XI: 2014 nr 1 Youns Tijani MOROCCO AND POLAND OLD NATIONS OPENED TO THE MODERN WORLD Directors, Ladies and Gentlemen! I would like, first of all to thank Mr the Director and Mr the Professor for organizing this conference. The wise policies conducted by His Majesty King Mohammed VI have ensured stability to the Kingdom. The new Constitution approved by the Moroccan population in July 2011 empowers the free election of the chief of the government, improves the democratic process of the society, provides equal rights for women and allows.a great openness towards the civil society. Morocco and Poland, two old nations with a rich culture and history both opened to the world, attached to their traditions and their struggle for peace and tolerance. They are two nations pursuing their efforts, both on the bilateral level and within the international community, for the preservation of stability, promotion of freedoms and human rights and combining their actions for a more peaceful and prosperous world. Morocco, linked to the European Union by the Advanced status was always willing to develop and strengthen its relations with the Republic of Poland, which joined the European family in 2004 and with which Morocco shares universal civilization values and a common destiny.
220 YOUNS TIJANI Relations between Morocco and Poland are old. In fact, the commercial links were established since the 16 rh century, through merchant ships coming from Gdansk and since then, many polish people visited Morocco. The famous polish ethnologist, Jan Potocki published in the 18th century a book in French entitled Travel in the Empire of Morocco. In modern times, and since 1959, date of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have developed and strengthened their relations to cover all areas, political, economic and cultural, supported by the conclusion of many conventions and agreements in different fields. Ladies and Gentlemen, On the political level, the contacts between both sides were consolidated all over the years thanks to the multiplication and intensification of senior officials meetings. The last visit, of the previous Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation to Warsaw on November 2012 has consolidated the bilateral ties between the two countries. The political dialogue between Rabat and Warsaw on major issues of common interest was reinforced by the constant dialogue with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Polish Parliament, the polish Euro-deputies, and polish civil organizations and Think Tanks. In this context, Mr. Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah, president of the House of Councilor visited Poland last January at the invitation of M. Bogdan Borusewicz, The Speaker of the Polish Senate. On the level of international organizations, bilateral cooperation within these organizations is very dynamic, illustrated by the mutual support actions for various candidatures to different international organizations and agencies. Regionally, Poland involved in the Euro-Mediterranean space participates actively in the formulation of ideas and proposals, together with Morocco. In this context, Poland supported the initiative of the Euro-African Conference on immigration. Concerning the economic relations, both sides are now conscious of the necessity to boost the trade exchange tics which until now don t reflect the great economic potentialities of the two countries and in this context, this Embassy took part on November 2013 in Lodz to the Economic Forum Go-Africa. Moreover, Maroc Export, the Moroccan Center for the promotion of exportations organized, last year a mission to Poland in which took part many Moroccan specialized in the field of foods and agricultural products. La Maison de l Artisan organizes every year a crafts caravan in different polish cities like Krakow, Lodz, Rzeszow, Gdynia and Warsaw. On the other side, a polish economic mission conducted by the Vice-Minister of Economy Mr Dariusz Bogdan, composed of 20 Polish companies and representatives of different business organizations paid last November a successful visit to Morocco where she could establish contacts with Moroccan private sector.
