By Brendan Sweeney
After the Yemeni Government was urged by the UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Committee on Social Economic and Cultural Rights to establish a national human rights institution (NHRIs), study tours were organised to familiarise Yemeni human rights activists with the NHRI concept, and how these institutions work and fulfill their mandates in practice.
Three study tours - all of which are financed by the EU – have been organised so far to NHRIs in Egypt, South Africa and Denmark. The delegates were particularly interested in finding out how the independence of NHRIs could be attained and maintained.
The purpose of the study tour to Denmark was to investigate the possibilities that exist to establish a NHRI in Yemen, and to give the participants a comprehensive introduction as to how the Paris Principles are reflected in DIHR’s mandate and structural organization. The delegation also learnt about the Institute’s thematic approach to human rights which is reflected in the way its departments are structured.
The delegates included: Georges Assaf, Team Leader and International Consultant to the European Commission; Amal Basha, National Consultant to the European Commission; Afra'a Hariri, Lawyer; Shawqi al-Qadhi, Member of Parliament, member of the Freedoms and Rights Commission and Director of the National Organization for Development; Abdulkreem al- Khawani, Journalist and member of the Change Organization; Jamila Ali Raja, Advisor for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mohammed Naji Alaw, Head of HOOD organization, former Member of Parliament and member of Al-Islah Party and the National Organization for Human Rights Defence
One of the delegates, Jamila Ali Raja, Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke about her impressions after the four-day study tour to DIHR:
“I was impressed with the openness of the speakers. They answered most of our questions which was very beneficial, and they were tolerant because we argued a lot amongst ourselves and with them. For us it’s a challenge to start a Yemeni institute for human rights because we already have a ministry for human rights which you don’t have [in Denmark].”
“And another surprise was that some speakers thought that it was a problem not to have a ministry of human rights that could function as a focal point for the government in Denmark. That took me aback as well. I think I benefited very much from this four-day workshop and it opened my eyes to the things that can happen anywhere not just in Yemen. I believe that what’s important is how much you believe, how much passion you put into your belief in human rights.”
“This means that you shouldn’t just wait for things to be prepared for you by the government or donors. Instead you have to put in an effort. Even as a government you should learn how to create dialogue, how to talk to other stakeholders because it comes back in a more positive way. I think it was very useful and I appreciate what the Danish Institute for Human Rights has done. The four days were so full that I think we could say that we didn’t visit Copenhagen so much as we visited the Danish Institute for Human Rights! I appreciate the effort that was put in individually and as an Institute and by the administration.”
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