Today marks the start of the "Amin Mekki Medani" course, the first regional training course in the name of the dearly departed, on human rights concepts and mechanisms, organized by the Geneva Institute for Human Rights (Sudan Office), in cooperation with the United Nations Center for Training and Documentation in the Field of Human Rights (Southwest Asia & the Arab Region) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan.
The training course, taking place from the 7th of September to the 10th of September, includes 38 participants from twenty countries.
The Executive Director of the GIHR, Mr.Nazar Abdelgadir, explained that the training course commemorates the work of the late Dr. Amin Mekki and aspires to eternalize his efforts in protecting and promoting human rights, creating a thriving culture promoting fundamental freedoms, justice and democratic values and principles, and finally guaranteeing that human rights are exercised without discrimination.
Dr. Abdel Salam Sid Ahmed, the Director of the United Nations Center for Training and Documentation in the Field of Human Rights (Southwest Asia and the Arab Region), highlighted that the aim of the regional session is to enhance the effective participation of non-governmental organizations concerned with human rights, strengthen their influence in discussions and enable their effective and active participation, with a focus on special protection mechanisms.
Mr. Mazen Shaqoura, the Deputy Country Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan, indicated that the training course program interacts with international, regional and national protection mechanisms and provides a practical framework aimed at raising the capabilities of human rights defenders and developing their capabilities, to create a comprehensive approach to human rights.
The training program illuminates on various topics, such as:
Concepts and terminology of human rights
International Human rights law
United Nations Charter based mechanisms
International conventions on human rights
Contractual mechanisms for the protection of human rights
The system of special procedures - UN
The Universal Periodic Review mechanism - UPR
African / Arab regional human rights mechanisms
National mechanisms to protect human rights on the Internet