Amy Torres – Pagina 21 – Iscos Marche

(econostrum.info) MOROCCO / EUROPE. By signing a loan for €130 million on Tuesday 9th October 2012 with the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), the European Investment Bank (EIB), via the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP) is confirming its support for Morocco. OCP is the world’s largest exporter of crude phosphate and phosphoric acid (20,000 employees) and operates on five continents using its ninety years of experience in mining and forty-five in chemistry. The EIB budget will enable them to modernise their infrastructure, including the construction of two low phosphate washing and enrichment plants in Khouribga and replace sulphuric acid production sites with two plants in Safi. On Thursday 4th October 2012, the European Institution unblocked €100 million for the MEDZ techno-hubs (a branch of CDG Developpement ). Seven techno-hubs designed “to provide infrastructure and services internationally and support development and competitiveness by taking into account training and R&D needs”, will benefit from this sum throughout Morocco. As part of the Pact for Industrial Emergence of the Kingdom of Morocco (2009-2015), MEDZ is planning an investment programme of 3 billion dirham (€270 million) for the Atlantic Free Zone (Kénitra), Parc Haliopolis (Agadir),MidParc (Nouasser),Technopole Oujda, Parc Technopolis (Rabat-Salé), Agropolis (Meknès) and the Agropole (Berkane). €450 million for Morocco in 2012 On Friday 5th October 2012, EIB Vice-President Philippe de Fontaine Vive, also signed off a loan for €42.5 million for irrigation and agriculture with Moroccan Minister for the Economy and Finance, Nizar Baraka, as part of the Maroc Vert (green Morocco) plan. This will allow the conversion of 21,405 ha of collective irrigation to drip irrigation with equipment from farms with more efficient irrigation systems (drip irrigation). Nearly 8,000 small farms will benefit from this in the regions of Gharb-Kenitra, Haouz-Marrakesh and Souss-Massa-Agadir. For Philippe de Fontaine Vive, “the goal of this funding is to develop modern, sustainable and profitable agriculture that is an engine for growth and employment in Morocco. By promoting responsible agriculture in irrigation, we are preparing the future for younger generations.” With €450 million committed since January 2012, the EIB and its financial arm FEMIP have already doubled financial assistance to the Kingdom of Morocco compared with 2011 (€200 million). “An historic record for the country” according to EIB officials; other ongoing projects should be completed by the end of 2012. The Luxembourg bank has been investing in Morocco for thirty-five years with, to date, loans totalling €4.7 billion in the areas of energy, transport, telecommunications, water, SMEs, urban infrastructure and industry. FEMIP, which celebrates its tenth birthday in October 2012, has granted €13 billion of loans (to end of 2011) to support the economic and social development of nine Mediterranean countries.

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(aufaitmaroc.com) L’ONG Transparency a exhorté mardi le Maroc à lutter contre la corruption, un fléau qui demeure à un niveau élevé dans le royaume, selon une enquête réalisée en partie avant l’arrivée des islamistes au pouvoir. “Le gouvernement n’a pas vraiment une politique efficace en la matière”, a affirmé Azzedine Akesbi, un responsable de Transparency Maroc, lors de la présentation à Casablanca de cette enquête menée auprès de 3.016 entreprises dans le monde dont 100 au Maroc. M. Akesbi, un expert économique, a longuement insisté sur la “faiblesse” persistante de cette lutte dans le royaume, tout en soulignant que l’étude avait été réalisée en partie avant l’arrivée au pouvoir, en janvier, du gouvernement dirigé par l’islamiste Abdelilah Benkirane. M. Benkirane et son parti, le PJD, ont fait de la lutte contre la corruption l’un de leurs chevaux de bataille. Récemment, le Maroc a adopté une loi dépénalisant les dénonciateurs de cas de corruption. Dans l’enquête de Transparency, le Maroc, seul pays du Maghreb ciblé, se situe à un “niveau élevé” de l’échelle de corruption dans le monde, derrière la Turquie, l’Afrique du Sud ou encore le Sénégal. Dans le détail, 55% des responsables des entreprises marocaines sondées jugent la corruption “courante”, 53% estiment que la politique du gouvernement est “inefficace” et 49% considèrent qu’il est “courant que les fonds publics soient mal utilisés par les hauts responsables”. En revanche, à la question de savoir si les sociétés marocaines “perdent des marchés” lorsque leurs concurrents paient des pots-de-vin, seules 28% ont répondu “oui” (62% “non”). Dans un entretien accordé mardi à France 24, Abdelilah Benkirane a évoqué la lutte contre la corruption, soulignant que celle-ci demandait “du temps”. “La corruption existe au Maroc, elle existe dans beaucoup de pays, (…) mais à des degrés différents”, a-t-il relevé, évoquant “un sujet primordial parce qu’il y a un sentiment d’injustice dans notre population de voir des gens qui s’enrichissent rapidement sans avoir en apparence travailler en conséquence”. Dans son enquête, Transparency indique que Pays-Bas, Belgique et Allemagne font figure de bons élèves, au contraire de la Chine et de la Russie.

