Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
February 19 2005

Over 100,000 HA affected by frost and scarcity of rainfalls, Laenser
Global Fund to Fight AIDS to allocate $5 Mln to Morocco.
1200 new cases of child cancer each year in Morocco.
Morocco, USA promote medical cooperation.
United States Provides Skills Training to Middle East Women.
Morocco's 2005 GDP to grow 2.6 pct - planning body.
First marathon of Zagora.
Special Olympics Morocco Launches Regional Games in Adagir.
Sacred Music Festival Dates Announced.
Women and Islam Chekrouni calls for Muslim Women to correct Western perception of Islam.
Divorce applications processed in Morocco plummeted 72 pc
Micro loans stood at 500 million euros by the end of September 2004
Moroccan books little read by population, minister
Renewable energy can contribute to deforestation reduction.
Moudawana : New family code positive experience - Bouzoubaâ.
Moroccan micro loans target one million families in coming years.
Moroccan Jews moved from 'protection to equality', Jewish representative.
Moroccan Ambassador at Harvard Business School to Discuss Recently Finalized U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement.
Macro-economic situation in Morocco 'healthy', official.
Morocco moves forward on human rights issues, American organisation.
Round-Table on Moroccan poetry.
More than MAD 10 million for filmmaking in Morocco.
Chances to discover hydrocarbons in Morocco are still intact, official
Morocco's budget deficit prompts cuts. Plan introduced to trim civil service and stave off threat of structural adjustment program
Courts : Mediating for justice.
Hysteria Moroccans 'going nuts' with freezing temperature.

Over 100,000 HA affected by frost and scarcity of rainfalls, Laenser
Rabat, Feb. 17

The recent wave of cold and the scarcity of rainfalls in Morocco have affected about 106,000 hectares of agricultural lands, said,
Wednesday, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Sea Fisheries, Mohand Laenser, at a programme aired on the Moroccan channel "TVM." The Minister pointed out that it is premature to talk about a catastrophe or about great losses before assessing the scale of losses in each sector. If need be, he said, the government will take the necessary measures to alleviate the difficulties of farmers and protect their income. He added that the government is exploring possibilities to increase the financial aid allocated to the agricultural field, noting that Morocco does
not have pre-established mechanisms to counter natural catastrophes. In fisheries, the Minister said Morocco does not rule out the signing of a new agreement with the European Union that respects, in the first place, the interests of Morocco.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/news/general/gen_004.htm
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Global Fund to Fight AIDS to allocate $5 Mln to Morocco.
Health, 2/17/2005

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will allocate US $5 million to Morocco to finance programs related to HIV/AIDS, reported PANA. Morocco will be among a group of African countries that will receive a total of US $30 million, as part of a renewed funding worth up to US$119 million approved Tuesday by the Fund, said the same source. Ghana will have the lion's share with US $12.5 millions, while Rwanda will receive US $6.2 millions, Burundi US $3.8 millions, Madagascar US $3 millions and Benin US $584.000. Tanzania and Zanzibar will have US $400.000 each.

The Global Fund affirmed that one of its key operating principles is that it only funds programs that successfully contribute to the treatment and/or
prevention of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It noted that all grant agreements include performance indicators and targets agreed upon by both the Principal Recipient and the Global Fund for the measurement of program success. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria granted in the latest years over 300 subsidies to 127 countries, totalling US $3.1 billions.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/050217/2005021731.html
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1200 new cases of child cancer each year in Morocco.

Nearly 1200 new cases of child cancer are diagnosed in Morocco each year. Yet, there are only two centers of oncology operating in the kingdom. Said Benchekroun, the head of the oncology department in the 20 of August Hospital in Casablanca told Aujourd'hui that since the period of
hospitalization in most cases is short, the main problem is actually not the lack of beds. He explained that even though the center he heads needs to treat about 300 to 400 new cases every year he feels that he can cope with this task with the only 13 beds for children. The actual problems, he says, are mainly the lack of paramedics, a problem with which the center deals with the help of international NGOs.
© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
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Morocco, USA promote medical cooperation.

The American National Institutes of Health (NIH) will launch a medical e-training programme in cooperation with the Moroccan National Institute of
Health and the Clinical Center, said Director of American National Institutes of Health (NIH), Elias Zerhouni. Through this project, Moroccan research investigators will participate in interactive clinical training through an NIH website. This e-training programme includes monthly conferences on advanced research and debates on up-to-date medical issues, he added.

The US-Moroccan project is part of NIH efforts to expand the sphere of its cooperation with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. "NIH will develop partnership relations between the USA and Arab academies and institutions" in the scientific health field, he said. Only 36 researchers from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine have conducted research in American National Institutes of Health until now. This represents only 5% of the 2,700 foreign scientists who benefited from scholarships and visits to NIH in 2004, he pointed out. 3,000 foreign medical institutions benefited from NIH scholarships and research facilities that are granted for a 3 to 5 year period, he continued.

Founded initially in 1887 in Bethesda, Maryland. The NIH, comprises 27 separate institutes and centres and works on acquiring new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability.
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United States Provides Skills Training to Middle East Women.
Fact sheet outlines U.S. programs to support women in the region
17 February 2005

Following is a fact sheet outlining U.S. government programs designed to provide political, legal and entrepreneurial training for women in the
Middle East:

U.S. Department of State Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women's Issues
FACT SHEET: U.S. Commitment to Women in the Middle East

"Just as our own democratic paths have not always been smooth, we realize that democratic reform in the Middle East will be difficult and uneven.
Freedom by its very nature must be homegrown. It must be chosen. It cannot be given and it certainly cannot be imposed." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, February 8, 2005.

