Rabat - Morocco's interaction with the UN human rights system is "a strategic choice", said on Thursday Morocco's inter-ministerial delegate for human rights, Mahjoub El Haiba.
El Haiba, who was guest to MAP forum, stressed that this interaction is part of the commitment made by Morocco to consolidate human rights respect in the country.
He stressed that between 2003 and 2012, Morocco has presented a total of seven periodical reports to the organizations stemming from treaties which deal with a wide range of subjects, including the fight against all forms of racial discrimination.
In the same vein, he pointed out that Morocco has received since 2000 a total of nine visits by officials of the UN special procedures.
Al Haiba went on that Morocco is the only country in the region that interacts positively with the UN human rights council's special procedures and is among few countries that submit in a periodical manner national reports to the treaties organizations and to the UN Human rights council.
The Moroccan human rights score is judged by criteria applied to the most advanced nations, he noted, recalling the important number of reports submitted, since early 80's, on Morocco's human rights and "Morocco's commitment to implement recommendations".
The Kingdom has resolutely opted for consolidating human rights, he stated, noting, in this context, the implementation of most recommendations adopted by the Justice and reconciliation commission, set up to handle past human rights abuses.
El Haiba stressed that difficulties of interacting with the UN human rights system are associated with the multiplication of mechanisms, the overlapping of competences and access to some mechanisms in addition to internal constraints linked to the consolidation of coordination mechanisms, training and promotion of the human rights culture.
He insisted in this context that Morocco was among the first four countries to conduct the universal periodical review and submitted between 2003 and 2012, seven periodical reports on various themes, including the fight against all forms of racial discrimination.