Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
March 12 2005

Operation Smile Morocco
Smoking : Morocco needs to ratify WHO tobacco control convention.
Over 38,000 tons of medical waste per year in Morocco.
Nearly 22 percent of Moroccan young children suffer from iodine deficiency.
Moroccan economy generated 757,000 jobs in last four years. 
Disabled people : Aksam calls for greater implication.
Morocco gives 300,000 euros to the world digital solidarity fund.
Morocco draws ethical charter on women's image in the media. 
Living Abroad : Over 38,000 Moroccans lived in the US in 2000.
11th Fez Festival of World Sacred Music to start on June.
Government to crack down on 'phantom' civil servants.
Morocco mulls comprehensive legal framework to protect consumers.
Moroccan economy generated 757,000 jobs in last four years.
Marrakech to host International Children Theatre.

Operation Smile Morocco

Operation Smile Morocco, organized by the Surgery Association in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, is being held in the Pagnon Hospital, in Meknès from March 14 until March 20. <i>Aujourd'hui Le Maroc</i> reports that 150 young patients, especially children suffering from facial malformations will benefit from the operations that will be for free within the framework of the "Operation Smile Morocco". The aim of this event is to help children suffering from facial malformations by turning them into children that smile. A medical staff of fifty surgeons, pediatricians, anesthetists and nurses from Morocco and other countries will be working for the "Operation Smile Morocco."
http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Morocco/181461 
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Smoking : Morocco needs to ratify WHO tobacco control convention.

"It is necessary for Morocco to ratify the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control," said, Thursday in Rabat, the head of the Health Ministry department of non-transmissible diseases, Noureddine Chaouki. Unanimously adopted by the WHO's 192 member states on May 21, 2003, this treaty requires countries to impose restrictions on tobacco advertising, sponsoring and promotion. It is the first legal instrument designed to reduce tobacco-related deaths and diseases around the world.

Morocco's Health Minister, Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah, stressed the need to raise Moroccans' awareness concerning the content of this convention that Morocco signed in April 2004, and which many countries implemented in February 27, 2005. Besides its damaging effects to environment, this plight is a major cause of death in Morocco, with a high rate of tobacco-associated cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

According to the WHO, tobacco consumption is currently the single leading and preventable cause of death, which results in the premature death of nearly five million people a year. If current smoking patterns continue, the number of deaths will double to 10 million a year by 2020. In 2004, 14.5 billion cigarettes were sold in Morocco.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/news/article.asp?id=4884 
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Over 38,000 tons of medical waste per year in Morocco.
KENITRA, Mar.14

Morocco generates over 38,000 tons of medical waste a year, showed a report of the ministry of Territory Development, Water and Environment.
Speaking at a conference on "handling hospital waste," organised here Friday, a ministry official, Rajaa Chefil said that out of these 38,000 tons of medical waste, 12,000 tons are classified hazardous. She noted that handling this waste is getting even more complex because they contain biologically non-degradable substances such as plastics.

The solid waste problem is increasing mainly because of demographic development, urban expansion and economic development, se pointed out.
According to the report, the median production of household trash is of 0.75 kg per person per day (i.e 4.5 million tons a year) in the urban area, and of 0.3 kg per person per day (i.e 2 million tons a year) in the rural area. Morocco generates 1 million ton of industrial waste including 120,000 tons that are classified hazardous.
To contain this problem, the ministry has launched awareness campaigns and has adopted a juridical arsenal. The ministry run many studies to create a national centre for handling hazardous waste. This centre will help handling between 80 to 90 pc of industrial solid waste and between 50 to 75 pc of medical waste classified as hazardous.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/general/over_38000_tons_of/view 
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Nearly 22 percent of Moroccan young children suffer from iodine deficiency.
Health, 3/17/2005

The prevalence of iodine deficiency among 6 to 12 year-old children in Morocco is estimated at 22pc. UNICEF representative, Mme Maie Ayoub Von Kohl Ayoub, revealed this figure at the signing Wednesday of a partnership convention with the CrZdit Agricole du Maroc (CAM) bank that provides for fighting iodine deficiency. Ayoub said iodine deficiency disorders are currently deemed among the major causes of concern with regard to nutritional deficiencies. They may have serious consequences both at the economic and social levels such as the drop of physical and intellectual capacities, and reduction of production, she pointed out. The new convention aims at generalizing the use of iodized salt by 2006 and back the national program for fighting iodine deficiency disorders. Tarik Sijilmassi, president of the CAM Board of Directors, said the bank commits to support the national campaign against iodine deficiency, notably by funding communication programs and mobilizing its agents to promote the consumption of iodized salt.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/050317/2005031732.html 
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Moroccan economy generated 757,000 jobs in last four years. 
Economics, 3/17/2005

