International conference of human rights movement focus on Palestinian issues
Regional, Culture, 2/12/2001

The Third International Conference of the Human Rights Movement in the Arab World is held in Rabat February 10-12 to discuss the "Future of Palestinian Refugees under the Current Settlement Process."

Around fifteen working papers by a number of researchers and Arab and international experts concerned with the Palestinian refugees' issue are on the agenda in addition to reports by international human rights organizations.

Opening the conference Saturday, Moroccan minister of human rights, Mohamed Aujjar, said the Palestinian refugees' issue is of concern to the United nations, to politicians, decision-makers and human rights activists throughout the world.

Aujjar who underlined Morocco's unfailing backing to the Palestinian cause, stressed the need to find a fair solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees on the basis of international legality.

The working papers presented during the conference deal with several themes, including the refugees' status, refugees between the international law on refugees and the international human rights law, Problems of negotiation on the future of Palestinian refugees (main obstacles on the bilateral and multi-lateral negotiation table, Palestinian scenarios, Israeli scenarios.) viewpoints of international human rights organizations, prospects of enforcement of the right to return, nature of the Palestinian state under mandate (Palestine 48, West Bank, and Gaza): political, legal and geographical frameworks.

Representatives of Arab human rights organizations, including Palestinian organizations, are participating in the conference, in addition to members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Palestinian Authority, governmental officials concerned with refugees' affairs and a number of international experts.

Other participants include representatives of international human rights organizations such as the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Human Rights Watch.

The conference, sponsored by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) in collaboration with the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network and the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH), is to adopt this Monday the Rabat Declaration on Palestinian Refugees.

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