New York (UN) – Head of the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) Driss El Yazami underlined, on Tuesday at the UN’s headquarters in New York, the catalyst role played by HM King Mohammed VI in the Moroccan reconciliation process.
“The enthronement of HM the King in 1999 was a unique opportunity to address the human rights abuses committed in the sixties and seventies. The Sovereign played a catalyst role in the initial phase of the national reconciliation process,” El Yazami said during a panel on “civil capacities: experiences in institutions’ building and transformation.”
Initiated by Morocco’s representation at the UN and the Center on International Cooperation, in collaboration with the UN’s Civil Capacities Initiative, this panel discussed recent experiences related to transitional justice in Morocco, Argentina, Croatia and Rwanda.
El Yazami recalled the historical context of the Council’s setting up and the transformations it underwent since its creation in 1990 under the name “the advisory council on human rights”, and its reorganization in 2001 in conformity with the Paris Principles which led to the creation of today’s council which enjoys autonomy and broad prerogatives.
In addition to individual redress via the compensation of victims and eligible relatives, the Equity and Reconciliation Commission adopted a collective reparation program. The Commission also took account of social integration, health care, and regulating the administrative and financial situations of eligible relatives, he noted.
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