King Mohammed announces setting up of ombudsman
Morocco, Politics, 12/10/2001

Morocco's King Mohammed VI announced Sunday the setting up of "Diwan Al-Madhalim" (Ombudsman), a body that will contribute to correcting iniquities, upholding rights and safeguarding freedoms.

The announcement came in a Royal message on the occasion of World Human Rights Day.

In the message that was read out on behalf of the sovereign by his brother Prince Moulay Rachid at a ceremony at the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, King Mohammed VI said the setting up of "Diwan Al-Madhalim" is meant to "consolidate the bodies that are entrusted, under our aegis, to correct iniquities, uphold rights and safeguard freedoms."

"We are thus consolidating the gains achieved by our venerated father, His Majesty King Hassan II, may God rest his soul in peace, in the realm of the protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens, while securing a modern judiciary protection through the administrative courts, and political, through the Human Rights Advisory Council," the sovereign said.

The setting up of "Diwan Al-Madhalim" also confers "another tangible dimension on our concept of authority, based on the need for this authority to be an authority of proximity, at the service of the citizen and development, an authority attached to the rules of prevalence of law and justice," King Mohammed VI said, adding he was "keen on making of this institution an efficient instrument for the promotion of mediation between the citizen and the administration, a flexible and simplified conciliation tool, to handle the complaints and claims of our faithful subjects, and an efficient recourse for those who deem they have been harmed by a decision or an act considered unjust or contrary to the law, that was made by an administration or an organism empowered to exercise the prerogatives of the public power."

The sovereign also announced that in a bid to bring "Diwan Al-Madhalim" closer to citizens, it will have representatives to the Prime Minister and to ministries and will have, in the future, regional and special representatives.

King Mohammed VI, who pointed out that the institution will submit an annual report to the sovereign and will present its remarks, recommendations and periodical reports to the Prime Minister and to the Human Rights Advisory Council, said the setting up of this institution "is part of the measures we have adopted to reconcile the citizen with the administration, put an end to the citizen's feeling that there is a lack of communication on the part of the authority, alleviate the weight of bureaucracy and moralize public service."

Previous Stories:
  Government starts dialogue with teachers' unions   (12/8/2001)
  President Mubarak visits Morocco early 2002   (12/8/2001)
  Morocco made country of the year by USTDA   (12/7/2001)

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