FOM Newsletter June 2003
Morocco Week in Review 
June 14 2003

Morocco's King Mohammed VI has received a letter from U.S. president, George W. Bush, in connection with the royal message which was sent to the American president through minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa. In his reply, President Bush said he was pleased that the friendship between the American and Moroccan nations was growing stronger and that the two countries were getting even closer to each other, thanks to their cooperation in the fight against terrorism and to their trade relations. He further pointed out that he shared the King's satisfaction with the progress made in the negotiations between Morocco and the United States for a free-trade agreement.  Concerning the Sahara issue, the American president says he continues to put his trust in (UN secretary general's personal envoy) James Baker's efforts as the best prospect for a peaceful solution to this conflict. Bush went to say that he knows Baker will fully take into account Morocco's important concerns regarding its sovereignty and the possible threats posed to its stability and asked the sovereign to continue to work with Baker to this end.  The US president said he has great regard for the Moroccan king's views and is happy to work with him in pursuit of the common objectives of peace, security and development in the Middle East and North Africa.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030612/2003061216.html 

Morocco underscores progress towards FTA accord with US

Considerable progress has been achieved in negotiations for the conclusion of a free trade accord (FTA) between Morocco and the USA, Moroccan Delegate Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Taieb Fassi Fihri, said. Fihri, who leads the Moroccan negotiators to the FTA talks, told the Chamber of Advisors (upper house of parliament), the third round of these talks, held last week in Rabat, helped adopt the broad-lines of the legal frame and the general structure of the accord. Morocco will be the seventh country in the World and the second Arab nation to have such an accord with the US. Canada, Mexico, Israel, Jordan, Singapore and Chile are bound to Washington by similar covenants. Fihri conceded that no agreement has yet been reached regarding preferential conditions or the gradual dismantling of tariffs. This, however, does not mean that there exist divergences between the two parties, he said, underlining keenness by both Morocco and the USA to deepen discussions on ways and means to establish balanced relationships, heeding Morocco's realities, particularly in the sectors of agriculture, industry and sea fisheries.

The official said the Moroccan negotiators insisted during the talks on the need to take into account the constraints of the agricultural sector, whether regarding production and marketing or living conditions of rural populations. The structure and environment of the sector of services in Morocco as well as employment and intellectual property also appeared as fields that need special care in the projected Morocco-US FTA, he said. The fourth round of negotiations will be held in the last week of next July in Washington.

Morocco Sees Illiteracy as Brake to Development

FEZ, June 9 - Illiteracy is a brake to Morocco's development and a national issue, Moroccan minister in charge of public sector modernization, Najib Zerouali, said. The official, who was speaking at the launch of a nationwide campaign to fight illiteracy, urged all citizens to get involved in the nationwide drive to fight this handicap to human resources development. Part of the campaign, "March towards light", thousands of people, mostly adults, will follow courses in a bid to downsize illiteracy that hits 12 million Moroccans.  The minister underlined that the development of communities is not measured according to economic criteria by also based on social indicators such as the level of education among adults. According to Zerouali, 48 percent of Morocco's population are illiterate. The rate is higher among females (62 percent) and rural population (67 percent). Nearly two million children aged 9 to 12 years are out of school, he said. Morocco seeks to bring down the alarming rate of illiteracy to 20 percent in 2010 before eradicating it completely by 2015. The 2003 anti-illiteracy campaign, an endeavor associating all the Moroccan society components, consists of four programs: the general literacy campaign that will target 570,000 recipients, a program by public bodies for 146,000 persons, activities by associations for 269,000 persons and plan carried out by private enterprises for 15,000 recipients. © MAP 2003

World Bank grants Morocco $25 million loan for rural development

With the aim of fighting poverty in Morocco's drought-stricken and remote communities, the World Bank today signed a $25 million loan to support the government of Morocco's recently adopted 2020 Rural Development Strategy. the Rainfed Agriculture Development Project (RADP) is the first phase of a larger program to improve living conditions among smallholder farmers and herders in rainfed areas. In Morocco, nearly half of the country's 30 million people and most of the poor live in rural areas. The agricultural sector, which employs half of the work force, remains a major component of the economy, contributing about 17 percent to the gross national product. As a result, agricultural performance has a critical impact on the socio-economic situation of rural households.  In recent decades however, frequent droughts and erratic rainfall have caused agricultural productivity to decline, leading to a rise in rural poverty and stark disparity between urban and rural living environments. Droughts have also triggered land erosion and other forms of environmental degradation as farmers and herders resort to short-term solutions that place pressure on natural resources. In response to the increase in rural poverty, the government of Morocco adopted the 2020 Rural Development Strategy-an ambitious plan that strives to eliminate rural poverty by 2020 by focusing on agricultural development, building the skills of local authorities and NGOs to oversee projects, tailoring solutions to local ecosystems and promoting decentralization by involving rural people in decision making. The proposed project supports the government's 2020 Rural Development Strategy in rainfed areas through two complementary components. The first component will finance activities aimed at harmonizing the Government's multiple approach to integrated rural development and improving public investment efficiency for rainfed agriculture. The second component will finance activities that promote agricultural development, the upgrading of rural infrastructure such as roads and irrigation as well as education and skill-training for local organizations. The six-year project falls in line with the World Bank's country assistance strategy for Morocco which aims to reduce the vulnerability of the poor in rural areas. It supports the key objectives of equity and inclusion of local people living in rainfed areas by providing them with income-generating opportunities as well as access to basic infrastructure and services. -

