CNDH elected to chair Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions

The (Moroccan) National Human Rights Council (CNDH) was elected unanimously at the end of the 9th Annual Meeting of Arab National Human Rights Institutions (Rabat, 15-16 June, 2013) to chair the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions.

The Network member institutions also elected the (Egyptian) National Council for Human Rights as vice-president and adopted the proposed amendments to the Network’s Statue.

The participants came out with two main recommendations: providing support to the emerging experiences in the area of transitional justice (Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Tunisia) and drawing-up the network’s plan of action, giving the opportunity to the Network members to participate in the process and taking into consideration their needs and priorities.

On the sidelines of the meeting, CNDH concluded a cooperation agreement with the (Libyan) National Council for Public Liberties and Human Rights, a memorandum of understanding with the (Egyptian) National Council for Human Rights and a cooperation memorandum with the (Jordanian) National Centre for Human Rights.

In addition to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the National Human Rights Council (Morocco), the national human rights institutions of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Tunisia took part in this meeting.

Three sessions were scheduled for the meeting: (i) transitional justice through the Moroccan experience and the emerging experiences of Libya and Tunisia, (ii) impact of the Arab Spring on the situation of human rights and the relationship between government human rights departments and national human rights institutions (iii) and the organization and the structure of the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (Statue, Rules of Procedures, new structure…).

The Arab national human rights institutions decided in their 7th annual meeting (Nouakchott, April 27-28, 2011) to create a network of Arab national human rights institutions, to promote, protect and implement human rights in the region.

In addition to the Arab Network for NHRIs, which it chairs, the (Moroccan) National Human Rights Council is an active member of several regional and international networks and dialogues: the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (CNDH chaired NANHRI in 2009-2011), the Arab-European Human Rights Dialogue (CNDH is one of its founding member institutions), the Arab Ibero-American Dialogue of National Human Rights Institutions (CNDH actually initiated the dialogue) and the Francophone Association of National Human Rights Commissions (CNDH is currently the chair of the Association).