King Mohammed VI Current Events 1: September 2003 - December 2007

[Lyonnaise]

from hellomagazine.com

U.S. President George Bush meets King Mohamed VI of Morocco at the Waldorf Hotel in New York

[Dunya]

I think this is interesting. King Mohammed is doing a much better job than his father. Do you think with the help of his wife Lalla Salma and his sisters who are modern women?


Morocco to improve women's rights
From correspondents in Rabat
October 11, 2003

IN a historic effort to unify and modernise Moroccan society, King Mohammed VI announced today a landmark reform to grant vast new rights to women on matters such as divorce, marriage and rights within the family.

Acting in his role as Commander of Beliefs, the 40-year-old monarch said the move was designed to help heal a divide in society forming between women's groups and a powerful Islamic movement.

"We have not hesitated to intervene to spare our society from the risks of splitting apart over this question," the king said in an address to parliament.

The king has ultimate authority in Morocco and parliament is expected to approve the plan.

In the high-toned speech, Mohammed VI said the proposal was designed to "lift the iniquity weighing on women, protect children's rights and preserve the dignity of mankind".

[Asma2]

Biography of Morocco's King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan
Morocco

King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan was born in Rabat on Wednesday, August 21, 1963.

At the age of four, the Late King Hassan II enrolled him at the Quranic school at the Royal Palace. On June 28, 1973, King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan, then Crown Prince, successfully obtained the primary education certificate and continued secondary studies at the Royal College, where he got his Baccalaureate in 1981.

In 1985, King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan obtained his B.A in law at the college of law of the Rabat Mohammed V University. He conducted his research project on "the Arab-African Union and the Strategy of the Kingdom of Morocco in matters of International Relations."

In 1987, he obtained his first higher education degree in political sciences, and in July 1988, King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan passed the first exams for a doctoral degree.

In order to complete his training, he underwent as of November 1988 a few-month training in Brussels with Jacques Delors, then President of the European Commission.

On October 29, 1993, he won the title of Doctor in law at the French University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis with "Very Honorable" distinction and the congratulations of the jury, for his thesis on "EEC-Maghreb Relations."

Trained to the heavy tasks since his young age, King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan was often entrusted by his father with numerous missions at various national, Arab, Islamic, African and International levels. He also participated in several international and regional conferences.

King Mohammed's first official mission abroad was in April 1974, when he represented the Late King Hassan II at the religious ceremony celebrated at the "Notre Dame de Paris" Cathedral in the memory of French President Georges Pompidou.

On December 27, 1979, King Mohammed was made honorary president of the Socio-cultural Association of the Mediterranean Basin.

In July 1980, King Mohammed toured several African countries, with messages from his late father, King Hassan II, to Presidents Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal, Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea, Felix Houphouet Boigny of Cote D'Ivoire, Ahmadou Ahidjo of Cameroon and Shehu Shagari of Nigeria.

On March 18, 1982, he was appointed by the Late King Hassan II President of the Organizing Committee of the 9th Mediterranean games, held in Casablanca in 1983.

On March 10, 1983, King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan chaired the Moroccan delegation to the 7th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in New Delhi, India. During the conference, he made a key speech wherein he recalled Morocco's positions regarding various Arab, African and international issues.

On September 21, 1983, he chaired a delegation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on the Sahara in Addis Ababa. On October 3 of the same year, he headed the Moroccan delegation to the 10th Franco-African conference in Vittel, France.

On April 11, 1985, King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan was appointed by the Late King Hassan II, Coordinator of the Bureaux and Services of the General staff of the Royal Armed Forces, a task worthy of a Prince who successfully carried out the various responsibilities entrusted to him.

King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia in March 1986 and to Japan in March 1987.

On February 23, 1989, he represented the Late King Hassan II in the funerals of Emperor Hiro Hito of Japan.

On July 12, 1994, Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan was promoted to the rank of General de Division.