IMF hails Morocco's performance

With the events in Casablanca still reverberating around the world, the Moroccan government moved to clamp down on radical Islamist activities in the kingdom, while pointing the finger of blame at overseas based groups.  The attacks also came after some positive news from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which announced that the Moroccan economy had performed well in 2002, despite negative external factors. Whatever the case, the attacks will likely cause serious harm to the country¹s important tourism industry. This had already been hit by the post-11 September and Iraq war impacts on travel to north African and Middle Eastern countries. However, a report released by the Executive Board of the IMF mid-May, to conclude the Fund¹s Article IV consultation with Morocco, suggested that the downturn had not been as bad as many people feared. According to the Fund¹s findings, the country¹s economic conditions improved in 2002 despite a less favourable international environment and a consequent decline in tourism and external demand. Real GDP growth reached 4.5% thanks to a rise in agricultural output and somewhat higher growth than before in the non-agricultural sectors. The IMF holds bilateral discussions with Morocco every year under the Articles of Association of Article IV, with a Fund team visiting the country to collect economic and financial information and hold discussions with officials. The report also said that the country¹s external position had strengthened further, with an increase in foreign exchange reserves to the equivalent of 9.4 months of imports, while external debt indicators had improved markedly and inflation had been subdued. It also praised the government¹s fixed exchange rate policy for providing an anchor for the economy, while a prudent monetary policy and an adequate fiscal policy had also helped achieve real growth. However, the report said that the growth figures had not been strong enough to make any appreciable dent in poverty. The importance of the agricultural sector has also continued to be vital in determining overall economic standards, with recurrent drought conditions having a major impact on growth throughout the economy. While the Fund said that the non-agricultural sector had been showing signs of growth in recent years, it then condemned OEstructural rigidities¹ for the failure of this growth to reach its full potential. Unemployment has, therefore, remained high, with the Fund¹s social indicators showing significant room for improvement.  As for the country¹s fiscal deficit, this dropped significantly from 5.8% of GDP in 2001 to 4.5% of GDP last year, against a budget target of 6.8%. The report continues to give support to those looking for more major structural reform in the economy, while serving as a boost to those who feared for the worst. However, how the government responds in the next few weeks and months will also likely prove crucial in deciding how soon the country can overcome the impact of recent events.  Publication: Africa Analysis Distributed by Financial Times Information Limited - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire

Germany brings assistance to integration of gender issues in Moroccan policies

The German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) is bringing a technical assistance worth 1.5 million Euro to the integration of gender issues in Moroccan development policies. Under an aide-memoir signed here this Friday by the Moroccan secretariat of state for family, solidarity and social action and the GTZ representative in Morocco, the agency will be bringing technical assistance to Moroccan governmental bodies, local councils and non-governmental organizations to develop and implement policies and programs that integrate gender issues.  The technical assistance consists of international experts and equipment while the Moroccan side will be in charge of creating the appropriate legal and administrative conditions and exempt the German equipment from taxes and other duties. The project, extending over two phases of three years each, is scheduled to contribute in the long term to reduce social and economic gaps between men and women.

Expats association collects 24 tons of health equipment for Moroccan hospital

"Act-Agir," an association of France-Settled Moroccans, will hand out 24 tons of health equipment to Casablanca's Ibn Rochd hospital, the association announced here on Friday. The equipment comprises hospital beds and wheelchairs collected from private companies in collaboration with the international NGO "Medecins Du Monde." The association, specialized in organizing humanitarian supply and health prevention urged French and Moroccan enterprises, local collectivities and administrations to help it in conveying the equipment to Morocco.

RABAT, June 12 (Reuters) - Moroccan phosphate giant OCP said on Thursday it would build a large $85 million fertiliser plant that would increase its production capacity by 50 percent and strengthen its world leadership in the industry.  "The plant, expected to be operational by 2005, will raise our output capacity from some 2.0 million tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP) per year to 3.0 million tonnes by 2005," Office Cherifienne des Phosphates' (OCP) chief Mourad Cherif told Reuters. OCP, the largest employer in the phosphate-rich North African country, has awarded U.S. Jacobs Engineering basic engineering services contract for the  plant, which will be located in OCP's industrial complex of Jorf Lasfar on the Atlantic coast. By 2005, the office will be able to transform 75 percent of its phosphoric acid output to DAP fertiliser. "The project will increase our plants reliability, reduce operating costs, improve air quality and improve our flexibility in supplying world markets," Cherif said. OCP holds an overall world market share of 28 percent in phosphates and its by-products. Its annual exports of some 13 billion dirhams, around third of which are made from raw phosphates exports, are a main source of hard currency.  The firm's main markets include India, China, the United States and the Middle East. Morocco holds over half the world's known reserves of phosphates.  

((Reporting by Souhail Karam, editing by Joe Ortiz; Reuters Messaging:souhail.karam.reuters.com@reuters.net; +212-37 720065)) ($1=9.310 Moroccan dirhams)

Morocco dedicates US $270 million per Year for scientific research, minister in charge of scientific research, Omar Fassi Fihri, Thursday told a Moroccan weekly. Fihri recalled that the share of the GDP dedicated to scientific research increased in four years from 0,3 percent to more than 0,7 percent in 2002, and voiced hope that it will rise to 1 percent by the end of the current decade.  There are over 15,000 scientists and experts working in scientific research in Morocco, said the minister, underscoring, however, that the number of technicians remains insufficient because of their status that is not "very encouraging." Morocco is third in Africa in scientific production with 1,000 articles per year in life and exact sciences and engineering, Fihri went on, adding that the number of articles reached 2,100 last year. The official further evoked the Moroccan private sector's interest in scientific research in which it participates with 16 per cent of the overall amount, stressing that the rate remains far below the one consecrated for the sector in the European Union (50%) or the United States (75%). As to Morocco-EU cooperation in scientific research, Fihri recalled the conclusion of a bilateral agreement similar to that between the EU and several countries, particularly the US and China.