As part of the United States' strong commitment to advance freedom in the Arab world, President Bush, in December 2002, launched the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). MEPI recognizes women's issues as one of four key pillars integral to reform in the region along with political,
educational, and economic advancements. Of the $129 million that the United States has committed to MEPI, $9 million has been dedicated to the Women's Pillar thus far. Women are also full beneficiaries of programs in the other three MEPI pillars. The projects listed below are representative of MEPI programs for women. More information is available in the Women's Pillar section of the MEPI Web site: <<http://mepi.state.gov/c10127.htm>>.

Political Participation and Civil Society.

Regional Campaign Schools. The United States is helping to create campaign schools that will provide leadership and organizational training for women seeking elective office. The International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, with MEPI support, conducted the first of these political skills training courses, for more than 50 women from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen in Doha in
February 2004. The Partners in Participation program, of which the Doha school was the first event, hosted a second event in Morocco in July, and
will host a third school in the region in the coming months.

Arab Women's Forum. The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR) organized the first annual Arab Women's Forum in Cairo in May 2003 to discuss how to overcome obstacles faced by Arab women. MEPI is providing follow-up funding to ECWR to conduct subsequent training and activities with women's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from across the region.

Empowering Women's Organizations in Jordan and Egypt. Two NGOs -- the American Near East Refugee Aid and the General Union of Voluntary Societies of Jordan -- will work together to improve the capacity of small- to-medium-sized women's community-based organizations to participate
effectively in political dialogue and democratic reform. The Center for Development and Population Activity will conduct a similar program for
grassroots women's organizations in four governorates in Egypt, working in partnership with the National Council of Women.

Tribal Areas Local Council Pilot Program in Yemen. NGOs are helping to develop democratically run local councils in tribal areas. The program also
will help women to participate in Yemeni political life.

International Exchanges. Under the State Department's International Visitor (IV) Program, hundreds of women, including NGO leaders, journalists,
teachers, and government officials have traveled to the United States to participate in international exchanges. Programs have addressed a wide range of issues, such as NGO management, the role of legislators, the judiciary, and the rule of law. Programs such as Women in Business and the Professions and The Role of Women in Social and Political Affairs are designed exclusively for women.

Survey of Women's Freedom. The Freedom House Rights Consortium, on behalf of the United States, is conducting a comprehensive survey of the status of women's freedom throughout the Middle East, to be published in December 2005. More information is available on the Freedom House Web site: http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/specreport.htm
<http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/specreport.htm>
<<http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/specreport.htm>>.

Women and the Law.

Arab Women and the Law Workshop. MEPI and the Government of Jordan hosted a workshop in Amman on women and law in February 2004. Nearly 90 women from 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region gathered to discuss key issues affecting women in the legal profession and to develop plans for future collaboration. At the end of the conference, MEPI announced it would support two follow-up activities: the establishment of a regional association for women in the legal profession and a public legal education campaign on women's rights and equality. These activities are part of a 2-year, $6.5-million joint program on the Rule of Law and Women and the Law to be implemented by the American Bar Association. More information is available on the Arab Judicial Forum Web site:<<http://www.arabjudicialforum.org/>>.

Women's Legal Rights in Morocco. With MEPI support, NGOs are providing training to strengthen advocacy skills, develop institutional capacity,
enhance legal literacy, and build outreach among organizations in different communities in Morocco, with a particular focus on the new family code, the Moudawana.

Economic Opportunities for Women

Business Internship Program for Young Middle Eastern Women. In early August 2004, 42 women from the Middle East arrived in the U.S. to begin the first business internship program. MEPI, in partnership with the Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), has arranged for these young professionals to attend a month-long academic program at Duke University and Emory University and to have 3-month internships at Fortune 500 companies, law firms, and small- and medium-size companies. The program is designed to provide these young professionals the opportunity to acquire management and business skills and to learn more about the United States. For more information, please see the fact sheet, A U.S. Business Internship for Young Arab Women.

Middle East Entrepreneur Training (MEET). This program promotes entrepreneurship and small business development in the Middle East and North
Africa. Women from the region comprised a third to nearly half of participants in a MEET-U.S. program focusing on business ownership, management skills building, capital and human resource development, and strategic planning held in December 2004 and January 2005. In June 2003, the
program trained women entrepreneurs and small business owners. In September 2003, men and women in hospital administration participated. Future projects include a conference for women business leaders and the development of an alumnae network.

Educational and Women's Awareness Programs

Girls' Scholarships in Morocco. MEPI funding to Comite de Soutien a la Scolarisation des Filles (CSSF), or the Rural Girls' Educational Support
Committee, is supporting 100 girls financially for 3 years to see them through middle school. CSSF and Moroccan NGOs will establish five new homes
to ensure that the girls have safe and culturally acceptable living quarters near their school. This program is being extended to support another 100
girls in 2004.

Women's Functional Literacy. CARE Yemen will work with local communities to develop functional literacy programs designed to help women in agricultural production, savings and loan clubs, environmental management, maternal and child health (including HIV/AIDS awareness), political participation, and women's rights. Helen Keller International has provided literacy training to 20,000 women in the south of Morocco. MEPI also will support a $2-million program to develop materials to raise awareness of the new family code in Morocco (Moudawana).

Showcasing Women Through the Media. MEPI will fund the production and distribution of videos showcasing how women across the region have overcome societal barriers and how their communities as a whole have benefited, as a way to encourage other young Arab girls and women to follow suit. Video interviews will be collected from throughout the Middle East and distributed initially in Jordan through the Jordan Education Initiative, as well as through regional TV stations.

Outreach to Saudi Women. The State Department has offered extensive teacher training for Saudi women over the past several years, and has conducted six IV programs with components on the topic of women as leaders in the public and private sectors. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh has also undertaken pro-active targeted outreach to women journalists and has developed a very close working relationship with two private women's colleges in Jeddah, one of which has also received MEPI support. In addition, 50% of the U.S. funded ACCESS English-language micro-scholarships (for relatively disadvantaged youth) are given to girls.

