Speech of the Ministerial Delegate in Charge of Human Rights at the Opening of the Annual Meeting of the United Nations Development Programme
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen Ambassadors, Heads of Delegations, representatives of States and United Nations and international organizations participating in this meeting, whether in person or remotely,Her Excellency Ms. Katia Lasseur, Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council, Head of the Development, Humanitarian Affairs and Human Rights Section, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations in New York,
Her Excellency Dr. Agnes Marie Chimbiri-Molande, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations in New York,
Mr. Alexander Zuev, Assistant Secretary-General for the Rule of Law and Security Institutions, United Nations Department of Peace Operations,
Ms. Jan Beagle, Director-General of the International Development Law Organization,
His Excellency Mr. Syed Refaat Ahmed, Chief Justice of Bangladesh, Supreme Court of Bangladesh,
Distinguished participants, each according to their rank and with due respect,
It gives me great pleasure to take part in the opening of the Annual Meeting of the United Nations Development Programme, held under the theme “Defending Rights, Justice and Security,” a theme of paramount importance for ensuring human dignity and achieving the desired development.
Allow me also to express my profound satisfaction at participating in this first official activity organized outside the Kingdom, following my appointment by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, as Ministerial Delegate in Charge of Human Rights. This appointment reflects a firm and renewed political will of the Kingdom of Morocco to strengthen human rights and to provide the appropriate conditions for continuing their protection and promotion, as an irreversible national choice.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The issues of the rule of law, access to justice, and the achievement of security are among the major priorities to which the Kingdom of Morocco attaches great importance. This is reflected in the Royal High Guidelines that have placed, at the forefront of state priorities, the modernization of the concept of public authority, the achievement of human development, national reconciliation, reform of the justice system, social protection, and the promotion of human rights. These orientations were enshrined in the 2011 Constitution, which embodied a political pact resulting from the convergence of national reform aspirations and the continuation of democratic consolidation.
From this perspective, these fundamental issues have constituted one of the main pillars of the open and ongoing reform process in twenty-first-century Morocco. This process has been clearly illustrated by significant achievements in the fields of transitional justice, judicial reform, the promotion of women’s rights, and the guarantee of cultural and linguistic rights in Morocco’s plural identity. These national efforts have contributed to strengthening social trust, enhancing legal and social security, and accelerating human development.
While the Kingdom of Morocco continues to develop its legal and institutional systems in the fields of human rights, justice, security, and development, it also remains fully committed to supporting positive international initiatives aimed at advancing international normative frameworks. The Kingdom is aware of the need to address alarming international crises and shared challenges that generate uncertainty about the future and cast negative shadows on the performance of the international human rights system. Today, this system requires greater mobilization, cooperation, and collective reflection in order to restore confidence and revive the foundational principles behind its establishment, as it remains humanity’s only response to the consequences of wars, conflicts, disputes, and crises.
We firmly believe that by relying on the international system, the living conscience of the international community, and the shared will to preserve human dignity—embodied in the international system of human rights, peace, security, and development—we will be able to overcome challenges, no matter how complex, and risks, no matter how significant.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Kingdom of Morocco’s engagement in numerous international initiatives related to human rights reflects a deeply rooted conviction shared by both the State and Moroccan society that the construction of a state governed by the rule of law, justice, and development is based, at the national level, on the establishment of a solidarity-based society in which everyone enjoys security, freedom, equality, and non-discrimination, and, at the international level, on integration into the international human rights system, the preservation of international peace and security, and the strengthening of solidarity and cooperation among states and peoples.
In this context, and in line with the Kingdom of Morocco’s commitments in the field of human rights, the Ministerial Delegation has, within a strategic vision, engaged in developing international partnerships, including a distinguished partnership with specialized United Nations agencies, particularly the United Nations Development Programme, with which we have maintained a partnership since 2012. We take this opportunity to commend this Programme for its valuable roles and contributions in supporting reform dynamics in the Kingdom of Morocco, while emphasizing the importance of strengthening this cooperation and capitalizing on the opportunities it offers to develop successful international partnerships and effective and fruitful regional and international cooperation.
Within the framework of the Delegation’s strategic plan and its new 2025–2030 vision, we stress the importance of building bridges between international and national partnerships in order to ensure complementarity, integration, and a tangible impact on the effective enjoyment of human rights.
We also express the readiness of the Ministerial Delegation in Charge of Human Rights to play a facilitating role regarding human rights issues related to the objectives and programme of work you are addressing, particularly in their dimension related to coordinating the fulfillment of international commitments, which we consider a central priority of our new strategic vision and the core mission of the Ministerial Delegation at the international and national, governmental and civil levels.
Furthermore, based on its role within the International Network of National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up, and in light of the partnerships being established with several similar institutions—on the occasion of the organization of the Arab-African Forum on Business and Human Rights scheduled for June—the Delegation stands ready to contribute to the development of a shared vision for cooperation between these mechanisms and other international actors, particularly the United Nations Development Programme and other specialized UN agencies, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of the United Nations human rights system.
In conclusion, I once again extend my sincere thanks for your kind invitation and wish your deliberations every success.