Moroccan delegation attends celebration events of U.N. convention on children's rights in Spain

Princess Lalla Meriem, eldest sister of King Mohammed VI and chairwoman of the UNICEF Moroccan committee, and a large Moroccan delegation attended last week events held in Spain in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the U.N convention on children's rights.

The events featured lectures, debates and round tables on the implementation of the convention and on children's social and cultural rights, as well as exhibitions of children's writings and paintings. Representatives of national and international organizations operating in the defense of children's rights, members of human rights commissions, including chairman of the Moroccan Human Rights Advisory Council Driss Dahhak and ombudsmen took part in the event.

In Morocco, the national observatory on children's rights organized a day to mark the convention's 10th anniversary and assess its implementation in the kingdom, which ratified it in 1993.

The day, as stated in the address that was read on behalf of Princess Lalla Meriem, was called to make an objective diagnosis of the situation of children in all areas, to set priorities and to elaborate a strategy geared towards the protection of the Moroccan child.

Debates focused on the right to protection, the right to survival and development and the right to participation.

UNICEF's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Ibrahima Fall, hailed the efforts made by Morocco to enforce the convention's principles and the frankness with which the kingdom is handling the problems related to childhood, at a time when these problems are still taboo in several countries.

Morocco also named singer Rajae Belemlih, actor Naima Mecherki, former Olympic champ Nawal Mutawakil and five record holder and former Olympic champ Hicham El Guerrouj as volunteer ambassadors to the UNICEF.