Partnerships With Other Programs

There are numerous joint programs through which the United States and MEPI partners support women throughout the Middle East. Some examples include:

Political Training. In Kuwait, the U.S.-Middle East Democracy Fund is sponsoring a program to train women activists to develop strategies for
obtaining political rights for women, including the right to vote and run for elected office.

Media Training. Internews, an international NGO, provided 40 Jordanian, Palestinian, and Saudi journalists lessons in accuracy, objectivity, and
balanced reporting. MEPI is also planning to work with Arab women news commentators and journalists to develop programs and productions to
highlight women's issues and history.

Health Care. The Forty-Day Program provides postpartum care to mothers and infants in Tunisia, Jordan, and the West Bank. Safe Motherhood and Child Survival programs provide antenatal and postpartum care, safe delivery, and treatment of obstetric complications to women in Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, and Morocco.

Microcredit Programs. Since 1996, the United States has given more than 34,000 micro-credit loans worth more than $13 million to Palestinian women entrepreneurs. These programs have helped thousands of women to build sustainable businesses. (end fact sheet)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.Department of State. Web site: <http://usinfo.state.gov>)
http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-6477-PHPSESSID-66d69b6e3b7b063812bd6d883bd2a1f2.html
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Morocco's 2005 GDP to grow 2.6 pct - planning body.
MonFebruary 14, 2005 RABAT (Reuters)

Morocco's top planning body expects the $51.7-billion economy to grow 2.6 percent in 2005, below an official forecast of 3.0 percent due mainly to a lower-than expected agricultural output. The country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose 3.5 percent in 2004. Weather conditions, marked this year by a long spell of bitterly cold and less generous rainfalls, have been little favourable to achieving an average agricultural output, the Planning High Commission said in a statement on Monday. "The 2.6 percent rise in GDP, expected for 2005, can as a result be revised down...It is difficult to assess the scale of this revision," it said. Agriculture accounts for up to 15 percent of GDP and employs 40 percent of the workforce. A chronic budget deficit is also set to reach 3.9 percent of GDP instead of 3.2 percent forecast by the 2005 budget, the commission added. The deficit, which stood at 3.2 percent in 2004, includes privatisation receipts, set at 12 billion dirhams for 2005. Without these receipts, the deficit in 2005 can reach more than 6.0 percent, economists say. The commission also expects slower growth in national consumption and declines in textile exports and in sales of phosphates and fertilisers, of
which Morocco is the world leading exporter. http://www.reuters.co.za/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp?type=businessNews&localeKey=en_ZA&storyID=7620482
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First marathon of Zagora.

The city of Zagora will open on Sunday its first marathon. The marathon will be opened for runners and walkers and for contestants from both sexes and from all ages (without any limitation on age) and will enable its participants to pass through the magnificent landscapes of the region.
The president of the organizing committee of the event, the athlete Lahcen Ahansal, explained that he hopes that with appropriate corporation with all the related parties the event will also aid to encourage tourism in the region and educate youths on the importance of sports. Le Matin reports that the maximum time that will be allowed to finish the race will be 10 hours. © 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Morocco/180271
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Special Olympics Morocco Launches Regional Games in Adagir.
18/02/2005

Special Olympics Morocco will be held on 24 February in Agadir with the participation of 120 athletes from Agadir, Taroudant, Essaouira, Tiznit, and
Ouarzazate. Athletes will compete in track, individual basketball, badminton, and table tennis. Free health assessments and services will also be given to athletes. The organization said future regional games will soon be organized in Casablanca, Tangier, Rabat, and Oujda. Special Olympics Morocco will take part in the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games 26 February through 6 March in Japan. (Le Matin)
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Sacred Music Festival Dates Announced.
14/02/2005

Mohammed Kabbaj, president of the Fez-Saiss Association, which organizes the yearly World Sacred Music Festival in Fez, announced that this year's theme is "The Paths of Hope." Many international artists and musicians are expected to perform at well-known historical locations such as the Moulay El Hassan Palace. The festival is scheduled to be held from 3 to 11 June.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/homepage/
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Women and Islam Chekrouni calls for Muslim Women to correct Western perception of Islam.

Nouzha Chekrouni, the minister delegate in Charge of Moroccans Resident Abroad, called Feb. 8 Muslim women to take advantage of globalisation to
correct the image of Islam in the West. As Muslim women, we must "take advantage of the instruments provided by globalisation [...] by cooperating with Western women's movements, who believe in the universal principles of the dialogue of civilizations and tolerance. We should show them the values of the Islamic civilisation and correct the image of Islam in Western media and so prevent them from associating Muslim women with extremism and terrorism."

This declaration was made in Teheran, at the International Union of Muslim Women's NGOs' conference, which was organised under the presidency of Fatima Rafsanjani, the daughter of ex-Iranian president Hachimi Rafsanjani. Chekrouni also called for the creation of a commission made of the women representatives of all Islamic countries. This would determinate the problems Muslim women are faced with when trying to reconcile Islamic values and universal values bases on freedom, human rights, and mutual respect.

In addition, she insisted on the importance and the role of Ijtihad (rational inquiry) to reach national consensus in Morocco over the amendment
of the Moudawana. She also reminded the attendees that the Moudawana reform had met strong opposition which stated that it had been built on the precepts of Islam and that it should not be changed.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=3537
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Divorce applications processed in Morocco plummeted 72 pc
Rabat, Feb 15

The number of divorce applications processed in Morocco plummeted 72 pc, going down from 37.548 in 2003 to 10.949 in 2004, said Omar
Lamine, president of the chamber of the Rabat appellate court in a presentation titled "one year after the enforcement of the family code".

