By Emily Bare and Martin Browne / GICJ

Civil society has a significant role to play in enhancing the rule of law and the human rights situation in every country. At the Human Rights Council, side events allow groups to host discussions that encourage participants to freely exchange views. On the 5th of October 2022, GICJ participated in side events on human rights in the transforming constitutions of the Arab Region. 

On the same day, GICJ engaged in a side event on constitutionalising human rights in the Arab region. 

Mr. Alaa Shalby, President of the AOHR, outlined the different challenges taking place within countries during the varied stages of post-crisis reconstruction of the rule of law and outlined how a balance must be struck between ensuring stability and security while advancing human rights protections. 

Mr Diaa Al-Shammari, Secretary General of the AOHR Branch in Austria, discussed how a series of foreign interventions have meddled with Iraq’s capacity to contribute to building its own constitution with norms that effectively extend protections to all in the country. 

GICJ asked the panellists to identify examples of good practices needed to ensure equality before the law across the countries mentioned, particularly in the investigation of enforced disappearances. The panellists responded with support for greater efforts to counter enforced disappearances. They underlined the need for accurate numbers of disappeared persons to be documented and encouraged the Human Rights Council to introduce daily report figures to allow states to better track disappearance rates. 

Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) supports all measures taken to promote the rule of law in the Arab region and in particular measures that ensure equality before the law, a reduction in corruption, and take steps to achieve justice and accountability for victims of enforced disappearances. 

Arab Territories, civil society, human rights, Geneva, Justice, Geneva4justice, GICJ, Geneve International Centre for Justice