King Mohammed sends message to conference on children rights in euro-mediterranean region
Morocco-Regional, Culture, 10/23/2002

Morocco's King Mohammed VI sent participants in a forum on child's rights and human security in the Euro-Mediterranean forum held in Marrakesh this October 22-24.

The message was read out this Tuesday afternoon by Princess Lalla Meryem, chairwoman of the Moroccan national observatory of children rights and UNESCO goodwill ambassador.

The conference, chaired by Princess Lalla Meryem, provides signatory countries of the United Nations convention on child's rights an opportunity to devise a 2003 action plan in favor of children.

Participants are also pondering on major challenges in terms of child's rights and security and looking into ways of instituting practical partnership ties among Euro-Mediterranean universities and scientific research centers with a view to alleviating dangers threatening children in the region.

Debates are focusing on malnutrition, exploitation and AIDS/HIV.

The conference is held in the presence of UNESCO good will ambassadors, human rights and civil society activists from several European and Mediterranean countries.

The event is held in association with the UNESCO, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and other United Nations agencies.

Here follows the translation of the King's message to participants:

"In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

May peace and prayers be upon the prophet, his kin and kith

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear children,

It is a pleasure for us to open this distinguished forum that is held under Our high patronage, upon the invitation of Our illustrious sister, Her Royal Highness Lalla Meriem, Good-will ambassador at the UNESCO, a tribune of the world children. We express Our sincere thanks to Mr. Maatura Koishiro, Director General of the UNESCO, to the Good-will ambassadors, to the champions of human rights, to the experts and to the delegates of international Organizations. We welcome them all and wish them a pleasant stay in Marrakesh, the heart of Morocco that beats for the values of co-existence and peace and that aspires to be the crossroads of international forums and inter-civilizations dialogue.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, children-related issues, in their various aspects, are taking new dimensions worldwide, despite the considerable efforts exerted and the tangible results that were obtained as regards improving the situation of children, particularly in terms of health, education and other basic rights.

In the Mediterranean regions, large groups of children suffer, more than in the past, from ill-treatment, all forms of exploitation, plagues of wars and conflicts --as is the case for the children of Palestine and Iraq and as was the case for the children of Kosovo-- worsening of delinquency, drug abuse, migration and AIDS. While our encounter is shifting from a national scale to a regional scale our awareness of the need of facing all these dangers, it equally embodies our collective commitment regarding the struggle against these scourges that affect every single country. Consequently, your interest shall focus on unifying visions vis-a-vis these dangers, as part of a comprehensive approach that is likely to link children to their vital space, fulfilling, therefore in this meeting, a civilized approach to address, in a more human way, all problematics related to social peace and stability.

States' commitment to abide by the United Nations Conventions on Children Rights and by the related protocols, which was recently reaffirmed during the United Nations' special session on children, and the support pledged by States to all initiatives taken in this field are the best evidence to the international community's unshakable will to place children protection above any other consideration. Your presence, Ladies and Gentlemen, consecrates this will and the International Community's determination to support and contribute to analyzing and crafting solutions that will help honor this commitment and translate results of the efforts made over the last years into data that can enrich research, deepen dialogue and lend objectivity and comprehensiveness to the devising of solutions.

We can only feel proud by the sound way you have taken to give success to your encounter titled "Forum on Child's Rights and Human Security in the Euro-Mediterranean Space." Indeed, you have opted for a global approach based on the reaffirmation of the intrinsic link between these scourges, human security and children protection and on the thesis that these plagues overstep borders to go beyond national commitments and affect Mediterranean children wherever they are. It is up to you, therefore, to devise a practical and an objective vision of the needed treatment and set in place mechanisms of following up and proposing programs. The implementation of these depends on the support extended to the cooperation process for all countries of the region while backing your action with supporting United Nations and regional specialized organizations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our confidence and optimism that the outcome of your meeting will be positive and matching expectations are further comforted by the large participation of eminent figures renowned for their high competence, their action in the defense of security, peace and human rights values. This confirms our trust that we will maintain in the future as part of this forum a process of constructive dialogue on children issues which, in Our view, requires international solidarity and a most intimate link with stability and human security.

While wishing full success to your proceedings, we reaffirm that we will always stand as the staunchest champion of the outcome of your meeting, in a bid to make of it a platform for a continuous Euro-Mediterranean dialogue and contribute, therefore, to strengthening human security and spreading peace in order to start the third millennium with enhanced trust in the future of humanity.

May God help you for the success of your endeavour. May God's peace and blessing be upon you."

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