House of Representatives Unanimously Adopts One Draft Organic Law and Nine Government Bills Ratifying Bilateral and Multilateral International Agreements
House of Representatives unanimously adopted on Tuesday, January 28th draft organic law 72.19 supplementing organic law 02.12 relative to appointment to senior positions and nine government bills ratifying international agreements, including six bilateral agreements with the Federative Republic of Brazil, one with the Republic of Liberia, and two multilateral agreements relative to Pan-African Parliament and Arab customs cooperation. The plenary legislative session was chaired by Speaker of the House of Representatives Habib El Malki, with the participation of Minister of State for Human Rights and Relations with Parliament Mustapha Ramid, and Minister Delegate to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates in charge of Moroccan Expatriates Nezha El Ouafi.
The draft organic law 72.19 amending and supplementing organic law 02.12 relative to appointment to senior positions, under the provisions of Articles 49 and 92 of the constitution, intends to supplement the list of senior positions laid out in appendix 2 of organic law 02.12, which determines the list of officials of public institutions who are appointed during council of government. The draft organic law adds the “Moroccan Agency for Public Equipment” to Clause “A” of said appendix, and the positions of “Chairmen of sectoral regional administrative representations” and “Chairmen of joint regional administrative representations,” created under Decree 2.17.618 operating as National Charter on Administrative Decentralization, to clause “C” of same appendix.
During her presentation of the government bills ratifying nine agreements, Minister delegate to Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates in charge of Moroccan Expatriates Nezha El Ouafi stated that these agreements are part of the new dynamism of Moroccan diplomacy regarding diversifying Morocco’s partners and consolidation South-South cooperation, following the enlightened vision of HM King Mohammed VI.
As part of consolidating bilateral relations with the Republic of Brazil, the House of Representatives adopted government bill 44.19 ratifying the agreement in the form of exchanged letters between the Moroccan government and its Brazilian counterpart to avoid double taxation on earnings from aerial and maritime transportation concluded in Brasilia on June 13th, 2019. The House also adopted government bill 56.19, ratifying the agreement on cooperation and facilitation of investments between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Federative Republic of Brazil concluded in Brasilia on June 13th, 2019. Additionally, the House adopted government bill 50.19 ratifying the framework agreement on cooperation in defense between the Moroccan and Brazilian governments, concluded in Brasilia on June 13th, 2019, and government bill 51.19 ratifying the agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Federative Republic of Brazil concluded in Brasilia on June 13th, 2019.
In the same respect, the House adopted government bill 52.19, ratifying the agreement on extradition between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Federative Republic of Brazil concluded in Brasilia on June 13th, 2019. The House also adopted government bill 49.19, ratifying the agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons concluded in Brasilia on June 13th, 2019.
As concerns cooperation with the Republic of Liberia, the House of Representatives adopted government bill 45.19, ratifying the agreement on mutual recognition of driving licenses, concluded between the Moroccan government and the Liberian government in Marrakech on March 25th, 2019.
Concerning multilateral agreements, the House’s adoption of government bill 47.19 ratifying the protocol affixed to the African Union constitutive Act adopted in Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) on June 27th, 2014, implements the provisions of Articles 5 and 17 of the African Union constitutive act stipulating the establishment of the Pan-African Parliament.
As for government bill 48.19 ratifying the agreement on Arab customs cooperation, concluded in Riyadh on May 5th, 2015, the bill aims at consolidating cooperation between Arab customs authorities through exchanging information and inquiries to prevent crimes and violations of customary laws in States members of the League of Arab States.