[Asma2]

H.M. King Mohammed VI handed here Wednesday medical equipment worth 580,300 US dollars to the Sidi Hssein Bennacer provincial hospital of Ouarzazate.
H.M. the king also visited the paediatrics section of the hospital, recently refurbished for some $30,000 provided by the USAID and the Sidi Hssein Bennacer Hospital, the regional blood transfusion center, refurbished for some $93,700, and other healthcare facilities in the region.

The sovereign later inquired about infrastructure and public services projects in the region, including rural electrification and sanitation projects.

King Mohammed VI

I hope the King chooses to keep his beard this time. He looks so much better with a beard. Any news of Lalla Salma? Have there been any new pictures of Prince Moulay Hassan since his birth this year?

[Asma2]

King Mohammed VI Lays Foundation Stone of Female Dorms in Ouarzazate Province, Morocco.

[mya]

I LOVE MOHAMMED VI WITH A BEARD...I HOPE HE KEEPS IT....I ALSO LIKE WHEN HE WEARS THAT NAVY SUIT.....NAVY IS HIS COLOR LOL

[Asma2]

H.M King Mohammed VI held talks Wednesday with US secretary of state, Colin Powell, who later headed to Algeria at the end of his visit to Morocco, the second leg of his three-nation Maghreban tour.

Earlier, the US official held a series of meetings with Moroccan officials, most importantly with Moroccan premier, Driss Jettou with whom he pondered trade exchanges, US investments in Morocco, bilateral cooperation and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) under negotiations between the two countries and which is expected to be concluded by the end of the year.

During a meeting with representatives of the Moroccan civil society, Powell said Morocco is going on the right path thanks to the leadership of H.M king Mohammed VI and the various reforms carried out in the country.

The US official underlined that youth and private sector participation is crucial for the development of the country. He added it is important to encourage education that is adapted to the needs of the labor market and to establish an appropriate environment for investment and flow of capitals.

Assistant secretary of state, William Burns, was present at the meeting during which representatives of Moroccan NGOs presented the action conducted by their respective organizations.

[Asma2]

H.M. King Mohammed VI received this Thursday at the Royal palace visiting Portuguese defense minister, Paulo Portas.


The audience took place in the presence of Portugal's ambassador in Morocco, military officials accompanying Portas in his visit to Morocco and Moroccan minister in charge of the national defense administration.


The Portuguese official met on the same day Moroccan premier, Driss Jettou, on bilateral cooperation in various fields, notably military cooperation.


Portas also took part in the high joint commission of the two countries that signed on Wednesday a cooperation agreement in military history, museology and military archives.

[Asma2]

H.M. King Mohammed VI left for Tunis this Thursday to participate in the 1st 5+5 forum summit bringing together this December 5-6 heads of state or government of 5 south Mediterranean countries and 5 north Mediterranean countries.


Member countries of The 5+5 forum summit are five Maghreban countries on the Southern rim of the Mediterranean (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) and five European countries located on the northern rim (France, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain).

The official agenda features five major themes: security in western Mediterranean, economic cooperation and integration in the Maghreb, solidarity between the two Mediterranean banks, dialogue of cultures, and the European Union new neighborhood policy.

[Asma2]

Morocco's King Mohammed VI, participate 05 December 2003 in Tunis in a summit 5+5 devoted to regional cooperation.

[Asma2]

Full Text of the Speech Delivered By H.M. King Mohammed VI at the 5+5 Summit in Tunis




"Peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to express my appreciation to my distinguished brother, His Excellency President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, whose country, the Republic of Tunisia, is hosting our Forum's first Summit. We are also grateful for the warm welcome extended to us and for the arrangements made for the success of this gathering.

That the summit should convene at this point in time when the international situation is marked by so many challenges with fast-growing ramifications, is indeed an outstanding event which shows the depth of the cultural interaction existing between the peoples of the western shores of the Mediterranean. It also confirms our strong determination to take concerted action to address the problems and concerns we share and to develop a comprehensive approach to tackle them. The aim is to turn our region into an ideal place to build cooperation and good neighborly ties, which are essential pre-requisites for the preservation of peace, security and stability in this sensitive part of the world.

