Pressemelding fra Attac Marokko:
Morocco will host the second edition of the World Human Rights Forum (WHRF) in Marrakech from 27th to 30th November 3014. The holding of this event coincides with the policy of muzzling of civil liberties of the Moroccan authorities. The activities of several Moroccan NGOs were just banned, others have been not allowed to access to public spaces they have reserved in advance. Latest examples: the interdiction of a training for journalists organized by Ibn Rushd Center on November 2nd, imprisonment of a young rapper, the prohibition of a caravan of solidarity with migrants in Tangier, banning of union meetings in preparation for the general strike on October 29, repression of labor, social and students’ movements, persecutions against microcredit victims, violence, discrimination and deportations of migrants, etc … These are among examples of a long list of arrogance of the authorities and their quest to criminalize the struggle for human and social rights.
ATTAC Morocco has been suffering for years of human rights violation. The State deprives us of our right to renew our legal receipt despite lawsuits we started over two years to assert our rights.. The state, by organizing an international forum on human rights, wants to hide these declines and violations.
In parallel, the government continues to impose neoliberal policies destroying the economic, social and cultural rights of the vast majority of citizens. Structural Adjustment plan, austerity, debt, free trade agreements and privatization of public services are deepening poverty, unemployment, insecurity and illiteracy. These policies are itself the antithesis of human rights foundations.
The state wants to take advantage of the presence of international financial institutions, international and national NGOs to improve its image. This forum is an opportunity for the institutions of façade democracy to expose a mockery of state law. The state will mobilize his “governmental” NGOs to boast of so-called democratic progress and thus legitimize the repression of freedoms.
What legitimacy to a forum involving the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which impose destructive policies on a global scale? What credibility to a forum where governments apply austerity condemning people to poverty and exclusion?
This forum is dominated by international donors and governments cannot be compared to the World Social Forum (WSF) that aims to build popular alternatives to the IFIs and the imperialists. This Forum is boycotted by several militant networks such as the World March of Women, Via Campesina, International Attac network, CADTM, ASDHOM, etc.
The nature of forum’s organizers, the huge budget allocated to it, show that Morocco is preparing to host again a festival of waste, glitz and announces with no future.
In our view, attending this Forum will not bring much, but serve more to hide the repressive policies currently in progress.
Based on all these elements, Attac Morocco refuses to take part in this forum and considers that human rights are requiring large popular mobilization. Attac Morocco is ready to participate in all forms of external actions to denounce the decline of civil liberties in Morocco, in collaboration with all the voices that resist oppression in our country.
The National Secretariat, November 8, 2014