GANHRI Chairperson: GANHRI Annual Meeting, Occasion to Exchange Experiences and Expertise

Geneva, HE Chairperson of Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and National Human Rights Committee of Qatar (NHRC) Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah said that the GANHRI Annual Meeting and Conference are an occasion to exchange experiences and expertise to respond effectively to human rights challenges. During the GANHRI Annual Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, Her Excellency said that promoting and upholding human rights under the current circumstances poses major challenges in light of the numerous and interconnected threats to regional and international peace and security, including war, conflict, and repression in all regions, which is limiting the civic space's ability to defend fundamental rights and freedoms, which in turn exposes national human rights institutions (NHRIs) to threats and reprisals. HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah added that NHRIs' role is crucial in engaging communities, addressing discrimination, supporting the marginalized, and protecting the civic space a nd human rights defenders. Her Excellency said that the alliance's absolute priority was and will always be to support GANHRI members in carrying our their complex and essential role, adding that among GANHRI's main areas of strength during such times is its ability to make NHRIs all over the world work together and find practical ways to meet their needs and priorities. HE Chairperson of GANHRI said that active contributions are essential at GANHRI, which works collectively to establish, support, and defend NHRIs. Her Excellency added that the members of the alliance view responding to the impacts of climate change on human rights as a priority, exemplified in their open letter urging world leaders at the COP28 negotiations to take decisive human rights-based action on climate change. HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah said that GANHRI obtained observer status at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, thus, enabling the alliance and member NHRIs with an "A" classification to participa te in the upcoming climate conference meetings, something she considered as a reflection of the international community's gratitude to the critical contribution of NHRIs in placing human rights and people at the center of climate action. Her Excellency underscored that tomorrow's 2024 Annual Conference will deal with very relevant issues, including human rights, climate change, and business activities, and NHRIs' role in leading action, as well as discussing the threats to online civic space and human rights defenders in the context of technology and surveillance, focusing on opportunities for NHRIs to initiate protection strategies, in addition to evolving a framework of business and human rights regulations, and the role of NHRIs to promote a smart combination of measures. In a meeting held yesterday, GANHRI discussed the possibility of seeking recognition as an international organization under the Swiss Host State Act and this step's potential operational stability benefits. Source: Qatar News Agency