This summit provides a valuable opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue. Building a consensus, if only over some of the issues and problems of common interest, will therefore contribute to developing our Forum into a peaceful creative gathering, which is able to devise useful and efficient policies. It will also wield significant influence on Mediterranean relations and help enhance co-operation with the EU's neighboring states, within the framework of the new neighborhood policy between the European Union and the South Mediterranean nations.

As we convene today, we feel encouraged and stimulated by the values we share and which represent the cornerstone of our gathering. We are determined to use all available mechanisms to build the best possible model of large-scale regional co-operation. We share the same vision and resolve to make co-operation between us a pioneering experience within the political strategy designed to build a new partnership between the European Union and the South Mediterranean countries, which will be of great benefit to all other Mediterranean regional groupings.

In this connection, I would like to reiterate our commitment to making the promising project stemming from the Agadir Declaration a tangible reality. We are also keen to see our Forum serve as a bridge for the European Union and the Maghreb to engage in open co-operation with the African continent, whose countries are yearning for stability and sustainable development within the framework of the NEPAD initiative, which deserves stronger support from us.

We all attach the greatest importance to economic and social sectors. Yet, one wonders to what extent we have managed to design effective, realistic projects with specific means of implementation, rather than waiting for certain Mediterranean deadlines, such as the 2010 agenda.

I am sure we are all concerned about this issue. We can make this summit the starting point for a planning process to develop concrete projects, which are free from the constraints hampering the work of other groupings.

We shall endeavor to enhance the specific status of this region steeped in history. We want to make it an open space for free movement of persons and capital, for cultural diversity and interaction, for dissemination of democratic values and for the protection of human rights and dignity. These values constitute the cornerstone of the policy we are pursuing in order to consolidate the foundations of modern Morocco.

We should stick to this path if we are to overcome the numerous difficulties arising from the current economic situation and their adverse social implications, particularly the problem of illegal immigration, which, incidentally, cannot be solved by a single country nor within a single Mediterranean region. Hence the need for us to incorporate the security dimension into a wider, more comprehensive, human strategy for development and for optimal co-operation between our countries. This requires that south-western Mediterranean countries be provided with the necessary resources and technology and also with the support they need to tackle social problems, especially youth unemployment.

Aware of the seriousness of such a phenomenon, which is inconsistent with human dignity and has adverse effects on the ties of cooperation and good neighborliness, we have set up special agencies to deal with immigration and border-monitoring issues. Morocco seeks, in cooperation with its neighbors and partners, to develop efficient public policies to curb this phenomenon to contain the flow of illegal migration and to tackle its deep-rooted causes as well as its adverse implications.

Beyond cultural considerations and neighborly relations, our Forum is characterized by the existence of two blocs, one in the North and the other in the South. The first enjoys full socio-cultural homogeneity and economic integration, while the other aspires to achieve the same homogeneity and integration, by establishing, on firm foundations, a strong and effective Maghreb Union, which would preserve the vital interests of its states and ensure their unity, stability and sustainable development.

Setting up an effective Maghreb Union, with full mechanisms and procedures, is an objective of paramount importance to Morocco and, no doubt, to our brothers in the Arab Maghreb. This is a strategic choice which is likely to help us meet current and future challenges and fulfill the Maghreb peoples' aspirations for unity, complementarity and integration.

This objective, however, cannot be achieved unless we manage to overcome the obstacles facing us, particularly the artificial dispute regarding Morocco's territorial integrity, which calls for a peaceful, consensual and final negotiated settlement, in keeping with international legality. Any settlement, however, must guarantee the national unity and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco and enable the populations of the region to manage their local affairs by themselves and enjoy integrated development in a democratic and stable environment; otherwise the region runs the risk of becoming a hotbed of tension and conflict.

This risk, coupled with the potential threat of terrorist activities, which are rejected by all revealed religions and are incompatible with our shared cultural values, represents the biggest threat to the security of the entire region.
I am convinced our five European partners, with whom we share many interests, will support this approach which reflects our ambition to build a realistic, comprehensive and integrated partnership with them.

