UAE: Sheikh Khalifa announces the establishment of a national human rights institution-News

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has promulgated a federal law to establish the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI).

The agency aims to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the UAE Constitution, the country’s current laws and legislation, and relevant international conventions.

According to the national news agency Wam, the headquarters of the national human rights institution will be located in Abu Dhabi, and more branches and offices may be opened in other emirates.

Scope of the National Human Rights Institution

It will participate in the formulation of a national action plan for the promotion and protection of human rights in the country and propose mechanisms for its implementation.

It will also raise public awareness through seminars, meetings and group discussions, and submit proposals, suggestions and suggestions on how to promote, protect and pursue human rights to relevant authorities.

The agency will also make recommendations on the extent to which national legislation and laws comply with international human rights treaties and conventions to which the UAE has joined, track violations and violations of human rights, verify their authenticity, and report them to the UAE. related department.

Participation in international and regional forums related to human rights is also a mission of this institution.

Member of the National Human Rights Institution

The national human rights institution will have a board of directors of at least 11 members, including the chairman, of which at least half of the members work full-time.

The selection mechanism for the members of the national human rights institution will be determined by the President of the UAE. They will include advisory bodies, academics, civil society institutions, and institutions with technical and professional knowledge, taking into account the appropriate representation of women.

The term of office of the members of the national human rights institution is four years and can be re-elected once, starting from the date of promulgation of the resolution.

The board of directors will hold regular meetings at least every three months. At the request of the majority of members, the chairman may invite the board of directors to participate in an extraordinary meeting at any time.

The decision shall be made by a majority vote of the members present. In the event of a tie, the chairman has the deciding vote.

The establishment of this key mechanism stems from the UAE’s desire to develop its human rights institutional structure to enhance the country’s status and highlight its role in advancing.

When formulating the law, the UAE sought the opinions of international organizations, the most famous of which is the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which provided legal and technical assistance for drafting laws on national human rights institutions.