VZCZCXYZ0030
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #1471/01 2140756
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 020756Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4383
INFO RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 1965
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 8993
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 4106

UNCLAS RABAT 001471 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/PI and PDAS CHENEY, DRL 
TUNIS FOR MEPI RO 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV ETRD EINV KMPI MO
SUBJECT:  MEPI UPDATE FOR MOROCCO 
 
REF: A) Rabat 0399, B) Rabat 2509 
 
¶1.  Summary:  This cable highlights MEPI programs and initiatives in 
Morocco from April 1-June 30.  Activities included visits by 
representatives from MEPI Washington, the Ambassador's visit to 
Oujda, his meeting with the International Republican Institute 
(IRI), judicial reform, a regional conference on the family code, a 
regional workshop to test a manual on family code advocacy, 
Moroccan media issues, a workshop on handicraft exports to the U.S, 
Moroccan participation at the annual American-Jordanian Exhibition, 
promoting free trade and economic growth and the Financial Services 
Volunteer Corps (FSVC) projects.  Implementers are partnering with 
local NGOs at the grassroots level to support numerous programs 
committed to reform in the four MEPI pillars.  End summary. 
 
------------- 
MEPI VISITORS 
------------- 
 
¶2.  MEPI Women's Pillar Program Manager Olivia Ricchi visited 
Morocco on May 26-30 to attend the Demos Institute regional workshop 
to test a manual on family code advocacy.  Ricchi met with 
l'Association de Femmes Chefs d'Entreprise (AFEM) (Women Business 
Owners Association) to discuss their role as one of seven hubs for 
the Arab Business Women Network (ABWN).  The official launch of the 
hubs will be July 3 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with a summit held in 
October in Abu Dhabi.  A Moroccan representative was invited to 
attend the "Many Faces, One Voice" 2006 mission conference organized 
by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (Komen) in Washington 
D.C. from June 11-13.  During this event a partnership between 
Komen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE was announced.  Morocco's 
participant was Dr. Maria Bennani of the Lalla Salma Foundation for 
the Fight against Cancer.  She also met with members of the 
embassy's Women's Pillar committee. 
 
¶3.  Chad Bettes from NEA/PI visited Morocco from June 7-10 to help 
establish the MEPI Alumni Network.  He met individually with MEPI 
implementers such as, IRI, the American Bar Association (ABA), FSVC, 
the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham), Arab Civitas, 
International Executive Service Corps (IESC), and the 
America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST). 
He also met with emboffs to discuss ways of improving coordination 
efforts in MEPI programs. 
 
¶4.  Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs 
Karen Hughes visited Morocco from June 4-7.  She met with Moroccan 
officials to discuss the important social, political and economic 
reforms the GOM has undertaken.  In Casablanca and Rabat, she 
visited several Moroccan NGOs involved in advancing the empowerment 
of women, some of which have benefited from MEPI funding, such as 
the "Association Solidarit fminine" for single mothers, and "Riwak 
El Fanni", an NGO that organizes literacy classes for women using 
content based on the revised family code.  She also paid visit to 
the American Language Center, where she met young people attending 
English Access Micro classes. 
 
--------------------------- 
AMBASSADOR'S VISIT TO OUJDA 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. From May 2-5, 2006, the Ambassador conducted an outreach tour to 
the eastern province of Oujda.  The primary aims of the visit were 
to inaugurate Morocco's first American Corner at the municipal 
library in Oujda and to learn about local projects funded by the USG 
and American and Moroccan NGOs in the region.  He inaugurated a 
computer lab at El Qods College in Oujda.  The lab is funded by MEPI 
and managed by USAID under its ALEF (Advancing Learning and 
Employability for a Better Future) program and serves as a 
pedagogical resource for students and teachers.  USAID employees 
briefed the Ambassador on a USAID/Morocco funded agribusiness 
program that provides technical assistance to help Moroccan farmers 
from the region to take advantage of FTA opportunities to export to 
the U.S. 
 
