Strengthening the role of civil society organizations working in the defense, promotion and protection of human rights in the regional integration process in the Maghreb (North Africa).
The KHOTWA: Promoting regional integration in the Maghreb project aims to promote the civil society participation in Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in the regional integration in North Africa led by the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU). This objective will be achieved strengthening the NGO participation in the policy dialogue to promote social and human development and democratic transformation in the region.
The Maghreb is one of the most homogeneous regions of Africa and has all the necessary qualities to become the strongest and most stable block of the whole region. However, 25 years after the creation of the Arab Maghreb Union, this organization, which aims to promote regional integration, remains ineffective, and the Maghreb is emerging as one of the least integrated regions in Africa.
The double challenge to the regional integration are the lack of involvement and participation of civil society in the policy dialogue at national and regional level and the escalating cycle of social disagreement and repression in the Maghreb. Therefore, during the 28 months that this project last, is expected to strengthen the NGO participation to the policies elaboration to promote social and human development, democratic transformation and regional integration of the Maghreb.
KHOTWA: Promoting regional integration in the Maghreb is a unique project that counts with the participation of only human rights network existing in the Maghreb, which its social mobilization capacity is due to the fact that it puts togheter almost 30 NGO from Mauritania, Morocco, Tunis and Algeria. This project will be implemented in four stages:
1. Strengthening the institutional structure of a organizations network from Maghreb working in the field of human rights promotion in the region;
2. Strengthening the role of civil society organizations in the promotion, defense and protection of human rights;
3. Encourage the civil society participation in the regional integration process in the Maghreb;
4. Strengthening the civil society participation in the policy dialogue;
Partners of the project: Coordination Maghrébine des Organisations des Droits Humains (COMDH) and its member organizations.
Funded by: European Union (Project ENPI/2014/353-979) and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID)
