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FIDH delegation hold important meetings in Cairo
5/5/ 2005
At the end of its two-day visit to Cairo the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH) resolved to strengthen its ties of cooperation with the Arab League, the People's Assembly Human Rights Committee, the National Council for Human Rights and the Foreign Ministry - which latter is currently considering the FIDH's request to establish a regional office in Cairo in the near future.
The FIDH delegation was made up of FIDH Secretary General Idriss Yazami, deputy President Raji al Sourani and Hafez Abu Seada, Secretary General of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights and FIDH delegate to the Arab League.
On Tuesday the 26th April 2005 the delegation held meetings with Amin Mekka Madany, President of the Arab Organization for Human Rights and Secretary General Mohamed Fayeq. The two sides considered possible forms of cooperation between the Arab Organization and FIDH and means of strengthening and developing this collaboration. It was agreed that certain activities of interest to the Arab Organization would be put in motion.
The following day the delegation met Abdel Ahad Gamal Eddin, head of the People's Assembly Human Rights Committee and other Committee members. During the meeting Gamal Eddin presented the Committee's activities, tasks and competencies. Future co-operation between the Committee and FIDH was agreed on.
On the third day of the visit the FIDH delegation met Sameh Shukry, assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The two parties discussed the state of human rights in Egypt and the Arab region, and the delegation presented a request for the establishment of a regional headquarters in Cairo with the aim of strengthening the FIDH's role in spreading a culture of human rights in the Arab region.
On the same day the delegation met Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League together with other members of the Secretariat and Nancy Bakeer, assistant to the Secretary General. Moussa described his efforts to raise the status of the Arab League and the Arab Charter on Human Rights in the light of the fundamental amendments made to it.
The FIDH delegation praised the Secretary General's constructive and consistent efforts, affirming that the FIDH's main concern in the region was the strengthening of the rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights through work and co-operation with more than twenty Arab independent organisations known for their commitment to democracy and human rights.
The FIDH delegation made reference to the role it has played in the Palestinian case and other international issues, affirming the necessity of cooperation and coordination between FIDH and the Arab League in order to support all Arab issues but in particular the Palestinian and Iraqi issues.
The FIDH delegation stressed the importance of positive cooperation between the Arab League and local and regional human rights groups, affirming that this cooperation represents one of the fundamental components of the continued success of democratic reform in the region.
Moussa stressed the importance of countries not politicising or choosing human rights cases selectively, warning against the danger of certain countries dragging human rights cases into political issues. The FIDH delegation concurred with Moussa, stating that they seek a world governed by law rather than the law of the jungle. They added that human rights cases should not be dealt with selectively, that is, certain regions should not be focused on to the exclusion of others.
The FIDH delegation concluded its visit through a meeting with Mukhlis Qutb, Secretary General of the National Council for Human Rights. Qutb described the Council's activities, tasks and competencies and presented its first annual report on human rights in Egypt, and expressed his support for the FIDH's efforts to establish a regional office in Cairo.
The FIDH delegation praised and encouraged the Council describing the annual report as an important step forward and significant both in Egypt and in the Arab region as a whole because of the positive effect it will have on the Arab region, especially in the fields of human rights and democracy. The two parties resolved to continue cooperating and exchanging knowledge in the near future.
FIDH is one of the world's largest human rights groups and has consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. Formed in the early 1920s following an initiative of the French and German Human Rights Leagues, FIDH comprises some 141 member human rights organisations from all over the world including twenty Arab organisations. Its main headquarters is in Paris and it has regional offices in Paris, Brussels, New York, Geneva, The Hague and Banjul.
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