NCHR international conference issues 16 recommendations

The international solidarity and sustainable development plan conference, organised by the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) under the leadership of Ambassador Moushira Khattab, in collaboration with the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI) and the national human rights commission in Qatar, concluded its activities on Monday.

The conference issued a number of recommendations, as follows:

-Continuing the implementation of ANNHRI conference recommendations held in Sharm El-Sheikh on 26th- 27th June 2019 on the role of national human rights institutions in implementing and monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to be considered as part of this conference’s recommendations.

-Encouraging national human rights institutions (NHRIs) to play an efficient role on the national front in achieving SDGs (most notably Goal 16), by forging partnerships with stakeholders and civil society organisations in the Arab region.

-Integrating SDGs in the national human rights strategies and their annual reports, and that NHRIs would ensure linking complaints information database with SDGs indicators.

-Ensuring the cooperation of all stakeholders to strengthen the true political will to maintain effective government administrations and address the causes for the challenges hindering the implementation of SDGs, boost civil society organisations’ effectiveness to establish fair, peaceful and inclusive communities and urge governments to promote democracy, freedom of opinion and expression and prevent torture.

-Bolstering the efforts of NHRIs in raising public awareness about SDGs, which entails promoting cooperation between NHRIs, official and civil society organisations to implement the Arab Plan to Foster the Culture of Human Rights adopted by the Arab League for the period (2022-2026).

-Ensuring the participation of the conference participants, each according to its competences, would provide consultations and technical support to relevant governments to draft and implement national action plans that include human rights issues most notably in climate change, violent extremism and artificial intelligence areas.

-Supporting the efforts of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to achieve justice in Palestine, and strengthen the efforts of the investigation commission formed by the UN Human Rights Council following the offensive on Gaza strip in May 2021, denouncing the Israeli occupation’s decision to list six Palestinian civil society organisation on terrorist groups’ list.

-Supporting the continued efforts of ANNHRI, in collaboration with relevant regional and international organisations, to build NHRIs capacity in implementing and gauging Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.

-Ensuring that NHRIs perform their role in supporting SDGs implementation by revising legislative frameworks to harmonise them with international human rights standards.

-Encouraging NHRIs to cooperation with central statistics authorities in their respective countries and sign MoUs to provide high-quality statistics relevant with the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, most notably in relation with vulnerable and marginalized segments of the population.

-Encouraging Arab States to modernize statistical legislatives to keep abreast with recent developments, most notably relating to SDGs, marginalized segments of the population and human rights.

-Encouraging central statistics authorities in Arab States to boost cooperation with the private sector, civil society organisations, NHRIs and all partners in the provision of SDGs related information and bridge the relevant statistical gaps.

-Encouraging NHRIs to urge Arab government to activate the Arab legal and judicial cooperation network in the field of addressing terrorism and organised crime under the framework of the Arab League’s efforts.

-Encouraging regional and international organisations participating in the conference to reinforce the capacities of judicial authorities in employing advanced technologies in the judicial sector and facilitating the easy access to justice.

-Encouraging Arab States to draft national plans aimed at implementing the UN Security Council Resolution no.1325 on women, peace and security as well as the relevant resolutions.

-Encouraging NHRIs to engage in national reconciliation and transitional justice efforts and arrangements.