Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue for National Human Rights Institutions

The German Institute for Human Rights takes part in the Arab-European Dialogue for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI).

The Sixth Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue on Torture and Rule of Law, Berlin 11th -13th May 2011

The Dialogue meeting was hosted by the German Institute for Human Rights (GIHR). The meeting in Berlin addressed the global, regional and national challenges to adhering to international human rights conventions related to torture and rule of law including the Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol (OPCAT). The meeting discussed also actions on how to prevent torture and ensure the respect and supremacy of the international human rights law and the related Convention against Torture. It mapped current legislations and practices in both the Arab World and Europe addressing problems, gaps, priorities, and major areas for reform.

13 NHRIs from Europe and the Arab world along with a number of relevant UN, European and Arab agencies and independent research institutions, attended and contributed to the discussion among them National Institutions from Mauritania, Algeria, Tunesia, Morocco, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Qatar as well as Denmark, Germany, Greece, Norway and Sweden. The Conference adopted the "Berlin declaration" (PDF, 82 KB, not barrier-free).

The Steering Group of the Dialogue consists of The National Centre for Human Rights in Jordan, The Moroccan National Human Rights Council, the Danish Institute for Human Rights and the German Institute for Human Rights.

Website Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue - AEHRD

Venue:
Weltsaal Hall, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Berlin
11th -13th May 2011
Public Session:

Wednesday, 11th May 2011

Opening Session 09:00 -09:20
09:00-09:10 Welcome Speech, Ms Beate Rudolf, Chairwoman of the German Institute for Human Rights Committee

09:10-09:20 Welcome Speech, Mr. Muhyieddeen Touq, Commissioner General of the National Centre for Human Rights in Jordan, on behalf of the Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue (AEHRD) Steering Committee  

First Session 09:20 – 10:00
The Integration of the Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue with the Work of International and Regional Organizations
Keynote speeches from representatives of international and regional organizations on Torture and Rule of Law and how the Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue can cross-fertilize and feed into the international and regional human rights agenda and priorities
Moderator, Mr. Mohammed Essabbar, Secretary General of the National Human Rights Council, Morocco.
Rapporteur, Danish Institute for Human Rights.
 
09:20-09:30 Keynote Speech, Ms. Katharina Rose, Representative of the Chairwoman of International Coordination Committee of NHRIs

09:30-09:40 Keynote Speech, Mr. Latif Hüseynov, President of Committee for the Prevention of Torture at the Council of Europe

09:40- 09:50 Keynote Speech, Ms., Liza Sekaggya, Human Rights Officer, National Human Rights Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section, OHCHR-Geneva

09:50- 10:00  Keynote Speech, Mr. Sayed Torbey, Representative of the Secretary General of the Arab League
 
10:00-10:30 Coffee Break

Second Session 10:30-12:50
The Regional Perspective: an analysis on Torture and Rule of Law in the Arab World, in current legislations and in practice with a focus on challenges, gaps and priorities and major areas for reform.
Moderator, Mr. Muhyieddeen Touq, Commissioner General, NCHR, Jordan.
Rapporteur, Moroccan National Human Rights Council

10:30-11:00 Intervention by Messrs. Hussain Shaban and Osama Al Alwosi, Arab experts in International human rights law and regional human rights mechanisms: an analysis on Torture and Rule of Law in the Arab World, in current legislations and in practice with a focus on challenges, gaps and priorities and major areas for reform.

11:00 -11:30 Intervention by Mr. Gerald Staberock, Deputy Secretary General of World Organization Against Torture: an analysis on how countries in transition can work on enforcing the Rule of Law and preventing Torture; Eastern European Countries as an example.

11:30-11:50 Intervention by Mr. Matthew Pringle, Programme Officer at Association for the Prevention of Torture: “Achievements, challenges and gaps in the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT) across Europe

11:50-12:50 Questions and discussion

For more information:
Contact Programme Manager at DIHR
Mu’ayyad Mehyar,
e-mail: mme@humanrights.dk or
Head of Communication at GIHR:
Bettina Hildebrand,
e-mail: hildebrand@institut-fuer-menschenrechte.de

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Fifth Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue, March 2010, Doha

The Fifth Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) took place from 8th - 10th March 2010 in Doha/Qatar. It focused on women's rights in both regions. The unanimously adopted final declaration underlines the need for a human rights approach. 14 NHRIs from both regions, the European Union and UN organisations from the region were represented. Frauke Lisa Seidensticker, deputy director of the German Institute for Human Rights, attended as the german representative. Host was the National Human Rights Commission of Qatar. The next dialogue meeting will take place in 2011 in Berlin and deal with torture prevention.

Fourth Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue, March 2009, The Hague

The Fourth Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue took place from March 11 – 13, 2009 in The Hague in the Peace Palace, the seat of the International Court of Justice. The discussions on the subject of "Migration and Human Rights" of the third dialogue meeting were continued and the main focus was on human rights in the context of migration. The Participants discussed challenges and introduced initiatives from the countries and regions. Dr. Petra Follmar-Otto from the German Institute for Human Rights presented a paper on NHRI human rights work against trafficking in human beings. Arab partners took up the presentation with special interest. The phenomenon of trafficking in human beings for work exploitation is picked up increasingly in some Arab countries.

Third Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue, May 2008, Rabat

The Third Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue took place from 6th - 8th of May, 2008 in Rabat/Morocco. The main focus was the topic "Migration and Human rights". Among other issues, protection of refugees was discussed. Reports on refugees from West Africa and Jordan made clear how different the situation is among states. NHRIs representatives from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, France and Germany attended the meeting. Mauritania took part for the first time. Also the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union Agency for Fundamental Human Rights (FRA) and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights were represented. For the German Institute for Human Rights Wolfgang S. Heinz participated in the meeting.

Rabat Declaration (pdf, 92 KB, not barrier-free)

Second Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue, January 2008, Cairo

From 13th - 15th January 2008 the Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue met in Cairo/Egypt. Participants came from Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Morocco, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Greece and Ireland. The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Prof. Dr. Martin Scheinin, contributed to the debate on "Terrorism - human rights" and "Right to freedom of information". For the German Institute for Human Rights Wolfgang S. Heinz attended. The meeting served the exchange of experiences and helped in the training of National Human Rights Institutions.

Website National Human Rights Institutions Forum

First Arab-European Dialogue, April 2007, Jordan

The first meeting took place on 18th-19th of April, 2007 in Jordan with the main focus on "Terrorism and human rights". "Discrimination" was the central topic of interest of another meeting in October 2007 in Denmark.