search for peace in
the Middle East, encouraging Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and urges moderation on both
sides. Morocco was also the first Arab state to condemn Iraqs invasion of Kuwait. It has also
denounced the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the USA and supports America in the War
on Terrorism. Morocco plays a notable role in the UN peacekeeping efforts for the world. Given
its strategic geographic position, Morocco is one of the few African countries that have
participated in the Peace Keeping Operations on four different continents, namely, Asia, Africa,
America and Europe. Moroccos longstanding history as a promoter of peace, dialogue and
tolerance has made it a significant actor in the international arena.
The condition of the Internally Displaced Persons is a major concern for a majority of nations.
As a part of its drive for the protection of human rights, Morocco has set up a governmental body
for the purpose of determining refugee status. The cities of Rabat and Casablanca themselves
host thousands of economic migrants as well as political asylum seekers. Morocco is party to the
1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1967 New York Protocol and the
1969 Organization for African Unity convention governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee
Problems in Africa.
Morocco has been frequently criticized for the poor maintenance of the prisons and detention
centers. The country has been denounced of interrogating terrorism suspects at unacknowledged
detention centers and holding them in custody for longer than the 12-day maximum period
allowed by the law for terrorism cases. Following these accusations, the new National Council

on Human Rights (NCHR) has been created and funded by the Moroccan Government, replacing
the previous Advisory Council on Human Rights.
The Western Sahara conflict between the Polisario Front of the Sahrawi people and the Kingdom
of Morocco has resulted in serious abuse of human rights in the form of aerial bombardments
with Napalm and White Phosphorus of the Sahrawi refugee camps and the expulsion of
numerous Sahrawi civilians from the country. The conflict has witnessed serious breaches of the
Geneva Convention on the part of all the involved parties. Various initiatives have been
implemented by the UN such as the Houston Agreement and the Baker Plan to urge the parties
into direct negotiations in good faith. However, all efforts ended in vain. In 2006, the Moroccan
Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs proposed a plan for the autonomy of Western Sahara
and has visited various countries to gather support for their proposal. This plan has been
presented to the UN Security Council in April 2007, receiving the backing of the United States of
America and France. As a strong advocate of negotiation, Morocco wishes to reach peaceful
terms with the Sahrawi people as this is a serious issue faced by the nation and requires
immediate attention.
The delegation of Morocco believes that nothing must be prioritized before humanity. Morocco
looks forward to being an active participant in taking permanent solutions for this issue.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.aucegypt.edu/GAPP/cmrs/reports/Documents/ChanneOct_000.pdf
http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/morocco-and-western-sahara
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Western_Sahara
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Sahara_War
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/204586.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Sahara_conflict#Peace_process
http://www.un.int/wcm/content/site/morocco/cache/offonce/pid/33518