Morocco’s Omar Hilale appointed co-facilitator of Process of Strengthening UN Human Rights Treaty Body System
Morocco’s permanent ambassador to the UN in New York, Omar Hilale, was selected to co-chair the process of strengthening UN bodies that oversee human rights treaties.
President of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, appointed, on Wednesday, Morocco’s permanent representative in New York, ambassador Omar Hilale, as co-facilitator, along with the ambassador of Switzerland Jurg Lauder, for the process of strengthening the United Nations human rights treaty bodies.
The two co-facilitators of this process will conduct consultations with member states, in New York and Geneva, as well as with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other relevant stakeholders.
The two co-facilitators will submit, by next September, their recommendations to the UN General Assembly, on the appropriate measures to strengthen and improve the effective functioning of the human rights treaty bodies.
Omar Hilale has an extensive multilateral experience, particularly in the area of human rights. He has assumed several UN responsibilities in this regard, including as chairman of the UN General Assembly 3rd Committee in charge of social, humanitarian and human rights issues, and as chairman of the humanitarian affairs segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
The choice of Morocco is a recognition of the Kingdom’s advances and achievements in the field of human rights, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI.
It also reflects the seriousness and credibility of Morocco within the international community, which considers the Kingdom as a moderate interlocutor, capable of federating positions and generating compromises.
The US Department of State recognized in its 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released on March 11, Morocco’s “positive steps” in human rights practices. The report acknowledged the moves made by Morocco in 2019 in terms of human rights, noting the significance of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM).
