Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt

The activities of several Moroccan NGOs were just banned, others have been not allowed to access to public spaces they have reserved in advance. Latest examples: the interdiction of a training for journalists organized by Ibn Rushd Center on November 2^nd, imprisonment of a young rapper, the prohibition of a caravan of solidarity with migrants in Tangier, banning of union meetings in preparation for the general strike on October 29, repression of labor, social and students’ movements, persecutions against microcredit victims, violence, discrimination and deportations of migrants, etc ... These are among examples of a long list of arrogance of the authorities and their quest to criminalize the struggle for human and social rights.

ATTAC/CADTM Morocco has been suffering for years of human rights violation. The State deprives us of our right to renew our legal receipt despite lawsuits we started over two years to assert our rights.. The state, by organizing an international forum on human rights, wants to hide these declines and violations.

In parallel, the government continues to impose neoliberal policies destroying the economic, social and cultural rights of the vast majority of citizens. Structural Adjustment Structural Adjustment Economic policies imposed by the IMF in exchange of new loans or the rescheduling of old loans.

Structural Adjustments policies were enforced in the early 1980 to qualify countries for new loans or for debt rescheduling by the IMF and the World Bank. The requested kind of adjustment aims at ensuring that the country can again service its external debt. Structural adjustment usually combines the following elements : devaluation of the national currency (in order to bring down the prices of exported goods and attract strong currencies), rise in interest rates (in order to attract international capital), reduction of public expenditure (’streamlining’ of public services staff, reduction of budgets devoted to education and the health sector, etc.), massive privatisations, reduction of public subsidies to some companies or products, freezing of salaries (to avoid inflation as a consequence of deflation). These SAPs have not only substantially contributed to higher and higher levels of indebtedness in the affected countries ; they have simultaneously led to higher prices (because of a high VAT rate and of the free market prices) and to a dramatic fall in the income of local populations (as a consequence of rising unemployment and of the dismantling of public services, among other factors).

IMF : http://www.worldbank.org/ plan, austerity, debt, free trade agreements and privatization of public services are deepening poverty, unemployment, insecurity and illiteracy. These policies are itself the antithesis of human rights foundations.

The state wants to take advantage of the presence of international financial institutions, international and national NGOs to improve its image. This forum is an opportunity for the institutions of façade democracy to expose a mockery of state law. The state will mobilize his “governmental” NGOs to boast of so-called democratic progress and thus legitimize the repression of freedoms.
What legitimacy to a forum involving the International Monetary Fund IMF
International Monetary Fund Along with the World Bank, the IMF was founded on the day the Bretton Woods Agreements were signed. Its first mission was to support the new system of standard exchange rates.

When the Bretton Wood fixed rates system came to an end in 1971, the main function of the IMF became that of being both policeman and fireman for global capital: it acts as policeman when it enforces its Structural Adjustment Policies and as fireman when it steps in to help out governments in risk of defaulting on debt repayments.

As for the World Bank, a weighted voting system operates: depending on the amount paid as contribution by each member state. 85% of the votes is required to modify the IMF Charter (which means that the USA with 17,68% % of the votes has a de facto veto on any change).

The institution is dominated by five countries: the United States (16,74%), Japan (6,23%), Germany (5,81%), France (4,29%) and the UK (4,29%).
The other 183 member countries are divided into groups led by one country. The most important one (6,57% of the votes) is led by Belgium. The least important group of countries (1,55% of the votes) is led by Gabon and brings together African countries.

http://imf.org and the World Bank World Bank
WB The World Bank was founded as part of the new international monetary system set up at Bretton Woods in 1944. Its capital is provided by member states’ contributions and loans on the international money markets. It financed public and private projects in Third World and East European countries.

It consists of several closely associated institutions, among which :

1. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, 189 members in 2017), which provides loans in productive sectors such as farming or energy ;

2. The International Development Association (IDA, 159 members in 1997), which provides less advanced countries with long-term loans (35-40 years) at very low interest (1%) ;

3. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), which provides both loan and equity finance for business ventures in developing countries.

As Third World Debt gets worse, the World Bank (along with the IMF) tends to adopt a macro-economic perspective. For instance, it enforces adjustment policies that are intended to balance heavily indebted countries’ payments. The World Bank advises those countries that have to undergo the IMF’s therapy on such matters as how to reduce budget deficits, round up savings, enduce foreign investors to settle within their borders, or free prices and exchange rates.

, which impose destructive policies on a global scale? What credibility to a forum where governments apply austerity condemning people to poverty and exclusion?

This forum is dominated by international donors and governments cannot be compared to the World Social Forum (WSF) that aims to build popular alternatives to the IFIs and the imperialists. This Forum is boycotted by several militant networks such as the World March of Women, Via Campesina, International Attac network, CADTM, ASDHOM, etc. 

The nature of forum’s organizers, the huge budget allocated to it, show that Morocco is preparing to host again a festival of waste, glitz and announces with no future.

In our view, attending this Forum will not bring much, but serve more to hide the repressive policies currently in progress.

Based on all these elements, ATTAC/CADTM Morocco refuses to take part in this forum and considers that human rights are requiring large popular mobilization. ATTAC/CADTM Morocco is ready to participate in all forms of external actions to denounce the decline of civil liberties in Morocco, in collaboration with all the voices that resist oppression in our country.

Rabat, November 8, 2014
The National Secretariat.