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(protezione civile) Sviluppare una cooperazione bilaterale nei settori della previsione, prevenzione e risposta alle catastrofi naturali e tecnologiche; realizzare programmi comuni mirati ad affrontare situazioni d’emergenza al fine di preservare la vita umana, i beni, l’ambiente e il patrimonio culturale; condividere informazioni scientifiche e tecnologiche dei dati a disposizione. Sono solo alcuni degli obiettivi previsti dal Protocollo d’Intesa firmato questa mattina, a Rabat, tra il Dipartimento della Protezione Civile Italiana e la Direzione Generale della Protezione Civile del Marocco. La firma tra il Vice Ministro dell’Interno del Regno del Marocco, Cherki Drais, e il Capo del Dipartimento della Protezione Civile, Franco Gabrielli, prevede, inoltre, l’istituzione di una Commissione Mista, composta da rappresentanti di Protezione Civile dei due Paesi, incaricata della definizione del programma di cooperazione e collaborazione tra Marocco e Italia in ambito di Protezione Civile, in particolare nel caso di catastrofi naturali o tecnologiche. Dopo la firma del Protocollo d’intesa, il Prefetto Gabrielli, insieme al Direttore Generale della Protezione civile marocchina, Abdelkrim El Yaagoubi, è intervenuto nella sessione conclusiva del Workshop organizzato dal Programma PPRD South (Prevention, Preparedness, response to natural and man-made disasters) su come concepire, organizzare e gestire le esercitazioni di Protezione Civile allo scopo di migliorare la risposta del sistema europeo agli eventi emergenziali. «Questo protocollo è l’esito di un percorso lungo, laborioso e particolarmente fruttuoso», ha detto il Prefetto Gabrielli. «Il Programma PPRD South ha consentito a numerosi Paesi dell’area del Mediterraneo di condividere esperienze e buone pratiche con il primario obiettivo di rafforzare la cultura di Protezione civile e la capacità di risposta ai potenziali rischi. Il Marocco, in questo contesto, è un partner strategico e l’accordo firmato oggi è un ulteriore passo per una ancora più efficiente collaborazione».

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Environ 800 magistrats marocains ont organisé un sit-in samedi devant la Cour de cassation à Rabat pour réclamer la fin de la corruption dans le système judiciaire, selon un photographe de l’AFP. Il s’agit de la première action de ce type au Maroc depuis le début des révoltes du Printemps arabe, déclenchées en Tunisie à la fin 2010. “Justice sans corruption” ou “Nous réclamons l’indépendence du pouvoir judiciaire”, pouvait-on lire sur des pancartes brandies par les magistrats, d’autres réclamant en outre “une amélioration urgente” des conditions de travail des magistrats, comme promis par le roi Mohammed VI. Depuis le début 2011, le Maroc a connu un mouvement de contestation sociale sporadique mené par le mouvement du 20-Février qui réclame notamment la fin de la corruption. Réformes Le roi a promis des réformes notamment le renforcement de l’indépendance de la justice et la lutte contre la corruption, après des amendements constitutionnels introduits l’an dernier pour tenter de mettre fin au mouvement de contestation. Mais le sentiment de frustration demeure à propos de la lenteur des réformes et la poursuite de la corruption, des centaines de militants manifestant fréquemment dans les grandes villes pour réclamer un changement. Lire l’article sur Jeuneafrique.com :

