Geneva: A delegation from the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) met Saturday with Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations HE Nada Al Nashif, at the UN headquarters in Geneva.
During the meeting, the delegation called for a clear and explicit position from the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism condemning the Israeli attack on a residential compound in the State of Qatar and the resulting violations, including the intimidation of civilians and the destruction of homes.
The delegation also stressed the importance of preventing impunity for violations arising from this attack, urging UN bodies, agencies, and mechanisms to take serious and effective action to document these violations and adopt concrete measures to hold the Israeli occupation accountable and prevent further breaches of international conventions and norms, including violations of the sovereignty of independent states.
The NHRC delegation reiterated the Committee’s call for the UN Security Council to assume its legal responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security by ending all cases of impunity and lack of accountability, considering this the fundamental guarantee to prevent the recurrence of the most serious crimes.
The delegation further called for strengthening the role of human rights mechanisms in addressing violations suffered by civilians as a result of these attacks, stressing that the continuation of such grave violations would undermine the credibility and effectiveness of human rights mechanisms and institutions and cast doubt on their relevance.
Concluding the meeting, the delegation affirmed that the human rights system faces mounting pressures as a result of armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, resource scarcity, and challenges to civic space, which requires innovative approaches to provide greater space and legitimacy for the work of human rights defenders.
In the same context, the delegation discussed the humanitarian situation in the Arab region, noting the Committee's deep concern over the grave repercussions facing countries such as Gaza and Sudan, particularly for refugees, migrants, and vulnerable groups.
The delegation also addressed emerging challenges, foremost among them the human rights implications of technological developments, such as artificial intelligence, and emphasized the need to strengthen privacy protection and counter hate speech and disinformation in the digital space.