Morocco to elaborate children's rights code

A children's rights code is being elaborated by the state secretariat, UNICEF and other partners, state secretary in charge of family, solidarity and social action, Yasmina Badou, said here on Wednesday. At the opening of a workshop on "children deprived of family environment" organized by the Moroccan League for the protection of Children, Badou further noted that the state secretariat supports more than a hundred associations and NGOs active in children issues through a budget estimated at 5 million Dhs (US $ 500,000). In the same vein, Badou recalled that king Mohammed VI called for the creation of a family support fund at the opening of the current judiciary year. For her part, UNICEF representative in Morocco, May Ayoub, surveyed recommendations of the U.N. children rights committee, that met lately in Geneva, and that called countries to release more data and statistics about the situation of children and undertake the necessary measures to provide children with an appropriate family environment. Ayoub hailed the Moroccan government's mobilization to promote the situation of children, stressing that there is a chance to achieve progress in this realm.  The workshop aims to deepen reflection on children living in public or private orphanage institutions and examine means to coordinate actions in favour of children, notably legal, and institutional actions.

Morocco on Tuesday announced a package of measures part of a large-scale program to improve the lot of its jail population and "humanize" the environment in detention centers. The Mohammed VI Foundation for Inmates Integration unveiled to the press these actions, including a two million dirham (US$ 200,000) literacy program for detainees. Part of the program, the Foundation entered into partnership with different ministerial departments to join efforts for a better life of inmates, said Mohamed Lididi, member of the Foundation's governing board. Preserving detainees' rights is given a particular interest in the drive. "A sound integration of inmates necessarily goes through the respect of their rights under detention," said Abdellah El Oualladi, from the Moroccan Human Rights Organization (OMDH). Efforts made by the Foundation fall under a new approach to integration through a pedagogical work to educate inmates on human rights in general and their own rights in particular, he said.  The establishment of links between inmates and the country's social and economic fabric is a key element of the new strategy of the Foundation. In this connection, the Foundation is implementing a 35 million dirham (US$ 3.5 million) pilot program for the integration of inmates in their social and professional environment. The project will start in overcrowded jails, the Foundation said. The new strategy gives a special care to children, as a vulnerable jailpopulation. Thus, Morocco's 16 centers, which host 1,000 children aged 8 to 16 years, will be renovated and endowed with necessary means for a better reeducation of these kids.

AGADIR, June 10 - TUI Group, a leading German tour operator, has unveiled a plan to consolidate its 35-year presence in Morocco. TUI Group, which has become an important actor in Moroccan tourism, wants to develop its hotels network in the kingdom, Ralf Cortsen, a representative of the operator said at a meeting Monday with Prime Minister, Driss Jettou. Cortsen said his group is building in Morocco three hotels of a total accommodation capacity of 2,000 beds. These projects are a token of trust in the future of Morocco, he said.  The group alsointends to open new hotels in Marrakesh and Agadir over the next two years. Eric Debry, president of the French tour operator, "Nouvelles Frontières", a TUI partner, said the group plans to increase flights from Germany, France and Belgium to Morocco. As of next fall, additional weekly flights will be serviced from Germany, he said. Jettou assured the German group that the government will spare no effort to effect fruitful cooperation with the German corporation part of the country's plan to drain 10 million tourists by 2010. Tourism minister, Adil Douiri, said Morocco and TUI group are studying a partnership convention that would increase direct flights between some Moroccan cities and foreign markets. MAP 2003

European commission proposes 250 mln euro aid to third countries concerned by immigration

The European commission proposed on Wednesday the allocation of a 250 million Euro aid over 2004-2008 period to third countries concerned by migration and asylum. The proposal, part of a financial and technical assistance program, aims to include immigration issues in the European Union's foreign policy, the European commission said in a release. The new program will bring a "complementary" aid to the concerned countries to support their efforts and guarantee a better management of migration flows.  The aid, the commission stressed, mainly concerns countries that are actively engaged in "the preparation or implementation" of readmission agreements with the European community. Since 2001, the EU has adopted action plans on immigration involving several African and Asian countries, including Morocco. The European commission's proposal will be submitted to the European council and parliament for adoption.

Morocco Devises Emergency Plan to Face Drought

RABAT, June 12 - Morocco on Wednesday unveiled a US $ 25 million emergency plan to face the impact of drought. Agriculture and rural development minister, Mohamed Laenser, who was speaking at the House of Representatives, lower chamber of parliament, said the plan will particularly profit Morocco's southern provinces. Part of the plan, US $20 million will be used to generate jobs through the implementation of several projects such as roads, maintenance hydro-agricultural equipment and oasis's cleansing.  The remaining amount will be used to protect and supply livestock. Laenser said a second phase of the plan will profit other drought-stricken provinces. The department, he went on, is currently studying a program to invest in agricultural lands over 63,000 hectares and it is estimated at US $2.5 million, including US $350.000 for livestock. MAP 2003

US expert, Katherine Marshall, who is participating in the Festival of sacred music in Fez said it is crucial to guarantee the "glittering of themspirit of Fez in the world" because of the unique character of the festival. Marshall termed the event, organized this June 6 to 14, as "grandiose, exclusive and unique," underlining that efforts are deployed to "promote the spirit of Fez in other regions of the world." The festival, she underlined, allows to establish a deep and constructive intercultural dialogue on important questions. The encounter of Fez, organized for three consecutive times, give the music festival a scientific aspect with large debates on current issues such as globalization, poverty, intercultural relations, conflicts and education. The sacred music festival is a genuine occasion to examine links between civilizations and give spiritual music its due place, she went on. Marshall, advisor of the World Bank President, is taking part in projects related to the reduction of poverty, prevention and conflicts' resolution.

