A/HRC/20/26/Add.2 communities to develop local plans to integrate cultural rights and include in its work the issue of cultural development. 23. The inter-ministerial delegation on human rights was set up in April 2011 to coordinatethe actions of at least eight governmental bodies working on human rights, as well as the initiatives of national and civil society institutions in this field. The delegation was created to foster a human rights dimension in public policies and to consolidate the State’s interactivity with international human rights mechanisms. Considering nongovernmental organizations to be main stakeholders on matters relating to human rights, it is mandated to reinforce and build the capacity of non-governmental organizations addressing human rights issues. 24. Article 162 of the Constitution provides for the Ombudsman (Office of the Mediator) as an independent and specialized national institution that aims to protect human rights. In 2004, the Office launched a communication campaign to raise awareness of its work. It provides police officers with training in the field of mediation. The Office has a joint initiative with IRCAM to translate into the Amazigh language the information on its activities and publications, and to train Office staff members in the use of Amazigh in order that they may address the needs of the Amazigh-speaking population. 25. The National Council on Human Rights, established in March 2011, is the successor to the Advisory Council on Human Rights (Conseil consultatif des droits de l’homme). Its tasks include monitoring the situation of human rights at the national and regional levels, preparing reports, visiting places of detention, prisons and child protection centres, and examining and studying the harmonization of national laws with the provisions of international human rights conventions. 14 D. Participation in international initiatives promoting cultural diversity 26. Morocco is part of the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund, an international cooperation mechanism aimed at accelerating progress on the Millennium Development Goals.15 The Cultural Heritage and the Creative Industries as a Vehicle for Development in Morocco programme has as one of its objectives to strengthen the role of cultural heritage and the creative industries within the policies and strategies for human development and poverty reduction. The programme (2008-2011) takes into account gender and youth aspects in the context of cultural heritage and creative industries. 27. Under the auspices of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations initiative, Morocco has developed a national plan of action focusing on different areas, including education, media, youth, gender, migration, tolerance and the culture of diversity. The Ministry of Culture is currently implementing a project (2010-2012) aimed at establishing a national database of initiatives undertaken by different stakeholders for the promotion of dialogue among civilizations. The project also envisages the development of a national programme that highlights shared cultural heritage, including the Moroccan-Jewish heritage, the Andalusian heritage and others.16 28. In 2006, Morocco hosted the first meeting of the Arab Research-Policy Network (ARADESC) organized by UNESCO, in collaboration with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. ARADESC aims to identify priorities for research on economic, social and cultural rights and to further link research to public policies. It 14 15 16 See www.ccdh.org.ma/?lang=en. See www.mdgfund.org/country/morocco. See www.unaoc.org/wp-content/uploads/National-Plan-of-Morocco.pdf. 7