-------------------- 
AMBASSADOR MEETS IRI 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. On May 18, IRI's Resident Director Sarah Johnson briefed the 
Ambassador on the results of its second public opinion poll.  The 
poll included 1500 respondents and provided benchmark political data 
as well as an in-depth look into Moroccan's attitudes towards 
political reform and governing institutions.  The research offers 
political leaders and decision-makers an opportunity to learn about 
priorities and opinions of their constituents. The results were 
similar to IRI's previous poll but have not been made public. 
 
--------------- 
JUDICIAL REFORM 
--------------- 
 
¶7.  In cooperation with the Institut Superieur de la Magistrature 
(ISM) - Morocco's national judicial training institute - ABA 
organized a two-day MEPI-funded training program on June 15-16 in 
Marrakech for women judges, prosecutors and lawyers.  The training 
focused on a number of specific women's rights issues arising from 
recent revisions of the criminal procedure, labor and family codes. 
The training brought together nearly 40 judges and lawyers from the 
cities of Agadir, Marrakech, Ouarzazate and Safi for what was the 
first ISM-sponsored training event jointly organized for judges and 
lawyers to share experience and views on recent women's rights 
developments in the revised codes.  The trainers, including judges 
from chambers of the Supreme Court, and leading lawyers co-presented 
the training sessions. 
¶8. The ABA judicial training program conducted a study tour on 
judicial ethics.  From June 17-24 a select group of judges visited 
the U.S. and Canada in an intensive series of lectures, meetings and 
workshops.  The purpose of the tour was to ascertain the principles 
embodied in a formal code of ethics.  The ABA has been awarded a new 
USD 1.2 million USAID-managed program in partnership with the ISM. 
The program is designed to integrate gender and family laws into the 
curriculum of ISM and the training of new judges. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
DEMOS INSTITUTE MANUAL REGIONAL TESTING WORKSHOP 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶9.  From May 26-28, MEPI implementer Demos Institute held a testing 
workshop for a manual it developed for regional use on advocacy for 
family code.  Women from Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, 
Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Iraq and Morocco attended the successful 
event.  The project is currently on schedule and Demos is planning 
to submit a proposal for possible follow-on funding for a second 
phase to include an interactive website and a train-the-trainers 
program. 
 
--------------------- 
Moroccan Media Issues 
--------------------- 
 
¶10. The High Authority for Audio-Visual Communication (HACA) granted 
11 new radio licenses (including to Radio Sawa) and one new 
television license in May 2006, heralding a new era for the Moroccan 
broadcast media sector.  More licenses are expected to be issued in 
roughly a year once the GOM has had a chance to gauge the effects on 
the Moroccan public of the first wave of new radio stations. 
 
¶11. In March and April, a MEPI request for applications (RFA) for 
independent media raised concerns with the GOM because it appeared 
to violate Moroccan law.  In March, shortly after post circulated 
MEPI's RFA for projects to benefit free and independent press in the 
region, the Moroccan National Press Union (SNPM) began a media 
campaign denouncing MEPI and the RFA in several papers.  Journalists 
reported to Public Affairs Rabat that Morocco's press code made it 
illegal for Moroccan media to accept funding or equipment from 
foreign governments.  Unfriendly press articles continued into April 
and at one point Ambassador Riley discussed the situation with 
Foreign Minister Benaissa and Minister of Communications 
Benabdallah.  It was agreed that because of the legal impediments, 
MEPI funding, if granted, would be used for training and other legal 
contributions.  In the end, no Moroccan proposals were selected for 
this particular RFA. 
 
 
 
---------------------------------------- 
WORKSHOP ON HANDICRAFT EXPORT TO THE U.S 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶12. AmCham organized on May 31st a workshop on exporting handicrafts 
to the U.S.  The workshop featured several case studies of 
successful exporting to the U.S. market, presented by Zid Zid Kids 
(children's decor items) and Morocco Magic (carpets), as well as 
remarks by representatives of the Moroccan Export Promotion Center 
(CMPE), the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts, and the 
Maison de l'Artisanat another key player in the sector. 
 