The national economy generated 757,000 new jobs between 1999 and 2003, i.e 189,000 jobs per year, said, here Wednesday, the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training. Mustapha Mansouri told MAP, on the sidelines of a parliamentary commission meeting on "graduates unemployment," that public service provided just 9.8% of jobs noting that this percentage decreased regularly during the last years since the private sector has become the first job provider with 76.6% in the urban area in the period between 1996 and 2003. The minister said that unemployment rate declined during the last years from 13.9% in 1999 to 11.9% in 2003 to attain 10.9% during the third trimester of 2004. Unemployment in the rural area declined too from 22% in 1999 to 19.3% in 2003 to attain 18.9% during the first nine months of 2004.

To solve the unemployment problem, the government will organise the national employment convention on April. Political and economic actors alongside NGOs concerned with this issue will take part in the first edition of this convention that will tackle means to solve the problem through initiatives and measures to integrate graduates in job market especially in the private sector, he explained. The government will also adopt measures to support employment in the private sector. These measures will include trainings on integrating the job market, supporting job contracts and sustaining job seekers who aspire to create their own small and medium-size enterprises (SME).
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/050317/2005031730.html 
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Disabled people : Aksam calls for greater implication.

Moroccan MP El Arabi Aksam called Thursday in Amman for a greater government and civil society implication concerning disabled people, reported MAP.
In a speech pronounced at the Amman parliamentary colloquium on legislations related to disabled people, Aksam also presented Morocco's policies regarding this issue. The Mp explained that Morocco is currently working on promoting a solidarity action in favour of these people. He also mentioned previous governmental measures, such as the creation of a governmental structure in charge of disabled people in the early 90s and the launch of the national programme relative to the integration of disabled people in society. Morocco also created a centre to provide disabled people with professionnal training, he explained.

The Arab parliamentary colloquium on legislations related to disabled people was organised by the office of the special UN reporter to disabled persons, in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation and the UNESCO office for the Arab region. The colloquium started Wednesday March 16 with the participation of 155 Mps from the Arab world as well as experts from 46 countries
http://www.moroccotimes.com/news/article.asp?id=4858 
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Morocco gives 300,000 euros to the world digital solidarity fund.

Morocco is contributing 300,000 euros to the World Digital Solidarity Fund, launched Monday in the Swiss capital city in the presence of several African leaders, said MAP. Moroccan Foreign Minister, Mohamed Benaissa, announced, during the launching ceremony, the decision of HM King Mohammed VI to "make Morocco a founding member" of the fund.

In his presentation, Benaissa stressed Morocco is keenly interested in the efforts made since the Geneva summit on the Information Society of December 2003 to reduce the digital gap and allow greater access to communication means. The Moroccan diplomat said that Morocco's participation in the opening ceremony is evidence of its support of the initiative that is helping materialise one of the main goals NEPAD (New African Partnership for Development).

The digital solidarity fund will help third world countries access information technologies, which have become a "legitimate right since it is part of the UN Millennium Declaration," said Benaissa. The fund is an African initiative presented by President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, in his quality of Head for new information and communication technologies (ICTs), within the New Partnership for Development in Africa (NEPAD).

On the occasion of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which was held in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003, an initiative committee decided to establish the Digital Solidarity Fund. The new fund has been established in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Millennium Declaration, the Johannesburg Declaration and the "Monterrey Consensus". It aims at turning the digital divide into digital opportunities to promote peace, sustainable development, democracy, transparency and good governance.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=4757 
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Morocco draws ethical charter on women's image in the media. 
Culture, 3/16/2005

Morocco has drafted a charter on the image of women in the media, designed as an ethical platform to improve the image of women in the print, audio-visual media and advertisement. The charter involves the Moroccan media in the development of awareness-promotion mechanisms on the new Family Code enacted in Morocco last year and on all other laws related to the rights of women. It also means to guarantee women's rights to expression, and to be portrayed by the media in an objective and professional way, as well as entrench the principles of human rights, the respect of women's dignity and the fight against all forms of discrimination and exclusion.

The charter was developed at a seminar held in Rabat on Monday by several departments including the State Secretariat in charge of the Family, Childhood, and Handicapped, the Communication, Culture ministries, the High Audio-Visual Authority and the Moroccan news agency (MAP). Among the most important measures provided for in the charter is the incorporation of the social gender approach in the Moroccan communication policy, said Secretary of State for Family, Childhood and Handicapped, Yasmina Baddou. The official also criticized the Moroccan media for their debasing and stereotyped depiction of women, such as traditional women and victim women without highlighting their active role in society
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/050316/2005031628.html 
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Living Abroad : Over 38,000 Moroccans lived in the US in 2000.