Given its rich tradition of cooperation with friendly nations, Morocco will make every effort to give substance to the Arab Maghreb project, and turn it into an integrated bloc, capable of making full use of its peoples' energies and potentialities, and of engaging in constructive interaction with its European partners, in a spirit of trust, security and complementarity.

Some of the proposals made at the Ministerial Conference in Lisbon in 2001 are still important and relevant today. In this respect, Morocco is fully prepared to host the proposed conference which will deal with investment in our region.

Your Excellencies,
As we meet today to adopt comprehensive approaches to our economic, social and political issues with their different implications on security, development and democratic practice in the Western Mediterranean, the horrible, bloody conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean region is very much on our minds.

In this connection, I wish to reiterate, once again, our unwavering support for the brotherly Palestinian people in their quest to recover their legitimate rights and establish their independent State, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, and living side by side with the State of Israel. I also reaffirm our commitment to peace and to negotiation as the only viable option to end this conflict as well as the vicious circle of violence and counter-violence.

The international community - the Quartet in particular - is called upon to exert every effort to break the stalemate in the peace process, by giving fresh impetus to the Road Map, which we support. We commend the international Powers which are seeking to implement the Road Map. We are fully prepared, in this regard, to take all necessary measures and support all good offices in an effort to achieve the objectives pursued, in keeping with international legality.

Another reason for optimism is that the Iraqi people are moving in the right direction and will very soon be in a position to run their own affairs, within the framework of their country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and thus play a significant role at regional and international levels, while enjoying the freedom and democracy they yearn for.

Your Excellencies,
In a world dominated by sweeping globalization, the unrestricted, swift movement of capital is clearly not matched by a similar movement of persons, nor by across-the-board benefit from the creation of wealth. The question therefore, is: how can we make our region, in particular, a model of balanced cultural interaction and economic exchange between the North and the South?

Having said that, I recommend that employment-generating investments go to people in their respective countries, where their rights are preserved, instead of people being compelled to migrate illegally to look for means of subsistence, in conditions which strip them of their dignity, and cause never-ending problems and disputes.

This complex issue is a cause for concern for all of us. It is our firm belief that a solution is not at all impossible, and that a 5+5 Forum, built on integration and solidarity, would have the means to effectively implement that solution. I am convinced my distinguished brothers and friends the Heads of States and Governments are indeed up to the task and I reiterate my full appreciation to them for their efforts in this strategic endeavor. I am eager to work with them to make good use of our peoples' energies, and to build an integrated Western Mediterranean area in order to achieve our common goal, which is to take advantage of geographic proximity and make the Mediterranean region, East and West, a haven of peace, tolerance and good neighborliness. Let us make the two shores of the Mediterranean a focal point for effective, solidarity-based regional globalization with a human face.

Let us make the Western Mediterranean a model of strategic partnership which would help bridge the economic and cultural gap between the countries of the North and those of the South."

[Asma2]

H.M. King Mohammed VI received Tuesday head of the Spanish government, José Maria Aznar, who paid this Dec.8-9 a visit to Morocco where he participated in the Moroccan-Spanish high level 6th meeting.

The Spanish premier was accompanied by Spanish foreign minister, Ana Palacio, and interior minister, Angel Acebes Paniagua, during the audience.

At the end of the high level meeting, Morocco and Spain signed three cooperation agreements worth 390 million Euro, concerning financial cooperation and conversion of Morocco's debt to Spain into investments in the private and private sectors.

[Amira]

Ministers have been swearing allegiance to the new king

[mya]

why doesnt the king wear a wedding band?

[Bubbette]

Most mid-east men do not wear wedding bands.

[Asma2]

H.M King Mohammed VI
Chairs Ministers' Council on Family Code Reform



MARRAKECH, Dec.12 - H.M King Mohammed VI chaired this Friday at the Royal Palace here a ministers council that was broadly devoted to the family code reform announced by the sovereign on October 10.

At the end of the meeting, Hassan Aourid, spokesman of the Royal Palace, said the sovereign recalled at the Council the importance of the amendments of the family code stressing that it will consolidate law, improve women conditions and establish an egalitarian and fair society.

