Khattab: The rule of law and the protection of human rights are two sides of one principle, which is the freedom to live in dignity.

Ambassador Moushira Khattab, President of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR)and President of the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions, participated in the inauguration of the activities of the Second Arab Conference of National Human Rights Institutions and representatives of Arab Interior Ministers on the prospects for cooperation in protecting and promoting human rights between the Ministries of Interior and National Human Rights Institutions in the Arab region.

At the beginning of her speech, Khattab welcomed the audience to the "land of Kenana", Egypt, "your second homeland", and invited them to stand for a minute of silence in respect for the victims of the flood in Libya and the earthquake in Morocco.

Khattab stressed that the rule of law and the protection of human rights are two aspects of one principle, which is the freedom to live in dignity. All countries of the world have recognized this fundamental relationship since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that it is necessary to protect human rights through the rule of law. In the Millennium Declaration, member states agreed to spare no effort to strengthen the rule of law and respect for all internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, within a package of measures such as ratifying international human rights conventions, not introducing reservations that would empty the convention of its content, developing national plans, and allocating sufficient resources, to enforce human rights, ensure their effective enjoyment, and monitor implementation by listening to rights holders and ensuring easy access to timely justice, in cooperation with civil society and the international community.

Khattab explained that today's meeting is entitled the rule of law, and its goal is to ensure that every human being enjoys the right to dignity. Its two parties are the ministries of the interior and national human rights institutions in our Arab world, and they are two active parties without which cooperation human rights will not exist. The two parties pledged to meet every two years to strengthen the bonds of cooperation between them, deal transparently with the challenges and take advantage of the available opportunities.

  Khattab added that our meeting today comes in implementation of that recommendation, and we are certain that human rights are a contractual relationship between the citizen, or the people, the source of authority, and those who delegate him to exercise authority. a relationship that is regulated and guaranteed by law, and translated from a principle into a living reality for every human being, no matter how weak or how resourceful he is. The rule of law is a guarantee of the exercise of authority according to the delegation of “the source and grantor of powers is the people”, and as President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stated, there is a close connection between democracy and enforcement. human rights in order to ensure the implementation of human rights for every human being, and that was their first recommendation that these meetings become periodic and a platform for dialogue between the two parties and civil society.

Khattab stressed the importance of evaluating the process, monitoring implementation, dealing transparently with challenges, and investing in opportunities to eliminate the obstacles present, which are many and whose forms are changing. Cyberspace has come to carry challenges as much as it holds opportunities. It has increased the intensity of the subversive activities of terrorist groups and destabilizing the stability and security of peoples. Concern over the rule of law has increased and fears have been raised about the evil exploitation of artificial intelligence, which requires cooperation to exploit the information revolution.

  She concluded her opening speech by stating: "Certainly, it is necessary to make every effort to consolidate the conviction that our religions, culture, and Arab values are based on respect for human rights and guaranteeing them to every human being without any discrimination based on religion, gender, race, social status, or any reason whatsoever. Indeed, the diligent pursuit of ensuring human rights is inseparable from morals, and citing "the prince of poets, Ahmed Shawki, who wrote said, “Nations will remain as long as they maintain morals, and if their morals are gone, they are gone.” She said, "I am confident that this conference will represent a qualitative leap in our Arab journey in the field of consolidating human rights".