There were 38,927 Moroccans living in the USA, says a report released this week by the US Census Bureau, reported MAP. The number of Moroccans has flared up by 104 % to about 39,000. The Arab community as a whole, estimated at 1.19 million people, has also increased, from 610,000 in 1980 to 860,000 in 1990. Out of the Arab population that represents 0.2 % of the US population in 2000, 850,000 were identified as from Arab descent and another 340,000 as being partially Arabs. The report presents a variety of data involving Arabs, particularly their age, education, income and marital status. It shows that the Lebanese are the largest Arab community living in the USA (440,279), ahead of Egyptians (142,832), Palestinians (72,112), Jordanians (39,734), Moroccans (38,927) and Iraqis (37,714).

The report titled "We the people of Arab ancestry in the US" also finds that 57 % of the Arab population are males, whereas in 2000 49 % of the total American population were males. People in the 20 to 48 age bracket represented 31 % of the Arab population, compared to 22 % in the total population. In 2000, 25 % of the Arab population was younger than 18 while 9 % of Arabs were aged 65 and older, compared to respectively 26 % and 12 % of the general population. A rate of 69 % of Arabs of 5 years and over spoke a language other than English at home, compared with 18 % of the total population. Of those who spoke a language other than English at home, 65 % spoke English very fluently representing 44 % of Arabs aged 5 and older.

In the same year, of the 54 % of Arabs who were born abroad, over half obtained American citizenship by 2000, a higher proportion than 40 % in the total foreign population born abroad.

The Arab population was more likely to be married than the total population, and less likely to be separated, widowed, or divorced (13 % compared with 19 %). In 2000, Moroccans were the least likely of the Arab groups to be married (53 %). Approximately 60 % of Arab households were married couples, compared with 53 % of the total American households.

The annual average income of Arab men working year-round and full-time was USD 41,700 compared with the national average of USD 37,100. Moroccan men earn USD 32,800. Arab women earned an average $31,800, compared with USD 27,200 among the total female population in 1999. Moroccan women earn USD 27,100. While more Arab householders owned their homes, this percentage (55 %) was smaller than that of the general population (66 %). Moroccans had the lowest home ownership (35 %). Among the Arabs who completed the 2000 census, the majority moved to the US between 1990 and 2000, the report shows.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=4738 
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11th Fez Festival of World Sacred Music to start on June.
RABAT, Mar.16

Top world spiritual musicians are expected to turn out at the 11th Fez Festival of World Sacred Music slated for June 3 to 11. The Fez festival will wow connoisseurs at the opening ceremony when the spirited and emotion-filled voice of the Spanish Teresa Berganza will mingle with the vibrations of Indian Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar whose voice bridges between East and West worlds.

Moroccan soulful voice of Asmae Lemnawar will echo in the Bab Makina place in harmony with Orchestra and Choir of the Community of Madrid conducted by maestro José Ramón. Composed by Moroccan luthist, Saïd Chraïbi, the musical programme will render Sufi poems of Al-Harraq and Ibn Arabi. At Batha Museum, the Iraqi star, Kadem Saher will render his most soulful, mystic and sincere songs and poems on one of Fez summer.

In a unique moment of spiritual celebration, Fez, the cultural capital of the kingdom, will live for ten days on the vibrations of musical bands emanating from the five corners of the globe. Fez will enjoy Pakistani, Qawwali and dance on Spanish Flamenco. The city will go through a spiritual journey on the magical carpet of Yaki Kendru to the American India and Dieng Kala will guide Fez to a Safari in the East African jungle.

A one-way ticket journey to Morocco will be assured by Chaouen women Hadra whose strong rhythms come from the depths. City's geniuses, Bajdoub, Souiri and Bennis will join the fest to infatuate the audience with Andalou and Sufi spiritual voices. "Fez meetings" forum will organise a debate themed "Giving a soul to globalisation" in which international institutions notably World Bank and European Union will invite constructive debate on the political and spiritual coexistence of peoples and cultures that is not only peaceful but also creative and full of hope. Fez meetings will also hold other debates notably "from conflict to cultures dialogue" and "change the world each day". Bab Makina, Batha Museum, Boujloud place and Volubilis will have the honour to host this festival that is gaining momentum through editions. It has become a place where blows a spirit of dialogue and sharing and a unique moment of spiritual celebration and peace.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/culture/11th_fez_festival_of/view 
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Government to crack down on 'phantom' civil servants.
RABAT, Mar. 15

Moroccan Prime Minister, Driss Jettou, said the government is set to crack down on "phantom civil servants" who get paid although constantly absent from work and do not fulfil their duties. Jettou presided Monday a meeting to examine the issue of "phantom civil servants," voicing determination to resolutely fight this phenomenon that undermines good management, causes squandering of public funds and tarnishes the image of civil services.

