VZCZCXYZ0019
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #0742 1160915
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 260915Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6420
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS IMMEDIATE 4393
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 3285
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT IMMEDIATE 3472
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 4613
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS IMMEDIATE 9266
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA IMMEDIATE 2972

UNCLAS RABAT 000742 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, IO/RHS FOR LEATHAM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID KDEM KPAO PGOV PREL OIIP MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO:  UNITED NATIONS DEMOCRACY FUND PROJECT 
 
REF: A. STATE 19781 
 
     ¶B. 06 RABAT 00024 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary:  The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) 
is supporting "Promoting Women's Role(s) in the Transitional 
Justice Process in Morocco" with a $350,000 grant for a 
two-year period (reftel A). This project is being implemented 
by UNIFEM North Africa in coordination with the Consultative 
Council on Human Rights (CCDH), a Moroccan parastatal which 
oversees the implementation and coordination of human rights 
laws and concerns throughout the country. On April 23, Post 
met with UNIFEM to review project progress.  The project 
began in January and is still in the organizational stages. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Background:  The Equity and Reconciliation 
Commission (IER) which investigated the egregious human 
rights violations committed by the Government of Morocco 
(GOM) from 1956 through 1999, the "years of lead," submitted 
its final report and recommendations to King Mohammed VI on 
November 30, 2005.  The king accepted all of the IER's 
recommendations and tasked the CCDH with the implementation 
of the recommendations (reftel B).  Among the recommendations 
was increasing awareness and protection of women's human 
rights and ensuring the payment of reparations to women whose 
rights had been denied during the "years of lead." The UNDEF 
project will ensure the recognition of women's experiences 
who had their rights violated. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Project to date:  During an April 23 meeting, the 
UNIFEM coordinator, Zineb Touimi Benjelloun and the Women's 
Human Rights Program Coordinator, Leila Rhiwi, said that 
UNIFEM that the project team has been formed, an action/work 
plan has been prepared, and the necessary documentation on 
specific cases from the IER's recommendations has been 
consolidated.  UNIFEM did not share a copy of the action/work 
plan; however, the coordinators indicated that they are "on 
track."  The action/work plan includes a series of training 
sessions on women's human rights issues and gender equity for 
the CCDH, local nongovernmental organizations, and 
parliamentarians.  A national seminar has also been proposed 
as has an "awareness raising" curriculum on women's 
experiences.  A report on gender equity and "transitional 
justice" will also be produced. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Comment:  Benjelloun informed Post that the project 
was funded so it could become a model for other countries in 
the region, i.e., the "Arab World."  It is likely that she 
was making reference to the uniqueness of the IER and the 
king's acceptance of the IER's recommendations as much as she 
was to sensitizing Moroccans to women's stories during the 
"years of lead." End Comment. 
 
 
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Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
****************************************** 
 
RILEY