Birth Registration and Consular Assistance in Egypt and Morocco 13 Table 1: Ratification of Relevant Treaties by Egypt and Morocco Treaty Date of Ratification/Accession Egypt Morocco International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966 1982 1979 Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 1979 1981 199326 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 1989 1990 1993 Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW), 1990 1993 1993 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), 2006 2008 2009 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951 1981 1956 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, 1961 - - Hague Convention, 1930 Signature only - Arab Charter on the Rights of the Child, 1983 1993 - Arab Charter on Human Rights, 2004 - - OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, 1969 1980 - African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, 1990 2001 -27 The Law in Egypt and Morocco The legal framework for nationality in both Egypt and Morocco is founded principally on descent. Amendments to the law adopted by Egypt in 2004 and by Morocco in 2007 removed discrimination on the basis of sex in transmission of nationality by parents to children (though not between spouses in marriage).28 Both nationality codes provide that foundlings shall be presumed to be nationals; a child born abroad of unknown parents may also acquire Moroccan nationality if taken care of by a Moroccan national, through the Islamic system of guardianship known as kafala. But neither law provides the protection against statelessness that a child born in the country who cannot acquire nationality from his or her parents shall acquire the nationality of the country of birth. In Egypt, the law provides for significantly easier routes to acquire citizenship by naturalisation for those born in the country who are of Arab and Muslim heritage; while a child born in Morocco whose father was also born there and is of Arab Muslim origin may also opt to acquire nationality at majority.29 In practice, naturalisation is very hard to access in both Morocco withdrew reservations relating to transmission of nationality in 2011. Morocco only rejoined the African Union in 2017, after an absence of more than three decades, and has not yet acceded to any of the human rights treaties. 28 A draft law to remove gender discrimination in transmission between spouses was submitted to parliament in Morocco in November 2017. 29 Law No. 26 of 1975 concerning Egyptian nationality, as amended by Law No. 154 of 2004; Dahir no. 1-58-250 portant Code de la nationalité marocaine (B.O. 12 sept. 1958), as amended by Dahir n° 1-60-132 du 16 safar 1380 (10 août 1960); Dahir n° 1-07-80 du 3 rabii I 1428 (23 mars 2007); and Dahir n° 1-11-170 du 27 kaada 1432 (25 octobre 2011). 26 27