A release of the prime minister's office noted that services in charge of management, control and payment will take the necessary measures to eradicate this phenomenon. The government has decided to adopt strict measures for the census of these civil servants, reads the release, pointing out that it will be proceeded to the suspension of the payment of their salaries and to the adoption of laws in force concerning the abandoning of job. Civil servants who abandon their jobs without legal justifications will be sanctioned, said the release, noting that this move aims at rationalizing expenses and moralizing public life. Morocco counts about 700,000 civil servants whose wage bill absorbs over 60 billion Dhs (EUR5.4 billion) a year, that is 12.5pc of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_general/government_to_crack/view 
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Morocco mulls comprehensive legal framework to protect consumers.
RABAT, Mar.15

Morocco mulls the drafting of a comprehensive legal framework to protect consumers, taking into account changes in consumption patterns and the diversification of production methods and distribution networks. The ministry of industry, trade and economy upgrading has drafted a project that caters for the hazards facing consumers as a result of globalization-induced harsh competition between producers and distributors of products and services.

Despite the existence of over 300 texts, Moroccan consumers lack a comprehensive legal framework that keeps abreast with the world socio-economic mutations. According to Ms. Mounia Boucetta, head of domestic trade and quality at the ministry, the draft makes it compulsory for suppliers to supply buyers with accurate information and to use the Arabic language, as well as to protect the consumers' economic interests.

The executive explained that the draft also regulates some recurrent practices among suppliers, stipulates provisions related to real estate and consumption loans in a bid to avoid over-indebtedness and guarantees more adapted control procedures and autonomy in risk-management. She also stressed that the ministry has, in cooperation with Germany, conducted several actions in favor of consumer associations, including training, drafting a charter of associations actions related to consumption and development of their communication capacities.

For chairman of the federation of Moroccan consumer associations, Mohamed Ben Kaddour, the absence of a law entitling consumer associations to take judiciary actions limits them to a role of awareness-promotion. Even in this role, he stresses, associations are inefficient given widespread illiteracy, the limited number of specialized media outlets and the proliferation of smuggling. To remedy these problems, a framework agreement was signed in 2004 between the trade and economy ministry and the national education ministry to promote awareness among students of the need to protect consumers. The role the media remains, nevertheless, crucial if a sufficient and comprehensive protection of consumers is to be guaranteed.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_mulls_compre/view 
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Moroccan economy generated 757,000 jobs in last four years.
RABAT, Mar.17

The national economy generated 757,000 new jobs between 1999 and 2003, i.e 189,000 jobs per year, said, here Wednesday, the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training. Mustapha Mansouri told MAP, on the sidelines of a parliamentary commission meeting on "graduates unemployment", that public service provided just 9.8% of jobs noting that this percentage decreased regularly during the last years since the private sector has become the first job provider with 76.6% in the urban area in the period between 1996 and 2003. The minister said that unemployment rate declined during the last years from 13.9% in 1999 to 11.9% in 2003 to attain 10.9% during the third trimester of 2004. Unemployment in the rural area declined too from 22% in 1999 to 19.3% in 2003 to attain 18.9% during the first nine months of 2004.

To solve the unemployment problem, the government will organise the national employment convention on April. Political and economic actors alongside NGOs concerned with this issue will take part in the first edition of this convention that will tackle means to solve the problem through initiatives and measures to integrate graduates in job market especially in the private sector, he explained. The government will also adopt measures to support employment in the private sector. These measures will include trainings on integrating the job market, supporting job contracts and sustaining job seekers who aspire to create their own small and medium-size enterprises (SME).
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_economy/moroccan_economy_gen7896/view 
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Marrakech to host International Children Theatre.
MARRAKECH, Mar.17

The first edition of the International Children Theatre will take place, here, April 2-9, organizers said Wednesday.
Initiated by the "Grand Atlas Association", the festival will host theatre bands from various countries including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, Italy, France, Syria and Palestine. A conference on "children and theatre" is also scheduled.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/culture/marrakech_to_host_in/view 
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