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(Moroccoboard.com) Her name is Naima, she is fifteen, she lives in a village that is 50 km south of Marrakech with her parents and seven siblings. Like most village girls, Naima went to primary school for only four years. The nearest high school is 20 km away from her house and buying a used bicycle is out of reach for the family budget! And then again, what would an education and a trade do for Naima, for her destiny as a woman is to marry and take care of her home? Our daughter is certainly better off at home and away from people’s gossip, decided her father. Naima has become a small helpful hand for her family. Obedient and resigned, she helps her mother with the household chores, takes care of the livestock and minds her little brothers and sisters. She is conditioned, trained and programed to find a husband and care for her off-springs. And the sooner the better: In the country side, we marry girls at 18, even at 16 years! And beyond this venerable age, it is difficult to find them husbands. When she turned 14, her parents started an intense search for the right party, a young man from nearby (one must have the same values, after all) That can support his new family and especially be able to pay the dowry. Meet Bouazza, he left his family to immigrate to Italy. Each summer, he parades around the village with a used (probably stolen) Mercedes car with Italian license plates. He may leave our daughter prematurely widowed if he gets involved in coke trafficking and score settling a-la-Kalashnikov, like the poor Ali, the son of our neighbor last year! Meet the lazy Bouchta. he idled for over a year and is regularly smoking pot and has already squandered the meager inheritance bequeathed by his late father. There is also haj Abdallah, who is turning 60. He is interested in marrying our virginal Naima for his third wedding. The girl would never accept to marry him even if his promises to buy her gifts, bronze ornaments and a goat fur ( it there is such a thing!) are tempting. Eventually, his dentures spoiled any chances he had. Then there is Abbass, a nice boy from the village, 24 year old. He is a construction worker in Casablanca where he lives in a house on loan from his brother. He meets the minimum conditions to provide for his future wife and eventual offsprings! After a few days of procrastination, Naima finally gave her assent. She is a 15 year old teenager, What could she expect? It is true that she has only met Abbass twice, always in the presence of her parents. But Abbas had youth and a pleasant smile. The imagination and romance of a young girl and the Turkish and Egyptian soaps she watches daily on the family’s small TV helped her to make a decision. Naima is now in love with Abbass and is looking forward to the the marriage that would help her escape her daily routine. Then there is the issue of Naima being a minor. But that is no problem. The application to the local judge for a waiver to issue a marriage license was accepted quickly (with the help of a small bribe, of course). One wonders what is the use of the new family law “moudawana”. Why set the minimum age of marriage at 18 years if you are going to deliver waivers to every 15 year old girl’s parents? With the license in hand and the required health certificates, especially the prized “certificate of virginity” from the local health center (the family would not mind sticking it on a billboard and post it at the entrance of the village, if they could), the parties were on their way to the judge’s office to formalize the marriage. When it was time to present the dowry; a gold ring, some clothes and $300 to be paid directly to the father, he changed his mind and asked for an additional $250. He threatened to cancel the marriage otherwise. The groom and his father were not happy at this last minute about-face and refused to pay up. The father then asked the judge to put away the marriage license that he would not sign. Volleys of insults ensued between the parties. Who does this young man and his father think they are? Naima is certainly worth the extra $250! Raising her up certainly cost a lot more than that! She is now a beautiful virgin with wide hips ready to bring to this world off springs that would make any husband happy! Naima and her fiance were left in tears! There was not to be a Wedding on that day. However, the following week, since the judge’s waiver to issue a marriage certificate is still valid, one has to harry, especially that now people are wondering about the reasons for this sudden annulment. Naima was summoned by her father and was asked to seal her fate to another man, living in the city of Agadir this time. She has never met him, but whose father was able to come up with the additional $250 . Here is how in Morocco, the most beautiful country in the world, in the 21st century, our girls are excluded from education and sold like livestock and given away in marriage to the highest bidder!