At a debate on the family law, convened on Monday in Rabat by the justice department, participants highlighted the sanguine figures resulting from the enforcement of the law that enhances the rights of women concerning marriage, divorce and other family matters. Participants in this meeting, held under the high patronage of HM King Mohammed VI under the theme "Family code, a basic pillar for a balanced Moroccan family", noted the positive indicators of the law such as the increase in marriage numbers and the decline of divorce numbers

The meeting also heard several presentations on the law and related issues, including "the new family law: a sociological approach", "the role of the
public prosecutor and family law"... As to justice minister, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, he told the national "TVM" channel the balance sheet of the law is positive and has triggered optimism. The marriage rate went up 10 pc since the enforcement of the law, he said highlighting the role of judges to simplify procedures and inform the citizens.
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Micro loans stood at 500 million euros by the end of September 2004
Rabat, Feb 16

Moroccan micro-finance associations granted loans totalling 5 billion Dhs (around 500 million euros) by the end of September 2004, which is a 47 pc rise compared to the amount granted by the end of December 2003, a report of the micro-credit associations federation (FNAM) said. The document, released on the occasion of the international micro-credit year, said the sector counts 11 associations that are member of the FNAM, and some 403,000 beneficiaries, including 71.3 pc of women. The number of beneficiaries went up by 34 pc in 2004.

Micro-lending and related activities helped create 1.745 jobs by the end of September 2004, which is a 75 pc increase compared to the 1000 jobs created by the end of December 2003. Operators in the sector granted loans of 2.2 million Dhs during the nine first months of 2004, and collected 99.7 pc in paybacks, FNAM said. The federation added that heterogeneity of the sector entails overindebtedness and is a risk for small associations. Poor communication, information sharing and transparency are the main challenges hampering the sector, according to the report.

FNAM was established in 2001 to set rules for the sector, and make proposals to the Finance Ministry on actions likely to develop micro-finance in
Morocco.
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Moroccan books little read by population, minister
Rabat, Feb.14

Minister of Culture, Mohamed Achaari, deplored that Moroccan books are little read in comparison to the number of inhabitants and Moroccan real potentials. In an interview with "le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb" daily, published Monday, Achaari wondered why a best-seller is sold at only 5000 copies in a country of 30 million inhabitants, 14 universities, 300.000 students, 13.000 researcher-professors and 250.000 teachers".

He said that deficiency in distribution and media promotion of books are the main problems that hinder the development of this sector. Education, on its part, does not encourage reading because "syllabuses do not incite nor encourage students to read", he said, adding that these problems "are handled by public authorities and professionals" Moroccan readership has the right to choose and be demanding and it's the task of publishers to meet their needs. Young Moroccans seek books which are close to their reality and answer their questions. "They want books that represent them and present them to the world", he said.

He however noted that though figures are not very satisfactory, book production is developing as the number of issued books is increasing each
year, adding that foreign books especially French and Spanish are very sought. Even more, Middle East publishers say that Morocco is the best
market for foreign books. To reconcile Moroccans with reading as an important means of information, the International fair of Casablanca is hosting from February 11 to 20 the 11th International Book Fair (SIEL). The fair is an international event that the ministry of Culture organises to
consolidate the culture of reading among Moroccans.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/news/spo_cult/spor1602.htm
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Renewable energy can contribute to deforestation reduction.
Marrakech, Feb 15

The use of new technologies in energy generation could reduce the consumption of firewood in Morocco and hence slow the deforestation of the country, said Driss Hajir, secretary general of the Marrakech-based Center for renewable energy development (CDER). Driss Hajir said the use of firewood by some 5.000 hammams, Turkish baths, in Morocco needs 30,000 hectares of forests per year, which is some six millions tons of wood, or one ton of firewood per person, estimating that new technologies could reduce these numbers.

Hajir said the CDER is a body at the service of development through its action of energy saving and the proposals of new energy solutions, adding
the center largely contributes to the promotion of renewable energy, include wind energy, decentralised electrification and the management of energy sources. CDER secretary general told the Moroccan news agency at the end of a meeting with a visiting German delegation on Sunday, the center launched the "house energy" program that aims at spreading the use of energy in rural areas through the inception of 500 power micro-companies. The center also promotes the use of solar power devices to heat houses and water used by households and in this respect tries to improve the technologies and the quality of the equipment.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/home_dep/spor3005.htm
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Moudawana : New family code positive experience - Bouzoubaâ.

Minister of Justice Mohammed Bouzoubaâ declared Feb. 14 that, one year after the application of the new family code, the results are "positive."
In a declaration to the Moroccan channel TVM, Bouzoubaâ explained that, since the application of the New Moudawana, the simplification of legal
procedures and better information led marriages to increase by 10%. He added that the Family Court services have been extended to the whole country and that all the judges have been provided with access to the new family code, reported MAP.

A guidebook summarising the debates within the Parliament has also been written and magistrates, adouls, translators and lawyers are also to be
trained to guaranty the best application possible of the clauses of this legislation.

Concerning the rumours that have been circulating about the code such as concerning the sharing of the spouses' possessions in case of divorce,
Bouzoubaâ explained that the objective was "to guaranty a certain financial autonomy to the spouses while providing them with an opportunity to sign a contract - separate from the marriage contract - which will deal with the share of the possessions accumulated while they were married." "The amicable signing of such a contract does not prevent the spouses from keeping the possessions each of them had before the marriage, in other words, there is no automatic sharing imposed on the parties," he added.