MOROCCO AND POLAND... 221 These ties are consolidated by the signature of many economic conventions as the Convention on the Reciprocal Enhancing and Protection of Investments, the Agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and the Trade Agreement. Trade exchanges experienced an increase since 2009 at a steady pace to reach 473 million dollars in 2012, making Poland the most important trade partner in the region occupying the 28th place as furnisher and the 31th as a client to Morocco. Concerning the Direct Investments, Polish investments in Morocco are increasing since 2009 to reach in 2012 85 million DHs. Tourism is a new field which both sides are developing cooperation. Nowadays, about 50.000 polish tourists visit Morocco annually. This is considered as a very important evolution with regard to the number of Polish tourists who visited Morocco a few years ago. The ambition now is to reach in the few coming years 150.000 Polish tourists. The representation of The Moroccan National Tourism Office which started its activities few months ago is now actively working to boost the How of Polish tourists to Morocco. Ladies and Gentlemen, Morocco has witnessed under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, a dynamic constitutional, institutional and political reforms, in order to lay the foundations for a democratic, inclusive and open society. Ranging from the reform of the Family Code, with its revolutionary and emancipative dimensions as far as the status of women is concerned, to the launching of the National Initiative for Human Development (NIHD), and the reform of the Justice system, the scope of these reforms reached in 2011 its culminating point through the reform of the Moroccan Constitution. This dynamic of reforms has four major advantages that distinguish, moreover, the specificity of the Moroccan democratic model: 1. The sense of belonging to the nation was still solid. It allows Morocco to federate multiple confluence of national identity; 2. The preservation of civil peace, to the extent that the country has always been banned single party and is committed to respect the legal expression of opposition to a free public union activity and a press pluralist; 3. The attachment to Islam, in moderation, credence and tolerance; 4. The institution of monarchy which, historically, is the symbol of the continuity of the State and the guarantor of the unity of the country has remained constant is the vanguard of the dynamics of Progress and Development. It is important to note that all these reforms are carried out thanks to the involvement of all national political actors (political parties, trade unions organizations. Intermediate bodies, civil society, NGOs...) and receive active support from the Kingdom s international partners (European Union, Council of Europe, OECD, Deauville partnership...)
222 YOUNS TIJANI As a testament to its commitment to human rights, Morocco reformed its national human rights oversight body in March 2011, when King Mohammed VI announced the establishment of a National Human Rights Council (CNDH) to replace the Advisory Council on Human Rights (CCDH). The Council has the power to investigate any allegations of human rights violations, to summon people to give evidence in its investigations, and to act as an early warning mechanism to prevent human rights violations. It also has the power to visit detention centers and inspect prison conditions; establish regional authorities for protecting Human Rights; and examine and make recommendations on how to bring legislation in line with the Constitution, international human rights treaties, and international law. The CNDH is also tasked with enriching the debate on human rights throughout the Kingdom and providing an annual report, as well as special thematic reports, to the King. In the past year alone, Morocco has made significant advances in its human rights policies in the areas of migration, women s rights, and the court system. In November 2013, Morocco adopted a new policy providing protections for migrants and asylum seekers. In March 2014, the Council of Ministers, chaired by King Mohammed VI, approved the draft law on military justice, which will exclude civilians from being tried in military courts. In the last few years, Morocco has also taken the lead among Islamic countries in promoting the rights of women and gender equity. Morocco has criminalized sexual harassment and endorsed a new family code. In 2004, based on the unprecedented initiative of King Mohammed VI, Morocco approved the Moudawana which include common responsibility of the family with their husbands, notably in the area of equal rights to property upon divorce. These moves help to secure women s participation in society and politics to reinforce their power and eliminate gender discrimination in private and public affairs. The Moroccan government and the national media have commenced debate on the press code, including the one in force since 2007. The reform of the Press Code and publishing is the promulgation of a new modern text without custodial sentences and that is to guarantee the right of access to information and to set up mechanisms self-regulation of the profession. The new Moroccan Constitution enshrines the right to life in Article 20. Morocco has been through all gradual stages that will lead to the abolition of death penalty, starting with the suspension of this penalty since 1993, reduction of the number of crimes that arc-punishable by death, and ending with the pardon mechanism. The new Constitution confirms the fundamental constituents of the diversified Moroccan identity by underlining that the Nation Unity is based on the fully endorsed diversity of its constituents: Arabic, Amazigh, Hassani, Sub-Saharan, African, Andalusian, Hebraic and Mediterranean components.
MOROCCO AND POLAND... 223 It also enhances gender equally through the confirmation of parity by using legislation to implement affirmative action measures for the benefit of women to encourage access to elected office. In his last visit to Morocco, Mr Bogdan Klich, Rapporteur of the Council of Europe declared that Morocco represents a unique model of transition towards democracy and is an example for the whole region. On the other hand, the Secretary General of the Community of Democracies paid on September 2013 a working visit to Morocco, full member of the governing council of this organization, where she met high officials and representatives of the civil society. Morocco actively participated to the second edition of the international conference Warsaw Dialogue for Democracy hosted by College of Europe. Among the important visits made by the Moroccan side to Poland, is the one made by Mr. Abdesslam Aboudrar President of the central Authority for fight Against Corruption who visited Poland where he met Mr Pawel Wojtunik, the head of the polish Central Anti-Corruption Bureau. Thank you for attention.