The Moroccan presidency of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will work to increase opportunities for dialogue and consultation between stakeholders, build trust, and play a facilitating role in preventing human rights crises, by using good offices.
Fostering dialogue, building bridges, and mitigating the impact of geopolitical tensions on the Council’s work will be among the priorities of the Moroccan presidency of the UNHRC, in the person of Omar Zniber, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom in Geneva, reads a note sent to MAP on “the opportunities and challenges of the Council in 2024.”
Morocco has always actively supported the Council, Zniber was quoted as saying in the note. He also said he was a “firm believer in the crucial mandate” of the Council, as well as in the collective ability of UN member states to fulfill that mandate and strengthen respect for and the promotion and protection of human rights around the world.
“I intend to do all I can to expand opportunities for dialogue and consultation between states, across and between all political and regional groups, and to provide ‘good offices’ to bring delegations together (especially in advance of Council sessions), better understand one another’s views and positions, build trust, and, where possible, find common ground,” the diplomat added.
Among the priorities of the Moroccan presidency is the use of “good offices” to promote dialogue and cooperation between all the parties concerned, including the States and regional groups concerned, to avoid further human rights violations or a deepening of the crisis.
To improve and strengthen the Council’s efficiency and effectiveness, the Council should launch an inclusive consultation process to gather and consolidate the views, proposals, and voices of HRC members and observers in a “self-reflection” exercise.
Developing contacts and strengthening cooperation with regional organizations and regional human rights systems, maintaining an inclusive and constructive dialogue with civil society, and taking advantage of social media to improve transparency and stimulate public interest in the Council and its work are also among the priorities of this presidency.
On thematic issues, priority will be given in particular to the questions of food security and health security and the impacts of climate change and new technologies on the enjoyment of human rights.