Tenth Glion Human Rights Dialogue (Glion X) 

16-17 October 2024  

Marrakech, Morocco 

“Transforming universal norms into local reality – national mechanisms for implementation, reporting, and follow-up (NMIRFs), and the strengthening the UN human rights system’s effectiveness and on-the-ground impact” 

Excellency, Minister of Justice  

Excellency Mr Chair of the Board of Trustees, Universal Rights Group,  

Excellency, Mr President of the UN Human Rights Council, 

Madam Secretary-General of the Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights (DIDH), 

Madam Secretary-General of the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) and Secretary of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions,  

Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). 

Excellencies, Members of the NMIRF network, 

Excellencies, Members of the diplomatic corps,  

Partners and Colleagues 

[All protocols observed] 

On behalf of the United Nations Development Programme, I am honored to address this distinguished audience and I am very pleased to extend a warm welcome to all of you joining us in this beautiful country and this Millennial City, Marrakesh.  

First and foremost, I would like to thank the Kingdom of Morocco for hosting this international event, and to commend its initiative, together with Paraguay and Portugal, to launch a new international network of National Mechanism of Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up, following the recommendation contained in the Marrakech Declaration, and a subsequent meeting in Asuncion. 

As we all know, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights expresses the aspiration of humanity in the pursuit of dignity, equality and justice for all.   

As stated by the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Guterres, “Human rights are the foundation of human dignity and the cornerstone of peaceful, inclusive, just, equal and prosperous societies.”1  

The key relevance and centrality of human rights is also highlighted in the recently adopted Pact for the Future, as critical for sustainable development and peace and security – these pillars of the United Nations are interlinked and mutually reinforcing2. 

Today, the world is facing multiple existential crises, which are wiping out a decade of progress in efforts towards sustainable development and the protection and promotion of human rights, weakening the most vulnerable among us, and threatening the future of the planet and its inhabitants.  

Contemporary international law, of which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the cornerstone, is a response to these challenges, a response based on the demand for justice and respect for human dignity, and of course human rights are fundamental to efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,  

In the last twenty years, the Kingdom of Morocco has shown considerable engagement to advance the protection and promotion of human rights, at the national and international level, as exemplified by the current Presidency of the UN Human Rights Council.  

At the national level, commitments to human rights are also embedded in the country’s New Development Model, a strategic planning document for the 2035 horizon, the guiding document for the country to meet the requirements of human and sustainable development. 

Morocco has also actively promoted international cooperation, as showcased by the initiative at this very meeting.

As part of the implementation of the Country Programme Document (2023-2027), agreed with the Government of Morocco, UNDP has the privilege to be working closely with the National Monitoring, Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up Mechanism in Morocco – the Inter-Ministerial Delegation for Human Rights, to support the implementation of the recommendations from the human rights mechanisms, lately with a particular focus on those linked to the environment, business and human rights, and the protection of human rights in the digital space. UNDP provides this type of support in collaboration with other sister entities in the UN Country Team, according to the respective mandates.  

UNDP Morocco's support in this arena also encompasses international and regional partnerships and cooperation, notably by strengthening South-South and triangular cooperation. 

Excellencies, Dear Colleagues, 

The GLION Dialogue is highly relevant for our work in the Kingdom of Morocco and in many countries where UNDP is supporting countries to close the technical cooperation gap between the recommendations from human rights mechanisms and how those recommendations are implemented in-country – that is, the direct impact on peoples’ lives.  

In many countries, UNDP plays a key role in integrating the efforts of NMIRFs to provide a streamlined, coordinated approach to managing and tracking human rights recommendations by linking them to policies, development plans and budgets. When linked to efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and through the use of inclusive digital enabling technologies these integrated approaches can be highly efficient for governments, and be significant policy and budgetary tools relevant both nationally and at regional and local levels. 

One such example is the SIGOB system in Latin America, which strengthens public administration through digital tools. SIGOB’s human rights module enables governments to manage and monitor the implementation of human rights recommendations in real time, ensuring data-driven decision-making and progress tracking. A later speaker today will also showcase SIMORE PLUS which UNDP has also been proud to support, among many other initiatives.  

These efforts are part of UNDP’s broader work to strengthen national human rights systems and a critical cornerstone of that is the Paris Principles compliant National Human Rights Institutions, which we are proud to support jointly with the UN Human Rights Office and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions in many countries in the world.  

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

The UNDP team in Morocco is committed to closely collaborating with the government, the national authorities and civil society, building on the good work that has been done. We hope these good examples of positive collaboration and in particular the ongoing work with the Inter-Ministerial Delegation for Human Rights can inform the discussions today.  

The conclusions and recommendations of the Glion Dialogue will undoubtedly be a great opportunity to enhance cooperation among all stakeholders and across sectors, including here in Morocco, and elsewhere. 

I will conclude by thanking again the Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights, (DIDH) and all other Moroccan human rights partners for hosting this international event.  

I wish you fruitful deliberations and hope you will enjoy this meaningful, open and inclusive space for dialogue and exchange. 

I thank you. 

1 Excerpt from remarks of the SG on Human Rights Day 2022. 

2 Para 9 of the Pact of the Future. Reinforcing the pillar integration approach of Kofi Annan, 2005.