Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt

We participated again at Rabat meeting on 24 March 2016. In this meeting we expressed our rejection of some undemocratic decisions and emphasized the need to keep the coalition as a democratic space for debate and struggle, underlining the importance to be completely independent from the official institutions.

However, the in charge coalition committee just ignored the voices that called for transparency in governance and to clarify the position toward the state’s plans concerning climate. This committee decided to organize regional activities in accordance with a joint road map agreed with the President of the National Council for Human Rights who was appointed by the King within the official team responsible for the preparation for the conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP22) to be held in Marrakech next November [1].

Thus, this self-proclaimed committee and without any democratic mandate or consult did not respect the independence of the coalition from the government institutions that we called out along with many other organizations. In addition, the committee proceeded to the exclusion of activists involved for many years in the environment justice struggles in our country and rejected all our requests to invite them.

The in charge committee excludes our organization and did not invite us for any preparation meeting, avoids the presence of our activists and not allowed them to express their positions. This occurred, despite the fact that our association ATTAC/CADTM Morocco worked for a long time on the subject of climate justice - whether nationally or within international networks - developed its positions in articles, statements and publications [2].

The in charge committee disappeared any discussion about the participation within the official spaces of the COP22 or outside official spaces as if this matter is settled already. This debate is necessary and have traditionally been held in all international mobilizations for climate justice. This debate is of respect for the position of a significant number of organizations defending the need to have an independent space allows refute false solutions based on market logic advocated within the formal space, and put radical alternatives to the environmental crisis which constitutes the most serious form of crisis of the capitalist system today.

For all these reasons, we regret in ATTAC/CADTM Morocco to inform you about our decision to quit officially the Moroccan Coalition for climate justice. We also ask you to stop mentioning the name of our association as a member of the coalition and inform about our withdrawal.

ATTAC/CADTM Morocco will continue his fight to contribute with other organizations to build an independent alternative coalition necessary to build a real environmental justice movement in Morocco. A movement who is completely independent from state and corporations, which bear the responsibility for the deterioration of the environmental situation in Morocco and prevent the establishment of a position representing the real interests of the Moroccan people in those negotiations.

In Rabat, on June 10, 2016
General Secretary of ATTAC/CADTM Morocco
Omar Aziki