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Bruxelles – Lo scorso 1° ottobre è entrato in vigore l’accordo di liberalizzazione degli scambi di prodotti ortofrutticoli e ittici tra il Regno del Marocco e l’Unione Europea, siglato, dopo il parere favorevole (pur con molti voti contrari, provenienti in particolare dagli eurodeputati di Italia, Spagna e Grecia, i paesi più esposti in termini commerciali agli effetti dell’accordo) del Parlamento Europeo dello scorso febbraio. Secondo l’accordo, i dazi doganali attualmente in vigore sia per i prodotti in entrata che in uscita dai rispettivi mercati verranno gradualmente ridotti per le esportazioni europee, e immediatamente aboliti (rappresentano attualmente il 55% del valore) quelli sulle importazioni dal Marocco, con un duplice effetto: da un lato, rendere le merci africane di facile accesso economico per i paesi europei, e da un lato deprezzare, con ovvi riscontri negativi, i prodotti provenienti dai paesi del Mediterraneo europeo. Le possibili ripercussioni sulle merci italiane hanno spinto, già da febbraio e anche dieci giorni fa, le associazioni che fanno capo agli agricoltori a critiche severe nei confronti dell’apparato istituzionale europeo. Per Coldiretti, Ciao, Copagri e Confagricoltura, infatti, il dimezzamento dei prezzi delle merci europee (le arance da 35 a 18 centesimi/kg, i limoni da 30 a 15 e le zucchine da 90 a 40) porterà alla fine, progressiva e inesorabile, del mercato ortofrutticolo siciliano, che da sempre trova negli agrumi un punto di riferimento fondamentale, e che già da anni si scontra con la grande produzione del sud della Spagna, zona climaticamente simile alle estreme regioni meridionali italiche. Per i paesi del centro e nord Europa, nonché per il Marocco stesso, questa liberalizzazione degli scambi rappresenta un nuovo inizio, in un periodo nel quale il risparmio sull’alimentazione e le opportunità di lavoro rappresentano una manna piovuta dal cielo. In un comunicato di alcuni mesi fa, infatti, si legge che per il Parlamento l’accordo «svolgerà un ruolo chiave per lo sviluppo economico e la stabilizzazione del Marocco e creerà nuove opportunità per l’industria agricola europea». Polemiche congiunte, invece, dai parlamentari europei di Pd e PdL, che accusano la Germania di aver favorito la firma di un accordo che danneggia proprio quei paesi, come Italia e Spagna, da tempo al centro di difficoltà economiche, e che subiranno ulteriori rallentamenti a causa dell’accordo. In Marocco, tuttavia, la fine dei dazi doganali sulle merci è stata accolta favorevolmente: dopo le grandi manifestazioni di piazza nel corso della Primavera araba, che sebbene in tono minore hanno provocato la morte di diversi manifestanti, e le moderate riforme costituzionali concesse dal re Mohammed VI, noto per le sue posizioni abbastanza democratiche, questa ennesima apertura ai mercati occidentali potrà aiutare lo sviluppo di una economia estremamente debole. La nazione soffre infatti di criticità economiche che, sebbene in tono minore rispetto agli anni scorsi, impediscono uno sviluppo costante, che possa permettere di attaccare le sacche endemiche di povertà e disoccupazione. Sul lavoro, inoltre, si sono concentrati i dubbi politici sulla sostenibilità dell’accordo: i dati preoccupanti sullo sfruttamento della manodopera minorile, che coinvolge il 2,5% dei minori tra 7 e 15 anni (di cui il 53% nell’agricoltura e nel settore ittico), renderebbe necessario, per i più contrari all’accordo, un protocollo etico per i prodotti esportati dal Marocco in Europa. A farla da padrone, inoltre, sono le critiche sul riconoscimento delle indicazioni di qualità (Igt e Igp) dei prodotti europei, e italiani nello specifico: con una quantità di prodotti agroalimentari maggiore, infatti, c’è il rischio che le eccellenze come l’Arancia Rossa di Sicilia e il Limone di Siracusa possano venire soppiantati da equivalenti di qualità nettamente inferiore, ma economicamente concorrenziali. L’Europa è sin dai tempi del protocollo di Barcellona proiettata verso l’aria mediterranea, e l’apertura ai mercati emergenti può creare opportunità da ambo le parti, ma la tutela e la difesa del mercato interno è fondamentale, ma da Bruxelles sembrano poco sensibili in merito.

