The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, together with the European Union and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, today launched a project which aims at making the rights contained in the human rights treaties acceded by the State of Palestine in 2014 a reality for all Palestinians. The commitments under these treaties complement and enhance the Government’s political obligations within the National Policy Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The project will provide capacity building to assist the Palestinian government in promoting and protecting all human rights for all Palestinians. The project will also work with the Independent Commission for Human Rights and selected civil society organizations to strengthen their ability to promote accountable governance through national dialogue and advocacy. It will empower Palestinians as rights-holders to better understand and claim their rights.

The project launch, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in Ramallah, brought together representatives of the Government, the European Union, the Independent Commission for Human Rights, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council as well as representatives of the diplomatic community and the UN system in the OPT to discuss the key human rights challenges related to the implementation of the human rights treaties in Palestine.

In his opening remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr. Riad Al-Malki, welcomed the launching of what he considered “a new stage of the State of Palestine’s implementation of its human rights obligations”. The Minister also reiterated that the universal values of human rights and democracy “were always at the core of the Palestinian people’s struggle for their inalienable rights”. His Excellency added, “In order to reach our mutual goals of advancing respect for human rights, Palestine needs technical and political support in confronting any violations of human rights and combat impunity.”

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The Office of the European Union Representative (West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA)