DOHA: The two-day international conference ‘on challenges to security and human rights in the Arab region’ ended yesterday with a call on Arab countries to adopt a code of conduct for their security bodies in line with the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
A communiqué at the end of the forum also urged Arab nations to develop rules and regulations that guarantee freedom of expression, the right to hold meetings and allow civil society organisations and journalists to work freely and independently.
It urged Arab states to ensure access to information and encourage transparency in the functioning of their security bodies.
About 400 delegates, including senior security officials from Arab countries and representatives of regional and international human rights groups, took part in the forum organised by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC).
It also called on Arab countries to develop mechanisms to prevent law enforcing authorities from taking arbitrary actions against individuals or groups and misusing laws.
Arab countries should set up national institutions and parliamentary committees to monitor their security bodies, recommended the meeting.
It urged Arab states to ratify all international conventions and declarations related to human rights/civil and political rights and ensure independence of judiciary and transparency in law enforcement.
All agreements and conventions approved by Arab states should be in line with international law and security standards.
They should also encourage dialogue and continuous communication between security authorities, civil society organisations and human rights institutions.
There should be coordination between national institutions to increase human rights awareness and regular meetings with human rights bodies with approved plans.
The forum stressed the importance of positive relations between security authorities and civil society organisations and the role of media in raising human rights awareness. The Peninsula
The importance of utilising experiences to balance security and human rights was also highlighted.
The meeting recommended the introduction of human rights in the curricula of schools, police colleges and training centres in Arab countries and human rights departments at their ministries of interior and security bodies.
It asked NHRC to set up a work team from participants to follow up on the recommendations.
NHRC Chairman, Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, said the recommendations will be submitted to the Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, and partners, including QNHR, Council of Arab Interior Ministers, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions and the Arab League General Secretariat.
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