Cairo: The participants in the international conference of the Doha-based Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI) that was convened in Cairo issued a plethora of recommendations to continue providing support to the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) in Palestine to counter the persistent and grave violations perpetrated by the Israeli entity against the Palestinian people.
They also recommended to give ANNHRI a special attention, in pursuit of bolstering the capabilities of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in human rights education, rights of marginalised groups, integrating human rights principles into educational curricula and countering hate speech.
In the recommendations endorsed by Secretary-General of ANNHRI H E Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali at the conclusion of the conference, the participants stressed that it is imperative for ANNHRI to persistently carry out its programmes aimed at upgrading the capabilities of national institutions, strengthening the reactions of these institutions to the human rights treaty committees, as well as facilitating the engagement of these institutions in reviews and meetings of the commissions.
In addition, the recommendations underscored the importance of ANNHRI’s engagement in a broader way with the member institutions to carry out the institutions’ programmes in propagating human rights culture and awareness at the national level in accordance with programmes and requirements of each institution both at the public and popular levels, in addition to empowering the institutions with respect to human rights education and investment in education.
The conference urged the persistent work to promote the independence of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in law and practice as NHRIs shall be committed to maintaining and adhering to independence manifestations, as well as cooperation and coordination with NHRIs of the member states to propagate human rights culture and consolidate an in-depth understanding of the nature and roles of national institutions.
It also urged to organise periodical field trips to the concerned entities to promote the independence of NHRIs and supply them with ample financial funding to help them discharge their duties and undertake their role in promoting and safeguarding human rights in their countries.
In their recommendations, the participants called for organising consultations to propose ways and tools to provide ample support to the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) for further approval and ensure ability of the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in terms of logistical and financial aspects to appropriately provide the required services, in addition to maintaining persistent cooperation with OHCHR to promote and build the capacities of NHRIs, including early preparation for various phases of approval and implement the recommendations of SCA of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI).
The international conference called for sharing experiences and best practices and compile them with evidences in accordance with the topic to expedite their exchange and access, and utilize them as reference materials in ANNHRI’s programs, as well as provide the necessary support to NHRIs in order to enable them to undertake an active role in training and building the capacities of those vested with the responsibility of enforcing the law on the codes of conduct and relevant human rights standards.
The conference called for framing cooperation with Arab parliaments to achieve harmonisation between national legislations and international human rights standards and eliminate conflicts between national legislations and conventions the member states have either joined or ratified, stressing that ANNHRI should prioritise a special interest in bolstering NHRIs capabilities in human rights education and rights of marginalised groups and integrating human rights principles into educational curricula and countering hate speech.
