Arab Network Magazine 2021-E-Version

Interview
What is your evaluation of the
role of ANNHRI in the process of
enhancing the capacities of
national institutions under its
umbrella?
Yes; back to your question about
the extent to which the Network’s
objectives and strategy have
been implemented during this
period, especially with regard to
enhancing the capacities of
member institutions and encouraging
the establishment of national
institutions that conform to the
standards in the Arab region, I
would say that the Arab Network
has succeeded and has gone a
long way in building and raising
the capabilities of the 16 member
institutions. The Network was also
able facilitate the exchange of
experiences and best practices, in
a way that contributed to enhancing
the compatibility of national
institutions with the Paris Principles
of 1993. Also, its training
activities targeted civil society,
and worked to enhance cooperation
with these national institutions.
On the other hand, the Arab
Network has played an important
and distinctive role in terms of
coordination and networking
between national institutions and
international human rights organizations,
especially the United
Nations agencies, commissions,
offices, teams, and UN programs.
It also facilitated and supported
the participation of some newly
established national institutions in
international events and meetings,
especially those related to
the meetings and conferences of
the Global Alliance of National
Human Rights Institutions
(GANHRI) in Geneva. The Arab
Network has also responded to
the calls of the Global Alliance to
support more than one resolution
Goal 16 of the SDGs: Peace,
Justice and Strong Institutions
are on top Goals
in the Human Rights Council and
the General Assembly of the
United Nations regarding support
for the positions of national
human rights institutions and
enhance their capacities to
promote and protect human
rights in their countries. That was
conducted through the positive
spirit of cooperation shown by
the Network's member institutions
which responded to the
ANNHRI calls to intervene with
their permanent delegations to
these bodies, and pressure to
adopt and approve these
decisions that will be reflected
positively on the human rights
reality in the future.
The Arab Network also had great
contributions in working on fundamental
and considerable-importance
issues such as security and
human rights challenges, combating
hate speech and violent
extremism, the reality of human
rights in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory and combating violations
of the Israeli occupation of
human rights, as well as implementing
and following up the
implementation of the sustainable
development goals for the year
2030. So, yes; I could say; the
Arab Network has carried out its
tasks in the best way and worked
to achieve its goals, and it continues
in this never-ending journey,
because its goal is to respect and
promote human dignity as he is
the most dignified of God’s
creation. This is a fact and a
continuous struggle as long as
mankind continues to exist.
What new things can you do by
assuming the presidency of the
Network for the second time
after completing the terms of all
full-membership institutions?
With Qatar assuming presidency
of the Arab Network again, we
will be the first to implement its
updated and ambitious strategy,
which extends to the end of 2024,
as approved by the last meeting
of the General Assembly in Egypt.
This strategy was developed to
meet the challenges and the new
needs of the Network's national
institutions, and their expectations
about the role the Network
must be doing. It is a plan that
rectified and directed part of its
activities at the country level; to
meet specific needs that cannot
be met by its regional activities. It
will focus on creating tools to
spread the culture of human
rights within Arab societies,
which will contribute to the
acceptance of others and the
promotion of freedom of opinion
and expression, and training
through human rights principles
and concepts to practice democracy.
The new strategic plan is featured
by having seven additional
sub-goals to become “23
sub-goals instead of 16 goals in
the previous plan,” where the
Network has added areas that
pose a challenge to institutions in
keeping with major global trends
in the field of human rights.
Target groups have also been
expanded in a way that contributes
to the promotion of human
rights in the Arab region, in order
to accommodate more of the
affiliates of civil society organizations
and governments. This will
be carried out within the framework
of the Network’s implementation
of its operational programs
Arab Network Magazine
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