------------------------------------ 
ANNUAL AMERICAN-JORDANIAN EXHIBITION 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶13. MEPI grantees IESC and Amcham participated in the annual 
American-Jordanian Exhibition (AJEX) in Jordan from June 7-8 to 
enhance investment and trade between Jordan and the U.S. and to 
promote U.S. business cooperation with Middle East countries.  AJEX 
provides a platform for Jordanian, U.S. and international business 
leaders to explore and learn more about business opportunities, 
utilizing preferential trade arrangements and agreements between 
Jordan and the U.S., the European Community and Arab MENA countries. 
 AmCham-Morocco's Executive Director, Carl Dawson, and IESC- 
Morocco's Director, Kamal Elmedkouri, participated in this event as 
key note speakers. 
 
-------------------- 
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT 
-------------------- 
 
¶14. The U.S. Department of Commerce under the Commercial Law 
Development Program (CLDP) funded by MEPI organized a round of 
consultations in Washington D.C from June 19-23 for General Counsels 
and Directors of Regulation from key Morocco Ministries on 
"Regulatory Transparency".  The main objective of the consultations 
was to create an inter-agency consensus among the delegates, before 
they return to Morocco, on changes that need to take place in the 
country for regulatory transparency, compliant with the FTA and 
adapted to Morocco's specific context.  The consultations offered an 
opportunity for U.S. experts and the Moroccan delegates to share 
their experiences on issues of effective regulatory transparency. 
In order to foster such dialogue, the Moroccan delegates explained 
to the U.S. experts the steps Morocco has already taken towards 
regulatory transparency and the problems it has encountered.  CLDP 
provides technical assistance to Morocco, within the framework of 
the U.S.-Morocco FTA, in three main fields: Standards, Government 
Procurement and Intellectual Property.  In order to help Morocco 
comply with its transparency commitments under the FTA, post has 
asked CLDP to design and implement a MEPI funded program of 
technical assistance specifically focused on regulatory 
transparency. 
 
--------------- 
FSVC PROJECTS 
--------------- 
 
¶15.  Between April and June, MEPI-funded FSVC implemented five 
projects in Morocco including Outsourcing Strategies, Operational 
Risk Bank Supervision, Fund Structure and Operational Improvements, 
Organizational and Investment Procedures, and Market Risk activities 
 
 
¶16. FSVC's recent programs entailed work with BMCE Bank on its 
current back-office structure, and strategies to improve back-office 
operations.  From May 29-June 2, FSVC volunteers trained Bank 
al-Maghrib's (the Central Bank) supervisory staff on the different 
processes, approaches, and tools bank examiners employ to identify, 
assess, and monitor a commercial bank's operational risk. From June 
12-16 FSVC volunteers consulted with senior management and staff at 
Casablanca Finance Group (CFG), a boutique investment house and 
private equity fund management firm investing in SMEs in Morocco on 
internal fund management structure, and policies and procedures. 
FSVC volunteers also consulted with Moussahama (the private equity 
and venture investing arm of the Banque Centrale Populaire) senior 
management on the development of an efficient investment process and 
portfolio oversight process to address current challenges that 
Moussahama faces in managing its current portfolio of SME 
investments, as well as potentially raising new funds in the future 
for investing in growing Moroccan SMEs.  FSVC organized a one-week 
in-house visit to the U.S with leading international banks for BMCE 
risk managers to directly observe how market risk is managed.  They 
met with key risk professionals to discuss creating integrated Basel 
II risk management practices.  FSVC also worked on sixth project, 
Strategic Assessment of a Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). 
 However because this was not within its scope of work with MEPI it 
had to be paid for through another source. 
 
¶17.  A detailed description of MEPI programs in Morocco can be found 
on the Mission unclassified Internet web page at www.usembassy.ma. 
 
 
RILEY