Annual Report - Palestinian Center for Human Rights

Euro-Mediterranean Forum – Spain
From 16 to 19 June 2005, Deputy Director of PCHR, Jaber Wishah, participated in
meetings of the Euro-Mediterranean Forum in Barcelona. In the context of these
meetings, four conferences were organized military conflicts and occupations and
peace; democracy, citizenship and human rights; the rights of immigrants and
refugees; and water. Wishah spoke at the second conference. He also participated in
a peaceful demonstration organized by the forum against war and occupation, and in
support for Palestine and Iraq.
Regional Consultative Meeting on Violence against Children – Egypt
From 27 to29 June 2005, PCHR participated in the regional consultative meeting
organized by the Arab Council of Childhood and Development on the study made by
the UN Secretary General on violence against children. PCHR was represented in the
meeting by a lawyer from Women and Children’s Rights Unit, Hanan Matar. The
meeting discussed several issues, including: UN study on violence against children;
violence against children in the family; violence against children at schools; violence
against children during armed conflicts; violence against children in children’s
shelters/homes; and violence against children in society.
Testifying before the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices –
Egypt
On 26 and 27 June 2005, a PCHR delegation testified before the United Nations
Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the
Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, which held sessions
in Cairo. Lawyer Iyad Alami, Head of the Legal Aid Unit, and Hamdi Shaqqura,
Head of the Democratic Development Unit, submitted PCHR's testimony. In his
testimony, Alami focused on the absence of justice in the Israeli judicial system when
a claim is related to Palestinian civilians living in the OPT. Shaqqura provided
detailed information about house demolitions and collective punishment measures
practiced by IOF against Palestinian civilians.
Meeting of the International Bureau of FIDH – France
On 1 and 2 July 2005, Director of PCHR, Raji Sourani, in his capacity as the Vice-
President of FIDH, participated in the meetings of the International Bureau of FIDH,
which were held in Paris.
Workshop on Protection of Civilians – Lebanon
On 2 and 3 July 2005, PCHR participated in a workshop organized in Beirut on
protection of civilians. The workshop discussed the international approach for
protection of civilians; the regional approach for the protection of civilians; the
national approaches for the protection of civilians in Palestine and Iraq; the national
approaches in Egypt, Algeria, the Arab Gulf States and Yemen for the protection of
civilians; and dealing with armed groups. PCHR was represented in the workshop by
Iyad Alami, Head of the Legal Aid Unit, who talked about the national approach for
165