In addition, according to Bouzoubaâ, the new family code led to a greater equality between men and women since the six month reconciliation period imposed before the divorce verdict led "many people to change their minds, especially as both parties know very well that the verdict will be final and cannot be appealed."
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=3798
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Moroccan micro loans target one million families in coming years.
Rabat, Feb 16

The Moroccan program on micro-financing aims at upping the number of beneficiaries to one million families in the coming years, said chairman of the national micro-credit associations federation (FNAM), Rida Lamrini adding the objectives of the program are in line with the UN vision
that aims at making 100 million families benefit from this kind of loans.

Lamrini made the statement to the media at the end of a meeting in Rabat, presided at by Premier driss Jettou, that inter alia decided to launch next Tuesday the international micro-credit year in Morocco and expound the findings of the study on the impact of micro-financing in Morocco.

This first meeting of the national micro-finance committee, which was held on the occasion of the proclamation by the UNO of 2005 as the international micro-credit year, enabled the committee to review the objectives of the Moroccan program.

The FNAM is tapping financial resources estimated at 6 billion Dhs, around 600 million euros, and works for setting up mechanisms likely to help
micro-credit associations carry on their efforts, Lamrini said. During the meeting, UN and UNDP residing coordinator, Emmanuel Dierckx de
Casterlé, said UN bodies are ready to "fully support" the activities of the Moroccan program.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Moroccan Jews moved from 'protection to equality', Jewish representative.
Rabat, Feb.15

Moroccan Jews have moved from "protection to equality", said the Secretary General of the Israelite community in Morocco, Serge Berdugo. In an interview with the monthly magazine "La Gazette du Maroc", published Monday, Berdugo said Moroccan Jews are grateful to late King Mohammed V for saving them from Holocaust, but they have a special affection for his son late king Hassan II for his protection and care.

"Moroccan Jews were the King's subjects until 1956 when we got the Moroccan nationality thanks to late King Mohammed V and thanks to late King Hassan II, we got our full rights", he said, adding that "with Mohammed VI, a 21st century man, we have acquired equal rights as all Moroccans. We have moved from protection to equality."

Though late King Mohammed V (Grandfather of Mohammed VI) wanted Jews to stay in Morocco, some of them chose to leave because conditions were not fully suitable, he said, noting "others chose to stay and were able to get integrated into the Moroccan society despite the difficult conditions. Even more, we were able to maintain our institutions."

Jewish presence in Morocco is not quantitative; it is symbolic, he said adding that even if there are just 10 Jews, we can live in symbiosis with
our Muslim brethren.

There are more than a million Moroccan Jews, who though they do not live in Morocco, they maintain close ties with their motherland because they have never been treated as other Jews, but when they left Morocco, said Berdugo who insists that Moroccan Jews are the only Jews who have never been repatriated nor denied their motherland. "They come back much often than people think; we receive between 30.000 and 40.000 Moroccan Jews each year who come back to see their families, to spend their holidays, to do pilgrimage and to invest... they are at home." Some of these Jews, he added, come from Israel, France and other countries to settle definitely in Morocco.

"In fact, there are some who come and others who depart and we have to be here to maintain Moroccan Judaism not only in Morocco, but everywhere in the world. We want to be the landmark for Moroccan Jews and their umbilical cord with the motherland." he said.

Berdugo also noted that despite the difficult political conditions throughout the world, Moroccan Jews and Muslims have never had serious
problems in the most difficult times.

"The only place in the world where a classroom is shared by a 50pc Muslim pupils and 50pc Jew pupils is Morocco. It is the only place where young
Muslims learn Hebrew and young Jews learn Arabic. It is very symbolic." he pointed out, explaining that the Moroccan Jewish community is the only
structured Jewish community in an Arab, Berber and Muslim country.

"This advantage makes us responsible to carry out the role of a bridge between Jews and Palestinians; two parties who recognize, but don't know
each other. Moroccan Jews are well positioned to make the two parties find a common ground because they are both Jews and proud of their Arab origins."

Berdugo said that there are Muslim-Christian dialogue and Jewish-Christian dialogue, but "not a serious Muslim-Jewish dialogue" though there are no
huge differences between the two religions.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Moroccan Ambassador at Harvard Business School to Discuss Recently Finalized U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement.
Friday February 18, 2005
Boston Second Stop on Nationwide Effort to Promote Agreement
BOSTON, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/

The Moroccan Ambassador to the United States, Aziz Mekouar, met today with Boston business leaders at the Harvard Business School Faculty Club to discuss opportunities resulting from the U.S.- Morocco Free Trade Agreement. In January, the agreement passed its final hurdle -- approval by the Moroccan Parliament. The luncheon and presentation by Ambassador Mekouar was hosted by Harvard Business School professor and Honorary Consul General of Morocco for New England, John Quelch.

Ambassador Mekouar presented the details of the Free Trade Agreement and potential benefits for Boston -- including increased trade and investment opportunities, as well as job generation and closer ties between Boston and Morocco. "Boston is a city with a rich past, but it is also a city looking ahead to tomorrow, as an emerging leader in consumer, banking and high-tech industries," said Ambassador Mekouar. "I look forward to forging a close relationship with this innovative city. Today's luncheon is a critical step to that end."

The Free Trade Agreement, deemed the "best market access package of any U.S. free trade agreement with a developing country to date" by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, eliminates tariffs on 95 percent of all bilateral trade between the United States and Morocco. Because of Morocco's agreement with the European Union, tariff reductions will apply to U.S. goods produced in Morocco and sold in Europe.

Following the luncheon, Ambassador Mekouar met with students from the Middle-East North-Africa (MENA) Club.

Boston is positioned to be a prime hub for U.S.-Morocco trade; Massachusetts was one of 24 U.S. states to export more than $2 million in goods to Morocco in 2003. When the agreement becomes active in March, Boston will be able to export most goods tariff free. The Free Trade Agreement marked the latest illustration of the historic partnership between Morocco and the United States that has existed for more than 217 years; Morocco was the first country to formally recognize the fledgling United States in 1777. Today, Morocco is an important ally on the War on Terror and was just elevated to the coveted major non-NATO ally status.

