in cooperation with the Project on Middle East Democracy
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Henry L. Stimson Center, 1111 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
After abstaining then withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) under the Bush administration, the new administration has reclaimed the U.S. seat on the Council in an effort to actively engage in this international forum. But the Council is just one avenue that Arab states, including key U.S. allies, have taken to undermine numerous multilateral human rights regimes. The Arab Charter on Human Rights, adopted by the Arab League in 2004, has received mixed reactions in and outside the region. Some argue that such frameworks are better suited to address regional human rights concerns, while others maintain that Arab regimes are using these agreements to undermine internationally established norms on human rights.
Can the U.S. play a constructive role in the UNHRC? Are regional human rights platforms viewed as more legitimate by the citizens of the region or are they seen as watering down international agreements? Has the U.S. played a positive or negative role in supporting activists in the region working on such issues? How can the United States work with countries in the region to support regional human rights regimes without appearing to be imposing certain values on the people in the region? Which Middle Eastern countries have been the most vigorous supporters of regional human rights frameworks and which have been obstructionists? Can the United States assist regional governments in moving these frameworks beyond ink on paper and empty promises?
Panelists:
- Moataz El Fegiery, Executive Director, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
- Marc Schade-Poulsen, Executive Director, Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network
- Joe Stork, Deputy Director, Middle East & North Africa Division, Human Rights Watch
Moderated by Andrew Albertson, Executive Director, POMED
- Click here for the event summary
- Click here for the 1st event of this series: 15 June 2009, Detention, Rendition, and the Middle East