In the framework of its multifaceted involvement in Morocco, the APT was in Rabat on Saturday 27 September in order to participate in a seminar on the OPCAT and Morocco's future NPM, in cooperation with leading human rights groups.
The seminar, which was jointly organised by the APT and two local NGO partners (Organisation marocaine des droits de l’homme and Association relais prison-société) allowed some 25 participants from the civil society and Morocco's Advisory Council on Human Rights to increase their knowledge on: basic provisions of the OPCAT, NPM mandate and international examples and civil society's role in the promotion and implementation of the OPCAT.
Participants were able to share their experience, which for some included monitoring places of detention, and to start thinking about Morocco's future NPM as well as the potential role that civil society actors could play in the setting up and running of the NPM.
Although a traditional approach of 'denunciations' still prevails among Morocco's' NGOs, the structural and cooperative approach related to the OPCAT is gradually coming through and efforts are increasingly targeted on the setting up of Morocco's future NPM.
By the end of the day, participants launched an appeal to the prime Minister for the ratification of the OPCAT. Furthermore a Working Group was set up in order for NGOs to come up with solid NPM proposals in the future.
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