Ambassador Mekouar's stop in Boston is part of an aggressive effort to educate U.S. businesses about the FTA, encourage investment and increase
trade. The tour, stopping in more than 10 U.S. cities in the coming months, is sponsored and organized by the Moroccan-American Trade & Investment Council (MATIC), a U.S.-based trade association. MATIC, which has charter members that include companies, trade associations
and firms from both Morocco and the United States will be sponsoring and organizing numerous activities across the United States during the coming year to foster trans-Atlantic trade. Several major U.S. firms, including CMS Energy, Dell, Delphi, Oracle and Pfizer, have made significant investments in Morocco.

"Moroccan-U.S. trade is poised for a significant boost with this agreement," said Ted Smith, an economist who brings more than 30 years of international business experience to his role as MATIC's managing director. "Bilateral trade in goods and services exceeded more than $1 billion in 2003, and there are few obstacles to double-digit growth every year this decade."

Primary U.S. exports to Morocco include aircraft, cereals and machinery, while Morocco ships foodstuffs, processed goods and textiles to the U.S.
market. Morocco is also a popular destination for U.S. filmmakers who are attracted by its great natural beauty, varied terrain and established movie-making support services. Long-admired for its spectacular tourism venues, competitive textile industry, skilled workforce and access to European, African and Middle Eastern markets, Morocco is a highly advantageous site for American companies.

MATIC's U.S. office is located at 1101 Vermont Ave. NW, in Washington, D.C. Please visit MATIC's Web site for more information:
<http://www.moroccanamericantrade.com>.
Additional information is also located on the U.S. Morocco Free Trade Agreement Web site at <http://www.moroccousafta.com>. Source:
Moroccan-American Trade & Investment Council http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050218/dcf002_1.html
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Macro-economic situation in Morocco 'healthy', official.
Economics,2/15/2005

Moroccan Minister of Finance and Privatisation, Fathallah Oualalou, affirmed, in Rabat Monday, that the macro-economic situation in Morocco in
2004 was "healthy," and most economic indicators witnessed a significant improvement in comparison to 2003. Oualalou who was addressing, the Commission of Finance and Economic Development at the House of Representatives (lower house), said that Morocco has achieved a growth rate of 3.5% while the inflation rate was maintained at 1.5%, and the deficit hardly exceeded 3.2% of the GDP, which contributed to decreasing unemployment rate to 10.9% compared to 12.3% in 2003.

The Kingdom's Exchequer ascribed these results to the positive performance in different sectors, particularly agriculture, tourism and light industry. He also hailed the privatisation program, which, according to an EU-funded study, has had a very positive impact on increasing the tax revenue, the volume of transactions and net proceeds. This program, the Minister went on, was also beneficial for the Casablanca stock exchange, whose capitalization was multiplied by 41 since 1989. On the other hand, Oualalou said that the Achilles' heel of the economy in 2004 resided in the increase of imports value, which reached 14.1%, while exports barely exceeded 2.1%. The Moroccan official also warned against some chronicle problems that undermine the national economy such as the increase in aggregate employment earnings, public expenditure, and unemployment.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/050215/2005021527.html
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Morocco moves forward on human rights issues, American organisation.
Washington, Feb.14

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington-based organisation, reported that the kingdom has moved forward on human rights issues. Concerning The public hearings that the Justice and Reconciliation Commission "IER", has set up since last December to seek out-of-court
settlement of past human rights breaches committed in the Kingdom in the period between 1956 and 1999, Victims and relatives of victims of
disappearances and arbitrary detention are presenting testimonies before the Moroccan public in a series of hearings broadcast on national television and radio.

On its last monthly "Arab Reform Bulletin", the organisation said that IER was established by HM King Muhammad VI in January 2004 to investigate cases of disappearances and detention that occurred between 1956 and 1999. The bulletin said also that the Moroccan cabinet endorsed a bill on December 28 that amends the existing criminal code to prohibit torture as defined by the International Convention against Torture.

Morocco also signed the Arab Charter on Human Rights on December 27, becoming the fourth Arab country to do so. Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia have also signed the Charter, which was approved by the Arab League summit in Tunis in May 2004, pointed out the bulletin.

American media widely reported the public hearings describing them as an important step to set up a new relation between governed and governor.

International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), a New York-based organisation, said that the public hearings are a pioneer experience in the
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and they will have a good impact on the whole region.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Round-Table on Moroccan poetry.

The organizers of the 11th International Book Fair in Casablanca (SIEL, February 11 until February 20) have organized a Round-Table evening
concerning Moroccan poetry. The event attracted a long list of renowned local poets, including Ahmed Tayeb El Alj, Hafsa Lamrani, Fatema Chahid,
Mohamed Loakira, Mohamed Salhi, Youssef Ouahboune and Ghita El Khayat, who came to discuss Moroccan poetry and its current situation.
Aujourd'hui reports that the main issue that was discussed among the participants was the present financial difficulties and the limitations they
impose on the development of this important domain. © 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Morocco/180249
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More than MAD 10 million for filmmaking in Morocco.

More than MAD 10 million, about one million dollars, will be dedicated to fund filmmaking and production in Morocco for the first half of the current
year. The commission of the film production assistance fund, considered, last Friday, six movie projects eligible for the fund, including four full-length movies and two short ones, taking into consideration script writing, reported a communiqué of the Moroccan cinematographic centre (CCM) in Rabat.

