VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #1150 3471806
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121806Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9434
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0871
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1099

UNCLAS RABAT 001150 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KWMN MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO: KING WITHDRAWS RESERVATIONS TO UN WOMEN'S 
CONVENTION 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified, Please Protect Accordingly 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: In what is being hailed as an important 
symbolic step, King Mohammed VI announced in a December 10 
speech that Morocco will lift its remaining and outdated 
reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All 
Forms of Discrimination Against Women.  The objections 
covered conferral of nationality, equity in marriage and 
family issues which have been superseded by Moroccan law. 
Although domestic legal procedures must be followed before 
the reservations can be formally withdrawn at the UN, 
Government of Morocco interlocutors predict smooth and quick 
internal ratification of the announcement.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On December 10, on the eve of the 60th anniversary 
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in a speech 
delivered in his name by Royal Counselor for Legal Affairs 
Mohammed Moatissim, King Mohammed VI highlighted Moroccan 
progress in the field of human rights.  In the remarks, the 
King announced that Morocco will lift its reservations 
against the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of 
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).  (Note: Morocco 
ratified the CEDAW in 1993. End Note.)  "Given the advanced 
legislation adopted by our country," the King said, "the 
reservations are now obsolete." 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Morocco's first reservation addressed the second 
paragraph of article 9 of the CEDAW which stipulates that 
&the States grant a woman equal rights to those of a man 
with regard to the nationality of their children."  As a 
result of amendments made to the Family Code in 2004 and the 
Nationality Code in 2006, Morocco's objections to article 9 
are illegal under its own laws.  Its second reservation 
relating to article 16 and the requirement for equity in 
marriage and family relations has similarly been overtaken by 
developments in Moroccan law and jurisprudence.  Morocco will 
also lift its reservation to article 29 relating to modes of 
arbitration between the signatory states. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Director of 
Humanitarian and Social Issues Abdelmounaim El Farrouk told 
PolFsn that the GOM lodged the reservations in 1993 when it 
first acceded to the CEDAW.  Farrouk explained that, although 
the King made public his intent to rescind the GOM's 
objections, certain standard procedures must be followed to 
gain pro forma Ministry of Justice concurrence, including the 
official publication of the decision, before the UN can be 
officially informed of the reservations, withdrawal. 
Farrouk did not, however, anticipate significant delays or 
problems with the process. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Media reported that many women's rights NGOs 
praised the King's decision, describing it as a sign of 
growing recognition of full-fledged equality between men and 
women.  Chairman of the Moroccan Organization of Human 
Rights, Amina Bouayach, told the press that the decision 
would have a positive effect on the drafting of national laws 
and gender-related government decisions and programs. 
National coordinator of women's association Joussour, 
Ghizlane Benyaich, publicly commended the announcement but 
stressed that it should be coupled with domestic mechanisms 
to ensure actual enforcement of CEDAW provisions in Morocco. 
Chairwoman of the Women's Action Union Nezha Alaoui told 
PolFsn that it was an important symbolic step towards 
establishing true gender equality. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Comment: Since most of the issues covered by the 
reservations have been addressed by current legislation, the 
rescinding will not have a concrete effect.  However, the 
action has important symbolic value as a message to segments 
of society still resistant to reform.  Women's NGOs are 
particularly hopeful that the fact that King himself carried 
the message will spark improvements in local government and 
judicial sector handling of women's issues.  This underscores 
the continuing, if incremental, progress on gender equality 
also addressed in Casablanca septel on violence against 
women.  End Comment 
 
 
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Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
***************************************** 
 
Riley