INTRODUCTION

The Citizenship Platform for the promotion of human rights culture (Platform) is a national project that reflects the dynamics witnessed in recent years in the Moroccan society in the field of human Rights promotion and protection. Various governmental, non-governmental, political, human rights and civil society stakeholders participate in this project.

There is a close correlation between the promotion and protection of human rights and the development of a spirit of active citizenship. In order to strengthen human rights-based approach and participatory democracy in economic, social and cultural development programs, the Platform launches a major community project with a historical dimension. It aims to promote and entrench human rights values in our society.

This project aims to upgrade the Moroccan society so that it can unite around a platform of common values. In such platform, the principles of dignity, freedom, equality, justice, solidarity, tolerance and acceptance of differences govern relationship between individuals in their private and public lives, regardless their positions and everyday practices of all public administrations in their relations with citizens.

Nature, objectives and areas of intervention

The Platform, as a national project with a participatory approach, responds to societal and direct objectives:

• Social objective: the adoption of a human rights culture by society in general and players directly concerned by the promotion of human rights; reflected in their positions, behavior and practices which should meet human rights criteria and values, and which are reflected positively on citizens’ lives;

• Direct objective: the Platform aims to mobilize governmental and non-governmental stakeholders active in the political, economic, social and cultural field. It aims also to coordinate and strengthen current and future efforts and actions to promote human rights culture in a context of comprehensive and permanent harmony, a context that provides conditions favorable for the adaptation to the renewable needs.

Areas of intervention

The promotion of human rights culture is an operation to multiple dimensions and components. The Platform identifies three interactive levels of intervention to promote human rights culture: education, training and awareness. These areas of intervention are crucial for entrenching human rights values and culture in society (individuals, groups and institutions).

Chronology

The Platform went through the following:

Conduct of an evaluation study of initiatives undertaken by our country to promote human rights during the last decade;

Organization of consultation workshops with key stakeholders in this field (governmental sectors and civil society organizations);

Creation of a steering committee to follow up the preparation of the Platform with the participation of all stakeholders concerned;

Preparation of the Platform and setting necessary actions regarding its three axes (education, training and awareness);

Presentation of the Platform and defending it before governmental, non-governmental and political stakeholders to guarantee political, moral and financial support;

Adoption of the Citizenship Platform for the promotion of human rights culture, ratified in a workshop held on December 20th, 2006;

Presentation of the Platform before the Prime Minister on February 13th, 2007, when the PM indicated that the Government is committed by the Platform and ready to guarantee financial and human resources necessary for its implementation;

Official presentation of the Platform in Rabat, on February 26th, 2007, during a ceremony chaired by Prime Minister Driss Jettou and former CCDH President, the late Driss Benzekri;

Determination and follow-up of phase and mechanisms necessary for the implementation of the Platform;

Installation of the Platform’s steering committee, in charge for its implementation (composed of representatives of governmental sectors and national institutions, including the Advisory Council on Human Rights (CCDH), representatives of the university, media and civil society), in a ceremony held on October 28th, 2009. This meeting was chaired by the Advisory Council on Human Rights and the Prime Ministry;

The steering committee held its first meeting in December 2009, in which it formed its structures:

- The board of the committee is composed of the President, Vise-President, Secretary General, Official in charge of communication and coordinators of the three working groups;
- Three working groups each in charge of a Platform's axe (education, training and awareness)