The commission decided to pay advance amounts of MAD 10.5 million to three short movies: namely « Poupiya » (doll) by Samia Cherkaoui, « it is the ram celebration day» by Laghrari Zoukari Younes and « Ould Al Mouja » (child of the wave) by Kamal Belaghmi, and feature movie "silver tears" by Mourad Boucif.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=49&id=3723
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Chances to discover hydrocarbons in Morocco are still intact, official
Rabat, Feb.11

Moroccan subsoil is still unexplored and chances to discover hydrocarbons are 'still intact', said head of the national office of hydrocarbons and mining (ONHYM). In an interview with the newspaper "La Vérité" monthly, ONHYM General Director, Amina Benkhadra, said that Moroccan onshore sedimentary basins "are still unexplored, except for few drillings. The density of onshore and offshore wells drillings are "very limited as
density is of 0.04 wells per 100 km²", said Benkhadra, adding that this "is insignificant".

The director General said that research and geologic surveys undertaken by ONHYM and its partners in the onshore and offshore sedimentary basins show the existence of petroleum systems which favour the formation of hydrocarbon in the Moroccan subsoil. She pointed out that Moroccan deep Atlantic onshore is a very coveted zone by international companies.

ONHYM and its partners invested US$ 300 mln in exploring activities in the 2000-2004 period, including US$ 240 mln in onshore and US$ 52 mln in
offshore, said the same source, adding that the samples of these research are under study to identify the most promising areas and orient the coming drilling operations. She said that chances to discover hydrocarbon for commercial distribution are "still intact and we keep hope to discover important oil wells".

Morocco is making efforts to draw in more foreign investors to explore other potential areas by providing interesting incentives as the State's share of participation is only 25pc in case of discovery. There is an exemption of income tax for the first ten years and companies can make provisions for
renewing their reserves. This new law places Morocco among the top five countries for hydrocarbon investment, according to a study by a consortium of petroleum companies comparing legal frameworks in different countries.
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Morocco's budget deficit prompts cuts. Plan introduced to trim civil service and stave off threat of structural adjustment program
El Pais <http://www.elpais.es> Spain | IGNACIO CEMBRERO

Faced with the possibility that its budget deficit could lead to the imposition of a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) structural adjustment
program, the Moroccan government has announced that it is to slash civil service jobs. Most of the windfall income generated by the privatizations of the last two years has already been spent, while longer-term revenue from tariffs will soon disappear as Morocco's economy opens up to foreign
competition.

Morocco's civil service is not particularly inflated, employing around 850,000 people - not including the armed forces - in a country of 30 million
people. But the public employees consume 60 percent of state earnings. Some 30,000 are to be offered early retirement. The country's budget deficit amounted to 3.2 percent of GDP last year, and would have reached 4.4 percent if the government had not used money from the
privatization program to balance its books. The sale of 14.9 percent of monopoly telecom operator Maroc Telecom to Vivendi last year generated
EUR812 million. But there will soon be few major state concerns to be sold, with shipbuilder Comanav, a bank, and four sugar mills due to be sold over the next months.

At the same time, free trade agreement with the European Union which will be operational in 2010, besides other free trade deals with Mercosur, the United States, Turkey and various Arab nations, mean that tariffs must be dismantled. "The analysts are saying that 2007 will be moment of truth," says Aboubakr Jamai, editor of weekly Le Journal. "The treasure from privatizations is running out, and the energy bill and paying the civil
service is crippling the budget." The IMF shares his concerns. A team from the multilateral lending body visited Morocco in November, and criticized the finance ministry for using a large part of the income from the state sell offs to offset current spending, rather than using it to boost growth through investment in infrastructure and job creation. The economy grew by only 3.5 percent last year, and the IMF says that figure needs to be at least 5 percent. The IMF delegation also advised the government to change its budget policy, particularly as regards the state wage bill and domestic debt - the latter having risen by 62 percent over the last five years, while foreign borrowing fell by 33 percent.

The Moroccan press has expressed concern that if the situation is not rectified soon, the IMF could impose a structural adjustment plan as part of
its conditions for continued lending. Moroccans know all too well what this involves, having experienced such measures between 1983 and 1992. The former monarch, Hassan II, described the decade as having brought the country close to a heart attack. Nadia Salah from the L'Economiste newspaper says that this might not be the end of the world. "At least the IMF's experts know what they want; which is more than can be said for our leaders."

The government says it has the situation under control and that IMF intervention can be avoided. They are betting on foreign investment
reactivating economic growth. A number of free-trade areas have already been set up. In the short term, they can only hope that the country is not subjected to any further natural disasters such as the Alhucemas earthquake, or the locust plague, both of which required extensive emergency spending in 2004. The country's textile industry may suffer the consequences of free trade. There are some 1,600 textile firms in Morocco, employing 200,000 people, and generating business worth EUR3.1 billion, all of which will now face competition from companies such as Nike or H&M, which have moved production to China and India.
http://www.iht.com/getina/files/225481.html
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Courts : Mediating for justice.
By Houda Filali-Ansary.

The Ministry of Justice is currently working - along with several partners - on the introduction of conflict resolution methods within the Moroccan legal system. Could this be the future of justice in Morocco. The Ministry of Justice, with the help of the British Embassy and Search for
Common Ground (see www.sfcg.org), have been setting up a programme to introduce conflict resolution techniques / mediation in courts.

If this project makes it into the Moroccan legislation, litigant parties will be provided with an opportunity to solve their problem amicably before
having recourse to ordinary court procedures. In order to give the negotiations more weight, judges and juridical personnel will work as
mediators to help people find compromises, but they will not have the authority to pressure the parties into an agreement.

"If applied in Moroccan courts, this project would be applied in areas such as civilian, commercial and administrative lawsuits," explains Bensalem
Oudija, advisor to the Supreme Court detached to the Directorate for Studies, Cooperation and Modernisation.