Aourid said the sovereign highlighted that the reform proposals contain moves to endow the judicial power with executive tools through the creation of family-specialized sections in Moroccan courts.

The spokesman recalled that the reform is the illustration of H.M king's vision as it was unveiled since he ascended to the throne. He said this vision seeks to promote the situation of women, lift the injustice inflicted upon them and ward off any dissension within the Moroccan society.

Aourid also recalled that this major reform, that concerns all the components of the Moroccan family, is based upon the nation's constant principles as they are provided for in the constitution that stipulates that the state's religion is Islam, that HM the King is Amir Al Muminine (commander of the faithful), supreme representative of the nation, the guarantor of the respect of Islam and of the constitution and the protector of human rights and civil liberties.

Aourid added that the sovereign sees to the equality between men and women as regards rights and duties as it is stipulated in the Moroccan constitution that provides for attachment to the universally recognized human rights.

He pointed out that the reform initiated by the sovereign was based on an approach that favored participation of and consultation with various intellectual trends and social sensibilities.

In this context, the spokesman recalled that the sovereign, after receiving various women figures on March 5, 2001 and listening to their requests, took the initiative to set up on April 27, 2001 the royal consultative commission for the Mudawana (family code) reform that musters women and men who are specialists of Fiqh (Islamic texts interpretation), law, sociology and medicine.

The sovereign was also keen to spell out the outlines of the project in his speech, on October 10, 2003, at the opening of the parliament legislative year, highlighting the references and constant principles on which the project was founded, namely:

Not to make licit what God has forbidden nor forbid what God has made lawful,
- adherence to the objectives of Islam that seeks to promote Man, justice, equality and understanding,
- adherence to the unity of the Malekite rite and Ijtihad (jurisprudence) in order to craft a modern Mudawana that is consistent with the teachings of our sacred religion.
- The family law should not be considered as a legislation devised for women only, but as a text designed for the whole family, father, mother and children and see to it that it contributes to lifting the injustice that women endure, in addition to protecting children's rights and safeguarding men's dignity.

Based on the democratic foundations of the modernist project that the sovereign is so keen to foster and in accordance with the respect that H.M the king has for the parliamentary institution, H.M the king was also keen to refer the project to the parliament.

In order to promote an appropriate atmosphere for a smooth enforcement of the law provisions, the sovereign has addressed a letter to the justice minister stressing that supporting and enforcing the reform project is linked to the creation of a fair, modern and efficient family jurisdiction endowed with the human, material and procedural means entitling it to gather conditions of equity and impartiality, rule on cases falling under its prerogatives and enforce its decisions with the required swiftness, calling for providing the soonest these courts with adequate offices within Morocco's various tribunals.

Given the sovereign's concern to consolidate the democratic process through efficient economic institutions, he also approved two draft laws, dealing with the amendments of the statute of Bank Al-Maghrib (central bank) in order to reinforce its autonomy and prerogatives and empower it to adequately fulfill its mission in monetary policy. The second draft law defines modern and efficient mechanisms for Bank Al Maghrib to conduct its control mission over credit institutions and similar bodies and ensure their upgrading so that they meet international standards in force in similar companies in developed countries.

[Asma2]

I think that he is doing the best job of all arab countries leaders.

King Mohammed VI

King Mohammed VI with Chirac

[Dennism]

BBC

"King Mohammed of Morocco has granted a pardon to the country's leading satirical journalist, Ali Lamrabet.

The pardon comes more than seven months after Mr Lamrabet was jailed on charges of insulting the king and endangering Morocco's territorial integrity.

He had been serving a three-year prison sentence for publishing articles, cartoons and photographs in a weekly magazine which he edited.

He was pardoned along with more than 30 other political detainees.

As owner and editor of several independent magazines, Mr Lamrabet had long been a thorn in the side of the Moroccan authorities.

These publications included the French-language Demain Magazine and the Arabic-language Doumane weeklies.

He was imprisoned in June last year after he published material ridiculing government ministers, questioning the way the royal household budget is allocated and opposing Morocco's policy towards the Western Sahara.

His case had drawn international criticism, particularly from the United States and Spain.

