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NIHR participates in the 13th International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions

The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR), represented by Mr. Abdulla Ahmed Alderazi, Vice Chairperson of the NIHR’s Council of Commissioners, participated in the 13^th International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) held in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco.

Under the theme “Expanding the Civic Space and Promoting and Protecting Human Rights Defenders, with a Specific Focus on Women:  The Role of National Human Rights Institutions”, this Conference was organized in cooperation between Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH), the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), with the participation of a number of national human rights institutions from around the world and the four regional networks of national institutions, as well as partners and experts from the UN and non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders and  representatives of international, regional and national bodies.  This Conference coincides with the international community’s commemoration of three main dates, namely the 70^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the 20^th anniversary of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (DHRD) and the 25^th anniversary of the Paris Principles governing the status and functioning of national human rights institutions.

The conference was opened by Mr. Idris Elyazami, President of the Moroccan Human Rights Council.  The speakers at the opening session were Dr. Beate Rudolf, President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), Mrs. Peggy Hicks, Director of Thematic Interaction, Special Procedures and Right to Development at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Mr. Mostafa Ramid, Minister of State for Human Rights of the Kingdom of Morocco, and Ambassador Aud Marit Wiig, Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway  Mr. Philippe Poinsot, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Morocco concluded the opening session.

The three-day conference dealt with a number of issues, namely threats to civic space and monitoring, mechanisms for the protection of human rights defenders, especially women human rights defenders, including the national human rights institutions, the importance of communicating about human rights and promoting positive discourse, the promotion of participation in public life and the promotion of cooperation and community partnerships.