Bangkok,
The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) participated in the 29th Annual General Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Forum, held in the Thai capital, Bangkok, from Sep. 24 to 25.
HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, who is the Chairperson of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), said that the United Nations Summit for the Future will provide participating countries with the opportunity to consolidate cooperation among themselves, define goals accurately, and plan the necessary steps and appropriate measures to protect the rights and interests of future generations.
In her online speech, Her Excellency revealed that the Global Alliance will issue a statement prior to the Summit on the Future, which is hosted by New York City in the United States of America with the attendance of world leaders this week. She said that, in its statement, the Global Alliance will calls on governments to affirm their commitment to human rights, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the United Nations Charter, and to support the establishment of a renewed multilateral system centered on improving the quality of people’s lives.
Her Excellency called on national human rights institutions to cooperate with their governments to discuss the importance of human rights in implementing the charter for the future that will be adopted in the outcomes of the summit, and to provide their support as national human rights institutions to contribute to achieving this.
Her Excellency stressed the need for mutual cooperation between national human rights institutions to ensure their adequate readiness to deal with the contemporary challenges facing us in the field of human rights.
She said that these challenges were complex, and often shared in different regions, including crises and conflicts in addition to climate change and the shrinking of civil space. Her Excellency noted that this requires joint efforts to defend fundamental rights and freedoms in a world suffering from various forms of discrimination and inequality. As a result, Her Excellency added, the world faces a major challenge to promote and protect human rights under the current circumstances.
GANHRI Chairperson said that it is in these difficult times that the role of national human rights institutions must involve engaging local communities, combating discrimination, supporting marginalized groups, protecting both civic space and human rights defenders; and advocating for those in power who fully respect human rights.
She noted that GANHRI’s top priority remains to support its members as they continue to play their challenging roles in protecting human rights during current crises. (MORE)
