UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Meets with Defenders from the Arab World

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Meets with Defenders from the Arab World | 09/06/2011

On June 7, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) met with Ms. Navanethem Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and members of her office.

The meeting brought together human rights defenders from across the Arab world, who expressed appreciation to the dedicated efforts and consistent response of Ms. Pillay and her office to the situation in their countries since the beginning of the year. The delegation also presented the human rights situation in their respective countries and discussed further steps and ways to move forward.

Countries covered in the meeting were Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, and Lebanon.

The delegation was composed of Ms. Sihem Bensedrine of the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia, Mr. Nadeem Mansour of the Egyptian Centre for Social and Economic Rights and the Front for Defense of Egyptian Protestors, Ms. Maryam Al-Khawaja of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Ms. Elham Saudi of the Lawyers for Justice in Libya, Mr. Majid Mastoor of the African Center for Justice and Peace Studies in Sudan, Ms. Rola Bardan of the Palestinian Human Rights Organization in Lebanon, and Ms. Sohair Riad, CIHRS researcher on Yemen.

The Arab NGO delegation also met with Ms. June Ray, OHCHR Chief of Civil Society Unit; Mr. Frej Fenniche, OHCHR MENA Department Chief, and several desk officers for the countries represented. ..more