The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, emphasized that National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) do complement rather than replace international or regional mechanisms for monitoring and investigating human rights abuses. He called on them to collaborate closely with the relevant UN, regional and global human rights mechanisms, as these entities have the advantage of focusing on specific human rights issues and standards particular to the relevant Member States.
In his inaugural statement at the opening ceremony of the 19th regular session of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) held on 24 May 2022 at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, which was delivered on his behalf by the Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs, Dr. Ahmad Sengendo, the Secretary General highlighted the importance of NHRIs in boosting human rights status in OIC Member States.
In addressing the Session’s thematic debate on “the Role of National Human Rights Institutions in the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the OIC Countries”, Mr. Taha noted that the IPHRC has done significant work in the last decade in offering coherent recommendations to the Member States on various topics aimed at ensuring that universal human rights and fundamental freedoms flow together with Islamic values. Secretary-General Taha stressed that the valuable contributions of the Commission are duly acknowledged and appreciated both by the OIC and international human rights community.ss
He noted, that a total of 34 OIC Member States have established NHRIs to promote and protect human rights; and that in the context of the Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030, these institutions are making significant contribution in increasing integration of human rights-based approach in policy making at the national and local levels aiming to ensure that the international human rights norms and standards are applied, monitored and protected at the national level.
Mr. Taha also highlighted the dire need for ensuring effectiveness of NHRIs in promoting human rights and offered recommendations, which ensure these entities’ credibility.
The opening ceremony witnessed signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the OIC IPHRC and the Human Rights Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and another MoU between the OIC IPHRC and the National Human Rights Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan to enhance technical and institutional cooperation.—PR
