UN Human Rights Commissioner invited to visit Morocco

Moroccan justice minister, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, has invited the UN Human Rights Commissioner, Louise Arbour, to visit Morocco to find out about the wide reforms undertaken in the north African country.

The justice minister, who briefed on Thursday the UN official on recent evolutions in human rights, said the visit would provide her with an opportunity to meet Moroccan authorities and human rights-advocacy Ngos and to visit the Rabat Human Rights Documentation Center.

The center, set up in cooperation with the UN body, is very active in human rights training, mainly for magistrates and staff of the Justice Ministry.

The meeting, held on the fringes of the 61st session of the UN commission, also reviewed Moroccan efforts to consolidate human rights protection and the rule of law.

The UN high commissioner was also briefed on the broadlines of legislative reforms to adapt Moroccan laws to international covenants signed by Morocco and consolidate the rule of law, particularly the Family Code enacted this year in the Kingdom to establish gender equality and the new Labor Code designed to better protect the labor rights.

Morocco's projects to amend its penal law and face terrorism while securing a fair trial to people detained for terrorism offenses, were also brought up during the meeting.