Beirut: 30 June 2022
HE the President of the Republic of Lebanon General Michel Aoun met HE President of the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions, and Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, and the accompanying delegation during her visit to Lebanon.
Aoun praised the role HE Al Attiyah plays through her presidency of the NHRC in Qatar, the Doha-based ANNHRI, in addition to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) based in Geneva. In addition, Aoun stressed his appreciation for the support that Lebanon receives from the State of Qatar in various fields.
The Lebanese President expressed his hope for fruitful cooperation between the Arab Network and the Lebanese Commission for Human Rights, which was established in 2016, noting that “work is underway for the Lebanese National Commission to achieve all the conditions required for compliance with the Paris Principles of the United Nations and to become a member of (GANHRI).” He then added: “We are doing great work and unremitting efforts to promote the rights of Lebanese women, child rights, and the rights of the disabled people, despite the lack of resources.” For her part, HE Al Attiyah affirmed her support for the recently established Lebanese National Human Rights Commission and advancing cooperation between it and other bodies, as well as securing the appropriate conditions for its joining the (ANNHR).
She said, “The presence of Lebanon within the network will enable it to interact with Arab institutions and coordinate cooperation in the field of human rights.” expressing her hope that “the legal texts that sponsor the work of the Lebanese Commission will be completed so that it is ready to join the Arab network, as well as provide its needs to be able to carry out the required tasks.” HE the President of ANNHRI also affirmed the full commitment of the network to support the Lebanese Commission in terms of overcoming challenges and meeting the needs necessary to play its role in promoting and protecting human rights in Lebanon, as well as the participation of the Lebanese Commission in introducing, supporting and the spreading of the culture of human rights in Lebanon. This can be manifested through programs implemented by the national authority with ANNNHRI. Additionally, QNHRC and ANNHRI can work out with the Lebanese National Human Rights Commission on more future projects and plans and provide it with support.
Al Attiyah called for the need for financial and administrative independence of national human rights institutions for them to carry out their entrusted role in accordance with the Paris Principles of 1993. She also noted the Arab Networks keenness to form the National Human Rights Commission in the Republic of Lebanon on independence, pluralism and transparency, which will enable it to play a major role in the protection process and perform its mission in the dissemination, establishment and promotion of human rights.
She stressed the governments important role in amending the law establishing the national commission in line with the Paris Principles in terms of transparency, financial and administrative independence, and benefit from best practices in the process of drafting the Commissions law, calling for expanding consultations on developing the draft law to serve the promotion and protection of human rights. She further noted the Arab Network’s full support for all the efforts the government and civil society organizations are doing in this regard.
The President of (ANNNHRI) recommended the importance of adequate government financial support for the national authority and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, pointing out that this support is one of the most important conditions for establishing national institutions that are internationally equitable, in addition to granting them financial and administrative independence to preserve the balance of the authority’s independence in performing its advisory role to state institutions impartially.
In the same context, HE Mariam Al Attiyah met with the President of the Beirut Bar Association Nader Daoud Kasbar.
Finally, Al Attiyah stressed the need to support the Lebanese Human Rights Commission for obtaining classification (A) by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, the funding required, and a permanent headquarters for the commission.
