Morocco’s National Human Rights Council Unveils 226.08 Million MAD 2027 Draft Budget, 132 Prison Visits, and Memory Preservation Progress

RABAT (FesNews Media) — The Justice, Legislation, Human Rights and Freedoms Committee at Morocco’s House of Representatives convened on Monday evening, November 9, 2026, under the chairmanship of MP Mohamed Ghiyat and in the presence of Minister Delegate Qoloub Feitah, National Human Rights Council (CNDH) Secretary-General Mounir Bensalah, and Finance Director Mourad Abbad, to examine the 2027 draft sub-budget of the National Human Rights Council alongside its 2026 national and international human rights record.

According to the official financial breakdown presented before lawmakers, the total appropriations earmarked for the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) under the 2027 Draft Finance Bill stand at 226,081,000 MAD (226.08 million MAD), designed to support the constitutional institution’s central headquarters, twelve regional human rights commissions, and three specialized national mechanisms.

2027 Financial Breakdown: 114.13M MAD for Personnel, 97.95M MAD for Operations, and 14M MAD for Investment

The 226.08 million MAD budget package for fiscal year 2027 is structured across three primary pillars: 114,130,000 MAD (114.13 million MAD) allocated to personnel salaries and staff allowances across central and regional branches; 97,951,000 MAD (97.95 million MAD) dedicated to operational equipment, field monitoring missions, complaint processing, and international cooperation; and 14,000,000 MAD (14 million MAD) earmarked for capital investment, infrastructure modernization, and digital monitoring capabilities.

On the international front, the presentation highlighted Morocco’s global human rights leadership, including CNDH’s presidency of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and Morocco’s hosting of the permanent secretariat of the African Network of National Preventive Mechanisms against Torture (NPMs), alongside new analytical programs addressing artificial intelligence, digital spaces, and data protection.

132 Prison Inspections, Ceuta and Melilla Monitoring, and Child Protection Bill 23.40

Reviewing field protection and monitoring activities throughout 2026, the report detailed 132 inspection visits to penitentiary institutions, child protection centers, psychiatric facilities, and places of deprivation of liberty carried out by CNDH commissions and the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture. The Council also established a dedicated monitoring task force on July 11, 2026 to track collective irregular migration attempts toward occupied Ceuta and Melilla, ensuring legal safeguards and enhanced protection for unaccompanied minors.

In addition, the Council submitted a comprehensive advisory memorandum on Draft Law No. 23.40 establishing the National Agency for Child Protection, formulating 19 general recommendations and 21 thematic recommendations to strengthen child redress mechanisms and digital safety across the Kingdom.

Transitional Justice and Memory Preservation: 33.2M MAD for Tazmamart, Kalaat M’Gouna, and Al Hoceima Museum

Regarding the follow-up to the recommendations of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER), the report noted that 3,380,824 MAD (3.38 million MAD) was allocated in 2026 to fund supplementary medical coverage for victims of past human rights violations and their beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, under the European Union-backed Memory Preservation Program totaling 33.2 million MAD, rehabilitation works have been fully completed at the Casablanca and Tazmamart memory spaces, reached 25 percent completion at Kalaat M’Gouna, and exceeded 55 percent completion at the Al Hoceima Museum with a dedicated budget of 16,674,071.27 MAD. Detailed parliamentary debate on both sub-budgets is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM.

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