4.2 million views of the conference’s promotional video through social media within 10 days

More than 50 journalists and media organizations shall cover the conference

Doha on Saturday 13 April 2019

Under the patronage of the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, The National Human Rights Committee of Qatar, in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Parliament and the Global alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, organizes the “International Conference in Doha on National, regional and international mechanisms to combat impunity and ensure accountability under international law” during the period from 14- 15 April 2019, in The Ritz-Carlton, Doha, Qatar.

5 opening remarks in the opening session

According to the agenda of the conference, the opening session of the conference will feature five speeches by H.E. Dr. Ali Ben Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, H.E. Pier Antonio Panzeri, the Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights, H.E. Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, H.E Carlos Negret Mosquera , President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), and H.E. Catherine Marchi-Uhel, Head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the investigation and prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Crimes in the Syrian Arab Republic.

3 sessions on the first day

The opening session will be followed by three sessions, moderated by officials and experts from international and international organizations. The first session of the Conference deals with the issue of Accountability for gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law, including Duty to investigate and prosecute and Victims’ right to remedies. The session will be chaired by Mohammad Ali Alnsour, Chief, Middle East and North Africa Section (MENA), OHCHR and Anna Katolo, OHCHR, Geneva, Switzerland as a Rapporteur. Among the speakers in the first session are Brenda J. Hollis, Prosecutor of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Chairperson of the International Commission of Inquiry on the Syria Arab Republic, Mona Rishmawi, Chief of Rule of Law, Equality and Non-discrimination Branch, OHCHR, UN, Geneva, Saman Zia-Zarifi, Secretary General, International Commission of Jurists, Geneva, and Carmen Cheung, Center for Justice and Accountability.

The second session of the Conference will discuss Protection and promotion of human rights through action to combat impunity, including the Right to know, the Right to justice, and the Right to reparation/guarantees of non-recurrence.
The session will be chaired by Mr. ORE Sylvain, President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Yasmine Abou Mansour (OHCHR) as a rapporteur. Among the speakers in the first session are Marzuki Darusman, Chairperson of the independent Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, Simon Adams, Executive Director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, Ahmed Chaouqui Benyoub, The Interministerial Delegate for Human Rights, Morocco, Fatsah Ouguergouz, Former President of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Burundi, Geneva, and Francois Membrez, International Expert, Geneva.

Second day of the conference

On the second day of the Conference, there are three working groups simultaneously on “Good Practices, Lessons Learned and Proposals”.
The first working group examines the issue of “Access to justice: Basic Principles and Guidelines”, chaired by Nicolo Angelo Figa-Talamanca, Secretary General, No Peace Without Justice, and Michael Wiener (OHCHR) as a Rapporteur. Among the speakers are Kimberly Prost, Judge on the International Criminal Court, The Hague, Netherlands, and Djaouida Siaci, Vice President of the Rohingya Support Group (RSG), New York. The second working group shall discuss the issue of Reparation for harm suffered. The group is chaired by Karen Smith, Special Adviser to the Secretary General on the Responsibility to Protect, and Anna Katulu (OHCHR) as a Rapporteur. Among the speakers are Ben Keith, Barrister, Head of international team, UK, and Haydee J. Dijkstal, International Criminal and Human Rights Lawyer, UK.

The third Working Group discusses Access to relevant information concerning violations and reparation mechanisms, chaired by Mr. Fausto Pocar, President of the Institute of International Humanitarian Law in Italy, and Ms. Yasmin Abu Mansour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a Rapporteur. Among the speakers are Michel Veuthey, Vice President of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law and Ambassador of the Order of Malta to monitor and combat trafficking in persons and Amal Nassar, Permanent Representative to ICC, international Federation for Human Rights ( FIDH ), Paris.

Closing session

The Conference will conclude with a session with concluding remarks, chaired by H.E. Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, Vice-President and Secretary-General of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.

20 working papers

More than 20 working papers shall be presented during the two-day conference, by lawyers, international experts, UN officials and representatives of international organizations.
The working papers shall discuss international, regional and national mechanisms to combat impunity for gross violations of human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law. Towards this end, the conference will take stock of the relevant international law principles, in particular the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law, and the Updated Set of Principles for the protection and promotion of human rights through action to combat impunity. The conference shall bring together more than 250 personalities including presidents of courts, international judges, representatives of the United Nations and the European Parliament, as well as international experts, and governmental and non-governmental organizations, heads and experts of international commissions of inquiry, relevant special rapporteurs, chairpersons of United Nations treaty bodies, experts and judges in international criminal tribunals and the International Criminal Court, as well as experts and lawyers who have brought criminal cases before national courts based on universal jurisdiction. Furthermore, representatives of specialized international agencies and Regional human rights mechanisms, chairpersons of the European Parliament, national human rights institutions, research centers, and other relevant bodies and organizations will be invited.

2.5 million viewers of the conference’s promotional video through social media

Few hours before the conference, the social media sites of the National Human Rights Committee witness strong interaction with the promotional video of the International Conference on “National, Regional and International Mechanisms to Combat Impunity and Ensure Accountability under International Law”, in parallel with several press and media statements in European And international newspapers on the importance of the conference.