Cyber-piracy in Morocco decreased from 82% in 1994 to 61% in 2001 and 58% in 2002, said the association of software editors in Morocco (Business Software Alliance). According to a survey conducted by the "International Planning and Research" office, published by the BSA recently, losses of the industry amount to 4.5 million dollars in 2002, against 5.5 millions in 2001. The significant decrease was made possible by BSA's awareness campaign consisting in mail to some 20,000 enterprises of different sectors and sizes, assorted with visits to some 2,500 enterprises. The survey points out to a significant piracy drop in Africa and the Middle East from 80% in 1994 to 49% in 2002. The study, which covers 58 countries, says world cyber piracy scored a slight decrease from 49% in 1994 to 39% in 2002.

New group of 12 individuals appear before court in connection with may 16 attacks probe

A new group of 12 individuals involved in the terrorist attacks of May 16 appeared Thursday before the court of appeal of Casablanca. The court's public prosecutor, Abdellah Alaoui Belghiti, said in a release made public Thursday that with this last group brought to justice, the number of persons that appeared before court in this case reached 79. Another group of persons involved in the Casablanca blasts were arrested and will appear before the tribunal after investigation, he added. Relatedly, Adil Fiach, alias "Abdelali," wanted for involvement in the same case, was arrested Thursday in Taounate (near Fez). A warrant of arrest including Adil Fiach had been published on Wednesday.

Morocco fully complies with minimum standards for elimination of Persons' trafficking (US State Department)

WASHINGTON, June 13 - Morocco fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of persons' trafficking, the US State Department said in a 2003 Report on Trafficking in Persons. "The Government of Morocco participated in several high-level meetings with the European Union and the Governments of Italy and Spain to strengthen migration policies and procedures to Europe," the report said, adding Moroccan diplomats in both transit and destination countries are trained to assist Moroccan victims, and Moroccan consular officers are trained to provide counsel to unattended at-risk adolescents in Spain and Italy.Working with non-governmental organizations, the government has supported numerous anti-trafficking public awareness campaigns that warn young people about the dangers of migration to Europe and citizens against using child maids, the US State Department underlined. While deploring that "Morocco has no law that specifically prohibits trafficking," the report conceded that the government utilizes a number of statutes covering kidnapping, forced prostitution, and coercion against traffickers. 

Law enforcement agencies actively investigate, prosecute and convict traffickers, it added, recalling that a former Belgian consul general was arrested in Morocco for recruiting Moroccan women to work in Belgian nightclubs. "The police worked together with law enforcement from Saudi Arabia to break up a Moroccan trafficking ring consisting of 40 family members," the report said. The Report also recalled a law adopted by the Moroccan Council of Ministers to increase punishments against traffickers. "There is no evidence of official government involvement in trafficking," the report said, adding a government crackdown on all types of corruption within the public sector "has investigated approximately 10,000 officials for allegations of corruption, including corruption related to trafficking in persons." The Moroccan government participates in anti-trafficking and anti-child labour campaigns with international organizations, repatriates former child maids to their families, and has created a Centre for Immigration that provides counselling services including explanation of legal and civil rights to migrants, the report went on.

© MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm

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Rabat, Jun 13, 2003 (EFE via COMTEX) -- The health of jailed Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet has "seriously deteriorated" as a result of a 39-day hunger strike to protest his imprisonment, his family said in a statement Friday.  The journalist, sentenced to four years in prison for allegedly insulting Morocco's king, "cannot speak and can only communicate by moving his head," the statement said. Lmrabet, who has already lost 22 kilograms (48 pounds), "does not even have the strength to drink water on his own and is so weak that he has not been able to walk for four weeks." Moreover, he has an gastric ulcer very close to an artery, which "if it ruptures, could also cause the artery to rupture," according to his family. "Doctors have said that if that happens a very complicated surgery would be necessary, which Ali would not be able to withstand," the statement said. Lmrabet's family expressed fears that his health was approaching "a point of no return which would lead to his death or irreparable damage."

The family also called for "the immediate release of our brother, an end to his judicial persecution, the lifting of the ban on his two magazines and respect for the job of journalists within the framework of freedom of the press and the right to information." A Rabat court on May 21 sentenced the journalist, who is the editor of the satirical weeklies Demain Magazine and Duman, to four years in prison and fined him 20,000 dirhams (more than $2,000).  The court, which found Lmrabet guilty of "insulting the king, offending the monarchy and undermining territorial integrity," also banned his two magazines. The journalist was charged for reprinting a previously published interview with former political prisoner Abdala Zaaza in which the latter declared himself a republican. Lmrabet was also taken to task for publishing in his magazines a collage of pictures from the wedding of King Mohammed VI as well as information about the budget of the Moroccan royal house.

