Morocco Elected for First Time to UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Morocco's election, with 153 votes out of 181 member states present and voting, took place on the occasion of the 30th Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in New York on Thursday.

"This election, the first in the Kingdom, is further proof of the credibility and trust placed in Morocco's efforts, under the High Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, May God Assist Him, to promote and protect human rights, particularly in the fight against discrimination," the statement said.

Morocco has made significant efforts to combat racial discrimination and hate speech at both national and international level, as demonstrated by the advances made by the 2011 Constitution and the proclamation by the United Nations General Assembly of June 18 as International Day for the Elimination of Hate Speech, at the Kingdom's initiative, the same source recalled, noting that this brilliant election enshrines Morocco's historic presence within almost all the Human Rights Treaty Bodies, testifying to the great credibility of the Kingdom's action to strengthen the UN architecture.

This new electoral success, in the context of intense competition, is the outcome of a large mobilization of the entire diplomatic apparatus, confirming once again the relevance of the strategy pursued by the Kingdom, in accordance with the High Royal Orientations, to strengthen its presence within international organizations, noted the Ministry.

Abderrahman Tlemçani, the Moroccan expert elected to sit on the CERD, is a committed player in civil society, known for his long record in the fight against discrimination and the promotion of a culture of living together, according to the statement.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, made up of eighteen independent experts, is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.