Ref: 43/2008

Date: 23 October 2008

PCHR Participates in Parallel and Ministerial Conferences of Future Forum in UAE

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) participated in the Parallel and Ministerial Conferences of the Future Forum Future in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates between 14 and 20 of October 2008. Mr. Raji Sourani, Director of PCHR, was scheduled to chair the fifth workshop on inter-governmental cooperation, private sector and civil society organizations (environment and renewable energy; international food crisis; and humanitarian and developmental aid). The organizers of the Conferences announced that Sourani was unable to participate due to preventing him from leaving by Israeli Occupation Forces, although many attempts have been made by European actors to enable him to participate in the Conferences. PCHR’s coordinator in the West Bank, Samih Mohsen, represented PCHR in stead of Mr. Sourani.

The Parallel Conference was held in Dubai between 14 and 18 of October 2008, with participation of dozens of leaders of civil society groups in the Middle East and North Africa. The program of the Forum discussed two main points: the progress of democratic reform and review of the Forum’s activities and initiatives and the role played by civil society groups within the Forum. In addition, 5 workshops were organized in the Forum on: 1. Political reform (freedom of opinion and expression, legislations relative to media from a human rights perspective, pluralism and diversity, transparency and anti-corruption); 2. Legal environment that regulates the work of civil society organizations in the Arab World; 3. Women empowerment; 4. Sustainable development (educational reform, labor market, unemployment, youth and training); and 5. Cooperation among governments, private sector and the civil society (environment and renewable energy, international food crisis, and humanitarian and developmental aid).

The Parallel Conference, which is an important station for the work of civil society organizations and their incorporation in the process of planning for a safe and stable life where human rights in the region are maintained, concluded a set of recommendations that reflect the vision of civil society organizations on the topics on the agenda of the Ministerial Conference that was held on 19-20 October, 2008 in Abu Dhabi, with the participation of foreign ministers or their representatives from 38 countries.

The Future Forum came into existence at the Group of Eight (G-8) Summit at Sea Island, United States, in June 2004, and leaders of countries in the Middle East, Europe and North Africa participated in it. The first session was held in Morocco in December 2004; the second one was held in Bahrain in 2005; the third one was held in Jordan in 2006; the fourth one was held in Sana’a in Yemen in 2007; and the fifth one was held in UAE. PCHR is one of the active participants in the Parallel Conference of the Future Forum.