td/av/dr http://www.efe.es 

Washington -- A crimson silk tapestry from the mid-1800s wafting over the hallway, North African music resonating through the chambers and a video scene of a bustling bazaar of traders and the celebrated rug weavers all beguile the unwary visitor deeper and deeper into "The Fabric of Moroccan Life," the colorful new exhibit of Moroccan textiles that opened at the National Museum of African Art June 6. "How people weave fabrics everywhere in the world is an expression of the culture of that country," said Moroccan Ambassador to the U.S. Aziz Mekouar, at the opening of the exhibit of 67 rare textiles woven during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries that highlight the diversity of cultural traditions still present in Morocco today. "This exhibit shows what our culture is," pronounced the Ambassador. "You will see it is different from one region [of Morocco] to another."  Morocco's cultural traditions have come to include Jewish, African and Mediterranean influences while remaining rooted in Islamic and Berber customs. "The Fabric of Moroccan Life" reflects these traditions through rugs, tent hangings, saddlebags, and clothing, and two sections divide fabrics used in urban settings from those used in the countryside. "Just as previous exhibitions of textiles and other objects relating to daily life struck a chord with the public, this vibrant exhibition -- from one of the world's great centers of textile arts -- is sure to draw in visitors," remarked museum director Sharon Patton. Moroccan music and photographs from the 1930s of the items being used accentuate the displays of woven and embroidered work. The exhibit is on loan from the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Many of the pieces were collected by U.S. Admiral Albert Niblack while he was stationed with the U.S. Navy in Gibraltar in the early 20th century. His collection numbers in the thousands. Educational and family programs, including performances of Moroccan music, gallery talks, films and culinary demonstrations will be offered in conjunction with the exhibit.

For more information, visit the web site at www.nmafa.si.edu. (The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov )

Brussels, 13 June 2003 (ICFTU OnLine): In a new report on Morocco, produced to coincide with the WTO review of that country's trade policy on June 16, the ICFTU criticises Morocco's lack of compliance with the ILO Core Labour Standards. While seven of the eight core standards have been ratified by Morocco, in practice the story is very different; violations are common and enforcement of national labour laws is very weak. Trade union activities are restricted, sometimes by using violence, child labour is a serious problem and women continue to face massive discrimination both in pay and in access to quality employment. The trade union rights situation in Morocco does not reflect the commitments the country has made at both the ILO and the WTO to uphold workers rights. Anti-union actions by employers lead frequently to the dismissal of unionists and violent suppression of workers' protests by the authorities. The Penal Code is often used to imprison strikers. Collective bargaining is also limited; employers often set wages unilaterally and do not always implement collective agreements. Ongoing negotiations on a new Labour Code that would improve the protection of workers have reached an impasse because the government now claims the need to adopt more restrictive labour laws in order to attract foreign investors. Equal treatment of women is far from being a reality in Morocco. The law prohibits discrimination between men and women, but in practice women are concentrated in lower level jobs, mainly in informal manufacturing and the export-based textiles industry, both notorious for violations of labour standards. Women are in very few management positions, in both public and private sectors. Child labour is prohibited under the age of 12, but frequently occurs in unregulated informal activities. Thousands of children work in the textiles industry, and tens of thousands as domestic servants, a socially accepted phenomenon. Forced labour also exists, in forced prostitution and the widespread practice of bonded domestic labour. The ICFTU insists that Morocco ratify ILO convention 87 on the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, and that it apply those conventions it has already ratified. In particular, steps to be taken include an end to the use of police violence against peaceful strikes, eradication of child - and forced - labour, the equal treatment of women, and the general enforcement of collective bargaining rights.  The ICFTU represents 158 million workers in 231 affiliated organisations in 150 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org 

For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2 224 0232 or +32 476 621 018.

June 12, 2003 -- RABAT, Morocco - Moroccan authorities charged a French man for his alleged role in last month's Casablanca bombings, which killed 43 people, including 12 suicide bombers, the official MAP news agency reported. Moroccan police arrested Pierre Robert, 31, in the northern city of Tangiers last week, and he was charged along with 18 others. Robert is suspected of organizing training camps in rural Morocco for young Muslim volunteers. A total of 67 men have now been charged in the aftermath of the bombings. Reuters

