NIHR Participates in a Regional Forum on the “Mendez Principles”
The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) participated in the regional forum organized by the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions, in cooperation with the Association for the prevention of Torture (APT), on “the Mendez Principles for Effective Interviewing” aimed at familiarising members and staff of Arab national human rights institutions with these principles, and the importance of the role of the institutions in disseminating and raising awareness of this document, and how to employ those principles in their monitoring and dialogue with the authorities, in a way that leads to ensuring greater respect and full protection of human rights.
During the working sessions of the forum, Eng. Ali Ahmed Al-Derazi, Chairperson of the NIHR, gave a speech in which he explained the importance of granting a broad mandate to national human rights institutions through their Establishment Law to support the work of these national institutions to play their role in the area of promoting and protecting human rights freely and independently, stressing at the same time, the importance of optimal promotion of these principles through educational, training and media means to ensure their application by law enforcement agencies.
On the other side, the participating members of the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions, during the sessions of the regional forum, presented their national experiences regarding the application of the Mendez Principles and the related opportunities and challenges.
