At the closure of the CIHRS Course on the Use of International and Regional Mechanisms for the Protection of Human Rights: Verbal Interventions and Complaints on Freedom of Expression, Minority Rights and the Prohibition of Torture

The proceedings of the First Training Course held 20-26th of February was organized by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies )CIHRS(. The topic was “Capacity Building in the Sphere of Using International and Regional Mechanisms for the Protection of Human Rights”. The concluding day was dedicated to a review of the results of the course, through diverse presentations by participants. This was done to test the skills the participants acquired during the training on the use of international mechanisms for the protection of human rights, either in verbal interventions, filing complaints or drafting shadow reports. In the presentations participants were keen to highlight the flaws in the national mechanisms for the protection of human rights that impels victims to resort to international mechanisms.

A group of trainers expressed their expertise to participants over an entire week. Before leaving the training headquarters, participants agreed on means of communication between them and CIHRS. The possibility of obtaining technical support for the use of international and regional mechanisms for the protection of human rights from CIHRS and other human rights organizations was also discussed.

The agenda of the course aimed at developing the knowledge and capacity of civil society activists and defenders of human rights in Egypt. To learn how to utilize United Nations mechanisms and procedures regarding human rights, and human rights mechanisms under the umbrella of the African Commission for the Protection of Human and People&#146s Rights.

The course included twenty participants; human rights activists, academics, lawyers and journalists from three Arab states, namely Egypt, Sudan and Algeria. The training methodology relied on divided participants into three working groups, according to their wish and field of specialization. The tree groups where; freedom of opinion and of expression, minority rights and prohibition of torture. A number of experts and persons with practical experience trained participants on the use of international and regional mechanisms for the protection of human rights.