Updating Arab Convention for Human Rights HRITC – Seminar [Archives:2003/53/Reportage]

Human Rights Information and Training Center (HRITC) organized a seminar under the title “Updating the Arab Convention for Human Rights” on the 21 – 22 of December. The seminar covered 6 sessions discussing the Arab Convention from various angles. And 70 human rights experts and activists participated in it, from Yemen, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain and Sudan, as well as Arab and foreign organizations interested in human rights.
On invitation from Mr. Iz Eddin Al Asbahi chairman of HRITC, Ambassador Mahmood Rashid representative of the Arab League (AL) and head of Human Rights section at the AL attended the inauguration of the Seminar. Mr Rashid confirmed that the AL awaits the outcomes of the seminar and welcomes the suggestions resulting from discussions taking place in the sessions. Dr. Abdulkareem Al-Iryani the political advisor to President Ali Abdullah Saleh also attended the inauguration along with a number of human rights activists, political observers and media representatives in Yemen.
The goal of the seminar is a distinguished activity as the Arab League general secretariat would begin its meetings next January to consider Arab experts viewpoints regarding updating the convention of Human Rights, Mr. Iz Eddin Al Asbahi said in his speech. He said that the vision resulting from the seminar will be a new advanced vision complying with the era we live in and the global attitudes in this aspect, so that the Arab world takes a positive initiative and not just sit and watch the world as it grows.
In his speech, Mr Rashid indicated that the secretariat of the Arab League realizes the importance of reconstituting the convention, and that the Republic of Yemen has urged the AL to invite and motivate Arab countries to participate in updating the convention. Dr. Abdulkareem Al-Iryani emphasized the importance of this seminar and characterized it as a significant event which adds to the achievements of the Arab countries in the human rights field.
Activities of the seminar were mainly divided into three parts, where the participants divided themselves into three working groups; phrasing and composition of the updating suggestions from the political and civil rights angles, from the economical, cultural and social rights angles, and phrasing suggestions regarding execution mechanisms. Reports from the three groups were discussed in a general session that involved all participants at the end of the seminar. A second meeting was devoted to a final reading of suggestions for updating the convention, and was entrusted with a committee of experts for drafting the final form along with a letter of demands directed to the AL. The main articles in the documents concentrated on the need to update the convention in the political and civil rights, especially when it comes to freedom of expression. It is also to make the convention more binding than the local laws, and to level with the international agreements regarding women and children nothing less. The resulting statements also stressed the creation of local legislation guaranteeing democratic development and respect of political rights.
Regarding mechanisms of execution, the participants suggested forming a human rights commission, which consists of independent experts and not of country representatives so as to ensure neutrality and objectivity and to allow raising of individual complaints in case of a breach in any rights. The commission will also be authorized to receive any reports from organizations and countries regarding countries that breach any of the convention terms or clauses. In addition, it was proposed to form an independent Arab Court for Human Rights composed of independent judges and magistrates who are recommended by member states.
The group of experts called for another meeting subsequent to the seminar and decided to publish the initiative in one week after presenting the documents to a number of legal specialists. The HRITC was responsible to organize publishing of the seminar outcomes as the center was the driving force behind the seminar and for the fact that Yemen, government and political parties, has declared its support for the resulting suggestions and to such initiatives.
In this regard Mr. Iz El-Din said that a number of experts will contribute to this task and that all participants have agreed to hold a second seminar to follow up the results in Cairo next January. It is expected that a wide- range of human rights activists and specialists would be attending that seminar.
In this regard a number Arab organizations participated in the Arab Symposium on Updating the Arab Charter for Human Rights; such as, the Arab Institute for Human Rights-Tunisia, Amman Institute for Human Rights Studies-Jordan, the Arabic Center for the Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Bolucation, Arab Program for Huaman Rights Activities-Egypt, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Ram Allah Center for Human Rights Studies, the Democratic Association for Morroco Women, the Law Soceity-Palestine, the Hman Rights Center for the Assistance of risoners-Egypt,the Human being and Development Organization-Jordan, the Bahrain Assciation for Huamn Rights, the Kuwaiti Graduates Association, the Jurists Asscoiation-UAE, the Sudanese Organization for Human Rights, and the Saudi Ministery of Justice Representatives.
In addition to this, the simiar was organized in cooperatin with the German Organization, Konard Adenauer Foundation presided by Mr. Gregor Meiering-president Representative.

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