It is no secret that the sephardic communities, and their cultural offerings, were often looked down upon by the ashkenazi establishment during Israel's first 30 or 40 years. But the past 10-15 years have seen a resurgence of interest in all forms of ethnic art and, in particular, in the music of artists with Iraqi, Persian and Moroccan roots. This year's annual Morocco Festival in Eilat (June 12- 15) provides further evidence that there is a burgeoning demand for sephardic cultural events. "Yes, it is wonderful to have a second festival after our debut last year," says stand-up comedian and festival director Shalom Assiag. "The first one was a resounding success. It was the biggest festival they'd ever had in Eilat." Next week's four-day affair promises to be even bigger, with an artist roster featuring some of the top names in the national entertainment industry. The first evening's program includes the likes of Eyal Golan and Zehava Ben, with Sarit Hadad and Shlomo Bar's Habreira Hativit performing June 14th. There will also be one foreign guest, with Moroccan-born US-resident Haim Luk starring in the festival's opening act, From Morocco with Love. Considering that young sephardi Israelis have been rediscovering their ethnic roots for well over a decade - while ashkenazis have been exploring new cultural terrain - it is somewhat surprising that it has taken this long to come up with a festival devoted exclusively to Moroccan culture. "When we held the first festival last year, it was as if people had been waiting a long time," Assiag continues. "I don't really know why it didn't happen earlier. I suppose it was just a matter of taking the initiative at the right time."  Besides the musical and comic entertainment - comedians Meir Suissa and Yaron Levy are among the funnymen on this year's program - the festival will also provide an opportunity for people to simply get together and hang out for a few days. "Last year's festival was like a social gathering. My mother, for example, met an old schoolmate who was in her class in Morocco and whom she hadn't seen since her childhood." Like many of his Israeli-born contemporaries, Assiag grew up in a culturally mixed environment. At home he heard the traditional music his parents had grown up with in Morocco, but out on the streets, he was exposed to western influences, mostly American and British rock. "I grew up with piyutim (liturgical songs), kiddush and the songs we sang at home on Friday nights. Of course, when I was 16 or 17 I started getting into other kinds of music. I began listening to my older brothers' records - stuff like Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. I was also a rock music DJ for a while." Assiag is understandably delighted with the revival of interest in sephardic culture and, in particular, Moroccan music. "Today, Moroccans feel freer to play their own music, and don't feel ashamed to indulge in their own culture, as was once the case. The Sefatayim [Moroccan] band was the house band on the Dan Shillon TV show. And there's Amir Benayoun, who basically plays and sings Moroccan music." Benayoun, in fact, was recently subjected to verbal abuse by Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid, who made derogatory remarks about him playing Arabic music. And last year, veteran playwright and poet Haim Heffer said the Moroccan community's contribution to Israeli culture was limited to the creation of the pastry dish mofletta. Assiag naturally took offence, but the two have since made up and Heffer says he will attend this year's festival in Eilat. While Assiag says we have some way to go before reaching cultural parity between ashkenazim and sepharadim, he feels we are headed in the right direction."There will, unfortunately, be more remarks like Lapid's, but Benayoun, for example, is appreciated even more by ashkenazim than by sepharadim. Anyway, we plan to have fun in Eilat." The Moroccan Festival will take place at various venues in Eilat between June 12-15. For further information call: Ofer Shitreet at (03) 605-2433 or (054) 751-979.

Publication: Jerusalem Post Distributed by Financial Times Information Limited - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire

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Sacred music festival starts in Fez

Morocco's Princess Lalla Hasna, Sister of King Mohammed VI, on Friday chaired the opening of the 9th edition of the Fez Sacred Music Festival, held under the theme "From my Soul to Yours, the Art of Transmission." The Festival that runs until June 14 in Morocco's spiritual capital is marked by the participation of artists, singers and music groups from Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia. The Festival provides a space for dialogue between cultures and civilizations, said Mohamed Kabbaj, President of the Festival. It is meant to be a platform permitting us to go beyond globalization towards a more universal and a more genuine concept, he told the press in Casablanca. In an era where technology has become predominant, "it is importance for this very technology to be rooted at a new cultural level that of sense, wherein the essential is conveyed not by words but rather from soul to soul," he said.  Organizers of the festival want to make of Fez the capital of spiritual dialogue. An international communication network will see the light of day to make of the festival an international encounter of universal cultures, said Kabbaj. The Festival's mentors also see in this encounter an opportunity to contribute to ongoing efforts to correct the image of Islam and Muslims, prey to a fierce distortion campaign in the West. The city of Fez is the suitable venue to host this kind of events to show that the Muslim culture remains a culture of overture and of dialogue and that Muslims who believe in the principle of difference, accept others, Kabbaj underlined. Parallel to the Festival, Fez will host a conference, themed "A Soul for Globalization." The meeting will deal with a wide range of topics including  our responsibilities vis-a-vis the mounting generations," "the spiritual citizenship" and "Education for a World of solidarity."

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030609/2003060923.html 

Newspaper Editor Remains Imprisoned Following Appeals Court Decision

RSF has voiced its outrage over an Appeals Court's 5 June 2003 decision to keep newspaper editor Ali Lmrabet in prison. Lmrabet, who has been on hunger strike since 6 May and hospitalised since 26 May, came to the court in a wheelchair for the hearing, which was the first in his appeal. The next hearing is set for 10 June. Lmrabet was jailed on 21 May. "One would have hoped the Moroccan justice system would ease the situation and show clemency by ordering Lmrabet's provisional release," RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said. "Instead, its inflexibility seems to be confirming the fears of those who say that Lmrabet's imprisonment has sounded the death knell for the independent press." Ménard added, "People thought King Mohammed VI's Morocco was on the road to democracy, but they were clearly mistaken." Lmrabet is the owner and editor of two satirical weeklies, the French-language "Demain Magazine" and its Arabic-language version, "Douman". He is also RSF's correspondent in Morocco. On 21 May, a Rabat court sentenced him to four years' imprisonment for "insulting the person of the king", committing an "offence againstterritorial integrity" and an "offence against the monarchy". The court also fined him 20,000 dirhams (approx. US$2,300; 2,000 euros) and banned his two weeklies. He was taken from the courtroom to a prison cell. Lmrabet was convicted on the basis of articles and cartoons about the annual allowance that Parliament grants the royal family (detailed in a Finance Ministry document distributed to parliamentarians), a cartoon strip on the history of slavery, a photomontage of Moroccan political personalities, and an interview with a Moroccan republican who advocated self-determination for Western Sahara. When he began his hunger strike on 6 May, the editor said he was acting to defend his rights, to put an end to repeated acts of intimidation against his printer and others who would otherwise be ready to print his weeklies, and in order to be able to enjoy the right to freedom of movement. On 26 May, at the end of his third week on hunger strike, he was rushed from prison to Rabat's Avicenne hospital.