The BBC's Pascale Harter in Morocco says the decision to pardon Mr Lamrabet is seen as a personal gesture by King Mohammed, intended to signal a new chapter in Morocco's human rights and justice record.

During his time in prison, Mr Lamrabet had twice gone on hunger strike to protest against his conviction.

He is expected to be released later on Wednesday. "

[Asma2]

AGADIR, Jan.07 – HM King Mohammed VI pardoned this Wednesday, for humanitarian considerations, 33 persons convicted for various crimes and offences.

The announcement was made this Wednesday by the official spokesman of the royal palace, Hassan Aourid.

The list of pardoned convicts includes the murderers of Omar Benjelloun, an emblematic figure of the Moroccan opposition, seven journalists and other persons who were serving long prison sentences for crimes of harming the state’s internal security.

The measure was announced as the sovereign inaugurated the 16-member “Justice and Reconciliation Commission”, a body set up last November to pursue out-of-court settlement of past human rights abuses, in a bid to settle once and for all the issue that the sovereign called “thorny”.

In this connection, the royal palace official spokesman made the following statement:

“His Majesty King Mohammed VI has once again illustrated His determination to strengthen the rule of law and to uphold human rights, whose reinforcement He announced in the speech He gave today, when setting up the Justice and Reconciliation Commission. ‘…As soon as I acceded to the throne, I decided that this process … should be consolidated … (and) as a result, political prisoners have been pardoned and their employment-related problems have been solved … victims of arbitrary detention and forced disappearance have received compensation …’, He said. In an effort to enhance the role assigned to the Commission with a view to …’shelving a thorny issue once and for all…’, His Majesty, Amir Al Muminin (Commander of the Faithful) has readily responded to the requests for pardon submitted to Him in this respect.

Taking into account humanitarian considerations, His Majesty the King, may God be with Him, has granted His pardon to 33 people sentenced for various offences. This decision is in keeping with the praiseworthy Royal tradition of granting pardon and forgiveness in accordance -as His Majesty said in His Speech- with ‘Islamic ideals, which advocate tolerance and forgiveness’ as well as with the requirements of democracy to which we are committed, thereby reflecting the will of a people who ‘neither turn their backs on their past, nor remain prisoners of its shortcomings. Instead, they derive strength and dynamism from it to build a modern, democratic society, wherein all citizens may exercise their rights and carry out their duties freely and responsibly”.

A complete list of convicts concerned by the amnesty was made public.


No Political Prisoner Left in Morocco, Insists Minister

RABAT, Jan.08 - “There are no political prisoners left in Morocco,” Moroccan minister of justice, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, said at a press conference, here Wednesday, after the announcement of the pardon granted by HM King Mohammed VI to 33 convicts, including seven journalists.

“We can rightfully claim that there are no longer any political prisoners in Morocco, bearing in mind that the concept of political prisoner, as it is defined at the international level, designates any person detained for having defended his ideas without resorting to violence”, said Mohamed Bouzoubaa.

Commenting the Royal pardon that was welcomed by all Moroccan political parties, human rights activists and NGO’s, the minister said these organizations “should be satisfied to see that their fight has yielded its fruits.”

The pardon concerned 33 people including seven journalists who were detained or awaiting trial, among whom Ali Lamrabet, editor of two satirical magazines sentenced to three years in prison for “offence to the person of the king” and for “undermining the country’s sacred institutions”.

The minister said that the royal gesture, announced Wednesday in Agadir (Southern Morocco) during a ceremony to inaugurate the 16 members of the «Equity and reconciliation Committee”, set up last November, came in response to the various requests made by the detainees themselves and their relatives as well as by Moroccan and foreign spheres.

He explained that those who have been granted pardon have changed their positions and their behaviors during their detention.

These people, convicted for various crimes and offences, were released for “Humanitarian reasons”, the official spokesman of the royal palace, Hassan Aourid, had previously said.

The 16-member “Justice and Reconciliation Commission”, is a body set up to pursue out-of-court settlement of past human rights abuses, in a bid to settle once and for all the issue that the sovereign called “thorny”.