Committee on the Rights of the Child

Sixty-seventh session

1–19 September 2014

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports of States parties

List of issues in relation to the report submitted by Morocco under article 8, paragraph 1, of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict

The State party is requested to submit in writing additional, updated information (15 pages maximum), if possible before 15 June 2014.

The Committee may take up all aspects of children ’ s rights set out in the Optional Protocol during the dialogue with the State party.

1.In view of Act No. 48-06 promulgated by Dahir No. 1.06.233 of 17 April 2007, which sets the minimum age for voluntary enrolment in the armed forces, please indicate whether national legislation makes it a criminal offence to enrol and deploy children under the age of 18 in the armed forces, the Moroccan auxiliary forces or non-State armed groups. If this is the case, indicate what criminal penalties exist for violations of these provisions. Please also indicate whether Moroccan legislation criminalizes the enrolment and deployment of children under the age of 15 in armed conflicts.

2.Apart from the training activities described in paragraphs 36–38 of the State party report (CRC/C/OPAC/MAR/1), please tell whether any training on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflicts is also provided to other professionals working with children who are likely to be involved in armed conflicts, in particular immigration officers, lawyers, judges, medical personnel and social workers.

3.Please indicate whether national legislation or military codes and manuals expressly define such concepts as the “direct participation” of children and the involvement of children in “hostilities” that are contained in the Optional Protocol.

4.Please provide detailed information on the procedures that make possible the prompt identification of child refugees, asylum seekers or migrants who may have been enrolled in the army or utilized in hostilities or who are at risk thereof. Please also provide statistics (disaggregated by age, sex and nationality) on the number of child refugees and asylum seekers who have benefited from readjustment programmes in the State party and indicate what entity is responsible for such programmes.

5.Please indicate whether extraterritorial jurisdiction is established for the violations covered by the Optional Protocol and, if so, specify the legislation applicable. Please also indicate the practice and policy with regard to extradition for violations covered by the Optional Protocol.

6.With regard to paragraph 203 of the State party’s combined third and fourth periodic reports (CRC/C/MAR/3-4), please provide specific information about the measures taken against soldiers participating in the peacekeeping operation in Côte d’Ivoire who were suspended by the United Nations in 2007 after having engaged in the sexual abuse of children. Please indicate in particular what criminal proceedings were brought and what convictions were issued.

7.Please indicate whether children under the age of 18 have been involved in the armed conflict in Western Sahara and, if so, indicate the proceedings that were brought against the persons who recruited them, the sentences that were handed down and the support and measures of assistance provided to the children in question.