Jailed Moroccan editor 'close to death', Rabat

The editor of two Moroccan satirical magazines, who was jailed last month for slandering King Mohammed VI, is close to death after a 39 day hunger strike to protest his sentence, his lawyer said on Friday. "Ali Lamrabet is in immediate danger, he has lost 22 kilos since he started his hunger strike on May 6," Abderrahim Jamai said, calling for "urgent national and international action" to secure his release. Lamrabet's family issued a statement expressing its fears that he was about to "enter a phase of no-return which will either lead to his death or leave him with serious consequences for the rest of his life". Lamrabet, a dual French-Moroccan national who is editor-in-chief of the satirical magazines Demain and Doumane, was sentenced on May 21 to four years in prison after his magazines published articles on topics including a parliamentary vote on the king's civil list, the budget of the royal palace, and a cartoon on the history of slavery in Morocco. The Rabat court also banned the two magazines. - Sapa-AFP

NEW YORK, Jun 12, 2003 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- A delegation from a journalists' advocacy group met with the Moroccan ambassador to the United States in Washington on Thursday to seek the immediate release of two Moroccan editors. Ali Lmrabet, owner and editor of two weeklies, was convicted on May 21 of "insulting the king," and Mustafa Alaoui, editor of the weekly Al-Ousboua, was detained on June 5 under Morocco's recently enacted anti-terrorism law. "These jailings mark a significant deterioration in press freedoms in Morocco," said Ann Cooper, executive director of the Committee to ProtectJournalists. "Simply put, journalists should never be jailed for their words or opinions." The committee said Ambassador Aziz Mekouar told the delegation that he would convey its concerns to the Moroccan government. Mekouar did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. Cooper said Morocco joins Tunisia and Egypt as countries in the Arab world that imprison journalists. "Morocco's press is at a critical point. No matter how unsettled the government feels by criticism, it must remain true to its stated commitments to a free press," said Josh Friedman, a member of the committee's board of directors who attended the meeting. Lmrabet, who owns and edits the French-language Demain and its Arabic sister publication, Douman, was sentenced to four years in prison and fined $2,000. The court also ordered the two weeklies closed. Lmrabet's conviction stems from articles and cartoons published in the two magazines. They included an interview with Abdullah Zaazaa, an opponent of Morocco's monarchy who called for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara; a satirical photo montage showing photos from the wedding of former Interior Minister Driss Basri's daughter superimposed on a photo from King Muhammad VI's wedding; an article about the royal court's finances; and a cartoon that criticized public displays of reverence to authority, the committee said. Lmrabet has been on a hunger strike since May 6 to protest the legal caseagainst him and is in a hospital in Rabat. A decision in his appeal is scheduled for June 17. Alaoui was arrested for publishing a communique issued by an Islamist group that claimed responsibility for some of the suicide bombings in Casablanca on May 16, the committee said. Alaoui, who suffers from diabetes, is also reportedly in poor health in Sale prison near Rabat. The Committee to Protect Journalists is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.

Foreign loans and investments drop, expats' remittances up in 1st quarter of 2003

Foreign direct investments and loans have regressed by 32% in the first quarter of 2003, compared to the amount of FDIs and loans Morocco attracted in the same period of 2002. With 1.50 billion Dirhams (about US$ 163 million) recorded between January 1st and April 30, foreign direct investments and loans have dropped by 77.9% as compares to the average recorded in the same period over the last five years, says the exchange office. Meanwhile, Moroccan expatriates' remittances increased by 10.5% in the said period to reach 11.25 billion Dirhams (US$ 1.2 billion). Transfers thus scored a 47.1% rise as compares to 1998-2002 average (7.65 billion Dirhams/US$ 831 million).

Moroccan official urges Moroccan expatriates in France to invest in low-cost housing

Moroccan delegate minister in charge of housing and urbanism, Taoufik Hjira, urged on Saturday Moroccans living in France to invest massively in low-cost housing projects in Morocco. Hjira told a group of Moroccan investors, part of the Moroccan Housing Salon held in Rainey (Paris suburbs), the sector currently represents 30 per cent of domestic investment and 6 per cent of the Moroccan GDP, and it employs 11 per cent of the national manpower. According to the delegate minister, the low-cost housing sector in Morocco registered "alarming delays." The number of social houses built annually, he added, is estimated at 45,000 units whereas there should be more than 125,000 additional units to meet housing needs accumulated since the first years of independence. Nearly 1,3 million persons in urban areas do not live in decent housing and the situation is even worse in rural areas, he went on. Hjira spoke about the measures undertaken by the government to address the problem, stressing that it decided to directly involve the private sector in the construction and promotion of housing destined for poor urban populations.

The minister added that a guarantee fund will be created to allow Moroccans with limited income or without fix revenues to have access to decent housing. The call for Moroccans expatriates in France to invest in the housing sector is in line with the sovereign's instructions to reduce unhealthy housing and slums in Morocco and provide the population with decent housing. The Moroccan government has set a target of building 100,000 houses annually to fight unhealthy housing. The Moroccan housing exhibition, that showcases various low-cost housing projects in Morocco, aims to promote social housing. Hjira's meeting with expatriates in France will be followed with other encounters with Moroccans living in Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and Italy and that will also focus on the participation of Moroccan expatriates in the promotion of social housing in Morocco.

Morocco's trade deficit worsens by 28% in 1st quarter of 2003

Morocco's trade deficit worsened by 28.1% during the first quarter of 2003 (January-April), reaching 1.59 billion DH (about US$ 173 million), says the exchange office. The value of Morocco's foreign trade stood at 70.48 billion DH (US$ 7.6 billion) during this period, compared to 72.07 billion DH (US$ 7.8 billion) in the corresponding period of last year. Exports were worth 27.1 billion Dh (US$ 2.9 billion) and imports stood at 43.38 billion DH (US$ 4.7 billion).

