His Majesty King Mohammad VI
King of Morocco
The Royal Palace
Rabat, The Kingdom of Morocco
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Your Majesty:
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At a time when the International Criminal Court (ICC) is moving forward in its important work to end impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, I am writing to urge you to ensure that the Kingdom of Morocco supports and helps shape this new and vital system of international justice by ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as soon as possible.
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The Rome Statute, which entered into force on July 1, 2002, provides for the establishment of a permanent ICC which will only act when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so. As of November 1, 2006, the Court has one hundred and four States Parties. A number of countries that are constitutional monarchies like Morocco, including Belgium, Denmark, Jordan, Lichtenstein, Norway, Spain, and The Netherlands, are also members of the Court. I hope that the Kingdom of Morocco, following its signature of the Rome Statute on September 8, 2000, will take all the necessary measures to continue its demonstrated support for the Court by ratifying the Rome Statute in the near future.
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In light of Morocco’s leadership in institutionalizing human rights protection in the Arab world, including the recent steps towards abolishing the death penalty, I strongly urge you to join the ICC, which is an important tool to ensure that the most serious violations of human rights will no longer go unpunished. Ratifying the Rome Statute will also provide crucial support for the laudable work of Morocco’s Equity and Reconciliation Commission, which your majesty established in 2004, and which included, in its final recommendations, a call for Morocco to join the ICC.
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Given Morocco’s vital role in North Africa and the Arab and Islamic worlds, your Kingdom’s decision to ratify the Rome Statute would significantly strengthen the Arab and Islamic voice at this new international institution and furthermore, encourage your neighbors in the region to join the Court. Indeed, this is a time when increased Arab involvement in and support for the Court is critical, and in a historic vote last week, the Parliament of Yemen supported ratification of the Rome Statute, paving the way for Yemen to become the 105th State Party to the Court, and to join the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as the fourth Arab League member of the ICC.
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I write to you on behalf of a broad cross section of global civil society, including 300 member organizations from the Middle East and North Africa, to urge you to take all the necessary steps in order for the Kingdom of Morocco to ratify and fully implement the Rome Statute of the ICC as soon as possible. In doing so, your country will be joining more than half of the world’s nations that have taken a firm stand in support of international justice and Morocco will add a crucial voice to the ICC, making it a truly effective and international mechanism for justice and peace.
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Yours sincerely,
King of Morocco
The Royal Palace
Rabat, The Kingdom of Morocco
.
Your Majesty:
.
At a time when the International Criminal Court (ICC) is moving forward in its important work to end impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, I am writing to urge you to ensure that the Kingdom of Morocco supports and helps shape this new and vital system of international justice by ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as soon as possible.
.
The Rome Statute, which entered into force on July 1, 2002, provides for the establishment of a permanent ICC which will only act when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so. As of November 1, 2006, the Court has one hundred and four States Parties. A number of countries that are constitutional monarchies like Morocco, including Belgium, Denmark, Jordan, Lichtenstein, Norway, Spain, and The Netherlands, are also members of the Court. I hope that the Kingdom of Morocco, following its signature of the Rome Statute on September 8, 2000, will take all the necessary measures to continue its demonstrated support for the Court by ratifying the Rome Statute in the near future.
.
In light of Morocco’s leadership in institutionalizing human rights protection in the Arab world, including the recent steps towards abolishing the death penalty, I strongly urge you to join the ICC, which is an important tool to ensure that the most serious violations of human rights will no longer go unpunished. Ratifying the Rome Statute will also provide crucial support for the laudable work of Morocco’s Equity and Reconciliation Commission, which your majesty established in 2004, and which included, in its final recommendations, a call for Morocco to join the ICC.
.
Given Morocco’s vital role in North Africa and the Arab and Islamic worlds, your Kingdom’s decision to ratify the Rome Statute would significantly strengthen the Arab and Islamic voice at this new international institution and furthermore, encourage your neighbors in the region to join the Court. Indeed, this is a time when increased Arab involvement in and support for the Court is critical, and in a historic vote last week, the Parliament of Yemen supported ratification of the Rome Statute, paving the way for Yemen to become the 105th State Party to the Court, and to join the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as the fourth Arab League member of the ICC.
.
I write to you on behalf of a broad cross section of global civil society, including 300 member organizations from the Middle East and North Africa, to urge you to take all the necessary steps in order for the Kingdom of Morocco to ratify and fully implement the Rome Statute of the ICC as soon as possible. In doing so, your country will be joining more than half of the world’s nations that have taken a firm stand in support of international justice and Morocco will add a crucial voice to the ICC, making it a truly effective and international mechanism for justice and peace.
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Yours sincerely,
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HRIH. Kyrios Yosephos Emmanouél IIIº O.S+G
Prince and Gran Master of Orden Bonaria.-