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RABAT, Oct 15 (BERNAMA-NNN-MAP) — Morocco’s King Mohammed VI will begin on Tuesday working visits to four Gulf states and to Jordan, the King’s office said in a statement issued here Sunday. The four Gulf countries he will visit are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait, which contribute, in the form of donations, to financing development projects in Morocco as part of the strategic partnership established in 2011 between Morocco and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). This important contribution amounts to US$1 billion per year over the period 2012-2016, with a total of US$5 billion. The king will be accompanied by a large delegation who will present to the four countries the projects for funding selected by the Moroccan side based on national priorities. The king will also visit the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan within the framework of the brotherly relations between the two countries and the two royal families. He will, on this occasion, visit the military field hospital set up by Morocco in the Zaatari region in Jordan to help thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled armed conflict in their country. The royal visits will also provide an opportunity to strengthen dialogue and co-operation between Morocco and those countries, the statement said.

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By Simon Martelli (AFP) – 1 day ago CASABLANCA, Morocco — Morocco is seeing an alarming rise in the number of babies abandoned by single mothers, activists said on Saturday, blaming social prejudice and outdated legislation for the problem. “According to the information we have gathered, from people who take care of abandoned children born outside marriage, the numbers are getting much worse,” said Omar Kindi, organiser of a conference on violence and discrimination against single mothers and children. The existing statistics were bad enough. According to a study carried out by Insaf, an NGO that supports women and children in distress, of which Kindi is the president, 27,200 young women gave birth outside marriage in 2009, with a total of 8,760 babies abandoned. That equates to 24 babies per day on average. Morocco has witnessed a population boom and rapid urbanisation in recent decades, leading to ever-growing levels of interaction between single men and women in the relatively conservative Muslim country. Kindi and other activists argue that attitudes and legislation have failed to keep pace with social change, as starkly illustrated by Article 490 of the penal code according to which extra-marital sex is punishable by up to a year in jail. Doctors in public maternity hospitals may refuse to treat pregnant young women who are not married, Kindi said, even if they are victims of rape by their employers. “One of the major problems… is the total disengagement of the state,” Kindi told AFP. Aicha Echanne, another speaker at the Casablanca conference, said the “mentality of society” and the lack of support for single mothers, who are often aggressively treated by officials, were driving factors behind new-born children being abandoned. “We need to shake Moroccan society, and to put pressure on the state, on parliament, to bring about change,” said Echanne, who heads the Association of Women’s Solidarity. “From 1990 to 2009, 23,000 babies were buried in cemeteries in Casablanca (Morocco’s largest city). That gives you an idea that our children are being thrown away. They get eaten by dogs or are buried.” “It is not normal, from a humanitarian point of view, to accept this type of thing,” she added. As well as changing the law, activists emphasise the need for sexual education in Morocco to avoid unwanted pregnancy, with more than 60 percent of single mothers under 26 years old, according to Insaf, and many of them illiterate. But with an Islamist-led government in power since January, some are doubtful about the prospects of any such initiatives. Kindi says Insaf, which is based in Casablanca and employs 34 people, used to receive 10 percent of its budget from state funds, but that the new government has stopped supporting it together. “We have asked to talk to the minister of social affairs (Bassima Hakkawi). But we still haven’t received a response from her,” he added. Hakkawi could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Chi siamo

Iscos Marche siamo una ODV di cooperazione allo sviluppo presenti attualmente in in Marocco, Etiopia, Senegal Eritrea e Albania

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