Primo Nebiolo Meet: Hicham El Guerrouj wins 3,000m race

oroccan three-time world champion and record holder, Hicham El Guerrouj, won Friday evening the Primo Nebiolo 3,000m race. El Guerrouj came in first in 7'30"23"', past Kenya's Leonord Mucheru (7'41"55'"). Morocco's Said Berrioui, ranked third in 7'41"83"'. Two other Moroccans, Mohamed Said El Ouardi and Kaddour Slimani, took part to the race and came 7th and 15th respectively.

Two Eastbourne men who spent five years in a squalid Moroccan jail on drug smuggling charges are celebrating a major development in their case. Paul Humble, 42, and Greg Saxby, 45, were freed last month when the King of Morocco granted royal pardons to almost 10,000 inmates to celebrate the birth of his son. The duo - who have always maintained their innocence - yesterday received official confirmation of their pardons.  It means they can now begin the long process of clearing their names. Theyare to meet with their London-based lawyers on June 26 to plan their action. The friends will be fighting to wipe the convictions from their passports to  nable them to travel outside Europe. Official news of their pardon came in a letter from the British Embassy in Rabat, near where they were held in confinement. Mr Humble, of Wartling Road, said: "We're over the moon. It's a really big step forward for us as it means the lawyers can actually do something to clear our names now. "Having a royal pardon on paper opens so many doors for us, as opposed to being given a grace which is merely a reduction in your sentence." Mr Saxby, a father-of-two, said: "It's great news. A pardon is a pardon and hopefully we can use this to fully clear our names." The pair were incarcerated for up to 20 hours a day in searing heat in a tiny 10m by 5m cell shared by dozens of foreign inmates.

They say they witnessed the torture of inmates by guards, were fed a diet mainly of soup made of potatoes, carrots, water and oil and slept near bugs and vermin. The friends - whose case was backed by Fair Trials Abroad - had been held by police off the Moroccan coast in 1998 as they travelled from Gibraltar on behalf of an agent to deliver an 80-ton boat. They were convicted later that year in a Moroccan court, without interpreters or witnesses, of smuggling £7 million of cannabis into the North African country. During their time in prison, they each lost about five stone in weight and said corruption in the prison and judicial system was rife. Only a mass pardon by King Mohammed VI prevented the friends enduring another five years in shocking conditions. Following their return to Eastbourne, they told their full story to us. Mr Humble said: "Since The Argus featured our story, so many people have shown support for us, saying we had been stitched up by the Moroccan authorities. We would like to thank them."

Algerian industry minister, El Hachemi Jaaboub, praised Morocco's humanitarian assistance to Algeria following the earthquake that hit several regions in the country last May 21 and left thousands of dead and injured. Jaaboub told MAP on the sidelines of the sub-regional conference of North African industry ministers that despite the catastrophe, Algeria was anxious to take part in the conference "because we want to reinforce communication and contacts with Morocco." The Algerian minister added that the encounter will create better cooperation opportunities in industry and trade to achieve development in the region and face the challenges of globalization. Jaaboub highlighted the large opportunities for economic integration between North African countries, underlining the necessity to create mechanisms and legal and legislative frameworks to lift barriers between countries in the region. The sub-regional conference of North African industry ministers adopted the Rabat declaration, an ambitious program to develop textile and garments, transport equipment and agribusiness areas.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030613/2003061327.html 

AGADIR, June 12- H.M. King Mohammed VI received Thursday at the Royal Palace in Agadir Martin Bouygues, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the French Bouygues Group. Martin Bouygues assured King Mohammed VI of his group's confidence in Morocco, a country scoring constant development and enjoying security and stability. Bouygues underlined that his group will continue to invest in Morocco, particularly in the large-scale project to build the Mediterranean Port of Tangiers (northern Morocco). Prime Minister, Driss Jettou, and Royal Advisor, Abdelaziz Meziane Belfqih, attended the audience. Set up 50 years ago by Francis Bouygues, the Bouygues Group is now implanted in 91 countries. The corporation, whose core business is construction, is also active in civil engineering, audio-visual technology, telecommunications, real estate, environment and services. © MAP 2003

The Bouygues Group, a World leader in constructions that won a US$ 242-million deal to build the basic installations of the Mediterranean Port of Tangiers, said Thursday it was "mobilized" to materialize the project on time. The new port is "a high quality project" that will serve as a new link between Africa and Europe, Martin Bouygues, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the group, told the press following the signing of the deal at a ceremony chaired by King Mohammed VI. Under the contract, the group undertakes to construct the required installations in 36 months. The Mediterranean Port of Tangiers is planned to be operational in 2007. The new port, (35 km east of Tangier), whose construction works were launched by king Mohammed VI last February, is designed to become a hub for regional sea transport. The facility, that will cost 5 billion dirhams, nearly US$ 500 million, is the central facility of this ambitious project. Set up 50 years ago by Francis Bouygues, the Bouygues Group is now implanted in 91 countries. The corporation, whose core business is construction, is also active in civil engineering, audio-visual technology, telecommunications, real estate, environment and services. Meantime, King Mohammed VI received Thursday at the Royal Palace in Agadir, Martin Bouygues. Bouygues assured King Mohammed VI of his group's confidence in Morocco, a country scoring constant development and enjoying security and stability. Bouygues underlined that his group will continue to invest in Morocco.

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