"This experience has been successful in other countries, among them Anglo-Saxon ones and third world countries, [and] the dispute resolution
methods and mediation have made it possible to reduce the saturation courts were suffering from in those countries," adds Oudija, which shows that the idea deserves to be taken seriously, especially since it met a certain degree of success in countries where people often resort to court
resolution.

Making people feel better... for less
It is high time Morocco started improving its legal system: the present one is more than 20 years late in comparison with one of its main sources of
inspiration: France. There is still no equivalent of the French "prud'hommes" (industrial tribunal), and the courts are overwhelmed with cases that do not always require the full treatment usually associated with the complex court procedures.

This is why this project would first be advantageous to the State since it means fewer trials, less expenses, and a better treatment of the remaining cases.

As for the litigant parties, companies would have the advantage of a quick resolution (a maximum of three months would be given to the parties), while ordinary plaintiffs would benefit from more satisfying solutions that would dissuade them from making appeals: "Studies have shown that mediation leaves people more satisfied. They do not feel as wronged as when it is up to the judge to settle the matter," explains First President of Marrakech Appeal Court Mohamed Salam.

"This kind of mediation has at least one advantage: it shows when people go to court just to take their revenge on someone, [...] when asked about the reason why they went to court, some people say they just wanted the other party to apologize!" adds Salam. Convincing the lawyers...
It is not difficult to imagine the positive impacts such a change would have on our legal system. Especially when it would bring a much-needed additional transparency to the Moroccan economy.

However, before people are provided with such an opportunity, the project must go through the usual procedure to be voted as law, which takes time.

But this is not what worries the project's organisers most: they unanimously pointed out the fact that its success lies in the lawyers' reaction to it.
Some worry that they might fear to loose some of their income from lawsuits and therefore lobby the Parliament out of voting the law.

This is why Heather Allen, a senior trainer at the CEDR in London (Center for Effective Dispute Resolution) insists that : "lawyers will not lose:
there will still be trials. As for mediations, they will advise the parties instead of defending them. People will still have the right to have their
lawyer with them- and this has been quite common in the UK - and will continue to take them with them in the mediation room."

Moroccan lawyer Khalil Idrissi agrees: "Morocco has a culture of conflict. Consequently, many people go to court for reasons that do not deserve so. [...] I personally think that the lawyer's most important role is not the trial. Such a project would be useful to us since it would spare us useless
trials and make it possible for us to do a better job. [...] In addition, lawyers can help people during mediations because they have a deeper
knowledge of the law and will keep them aware of their rights".

If the project manages to go past all these pitfalls, there is still a need to know whether people will accept to apply what they agreed on in the
mediation room. This should not be a problem, explains James South, a senior trainer at the CEDR.

"Experience around the world has shown that getting parties to respect commitments made in mediation is normally not a difficulty. The parties have agreed to be involved in mediation and they take responsibility for reaching any agreement. The mediators' job is to assist the parties to communicate and negotiate a solution to their own dispute. Therefore since any solution is a reflection of the parties agreement which they have voluntarily arrived at, it is less likely that they will go back on any commitments made during the mediation." If this proves true, hundreds will be spared the costly and traumatic experience of going to court.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=3758
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Hysteria Moroccans 'going nuts' with freezing temperature.
By Karima Rhanem

When you say 'Hi' to a Moroccan these days, he/she will answer 'it's freezing'. When you ask him/her 'how are you', he/she will tell you 'I'm
cold'. When you want to find out about 'where they have been these days', they will answer: 'in bed, covered with dozens of blankets, coping with
coughs, and bad flu'. It sounds as though Moroccans lost their minds with the freezing temperature prevailing in North Africa. The experience shows
that Moroccans can not stand cold weather. It is the first time many Moroccans have ever experienced freezing weather. Last Saturday, Casablanca recorded -1C (30F), several degrees below its average minimum. Sales of blankets, jackets, coats, and scarves topped this week, as many Moroccans went to shopping centres to buy warm clothes.

Leila, 40, a mother of four children, said that "everybody at home is sick". She went on: "my four kids are sick; they got bad flu. There have been sick for more than a fortnight despite medication. We live by the seaside, and you can't imagine how freezing the weather is."

She added that her sister, who lives in Canada, used to come during winter time to Morocco because she can not stand freezing weather. "And now she has to put up with this 'icy weather'," she said.

Mustapha, a young man in his 20s, was talking to his friend in front of one the shops in the shopping centre. He told his friend jokingly "I no longer
think about emigrating to Europe or Canada, as I dreamt. Look what's happening in Morocco; it's so freezing, I can't imagine what the weather is
like in Canada. I would die in the first day. I'd better stay at home."

Mona, 30, a chemist in the shopping centre's pharmacy, told Morocco Times that most patients who came these days to buy medicines suffer from flu and bad colds.

Sounds of sneezes and coughs are invading Moroccan streets and homes. You hear them at work, in the train, in coffee shops, in conferences, at home, everywhere. Even in public phone boxes, most telephone conversations are about cold weather, flu and medicines. Words like "Smikli", "Sam", "Bard", "Asamid (in Berber)" (different names describing cold weather) are also commonly used. Some even call it "mout", which refers to death.

People in Morocco's remote village are currently cut off by heavy snow heaps which has paralyzed traffic and blocked roads. Moroccans have now found a new way of breaking the ice. It is "how are you doing with the cold weather?" Naughty boys chatting up girls in the street are using freezing weather expressions to open a conversation.

This cold weather is an unusual event in most of Morocco. It is total hysteria, Moroccans do complain whether be it cold or hot. The experience
showed that Moroccans are so "fragile" that they can't stand a below -1C, which is normal in winter times in European and North American countries.

In neighbouring Algeria, the situation is even worse. The heaviest snow in more than 50 years has fallen on the Algerian capital, paralyzing traffic,
killing more than 13 people and isolating nearly a third of the North African country's provinces.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=22&id=3184
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