Over the next four years (2019-2022), the efforts of the Regional Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights-MENA Region will focus on the following strategic directives:
1- Advocate for ratifications of the core human rights instruments
Regular public reports that would include status of compliance of legislation with human rights obligations in the region
2- Engage with States to extend capacity building activities and technical assistance mainly in support of national human rights mechanisms and processes of protection (NHRIs, NMRF, NAP,etc…)
-Capacity building extended to NHRIs, NMRF and other mechanisms on how to interact with international mechanisms of protection and address protection and promotion of human rights
-Training courses and studies aiming at engaging with duty bearers on promotion and protection
3- Embark on legal and institutional reforms related to laws governing fundamental freedoms in line with international human rights obligations
-Cyber laws, information laws, assembly and associations’ laws studied in line with ICCPR and other norms
-Personal status laws, discriminatory laws reviewed in line with CEDAW and other relevant norms
-Discriminatory laws studied in line with international human rights norms, in particular in relation to migrants, gender, ethnic and religious groups among others.
4- Initiate proactively institutional reforms in line with international human rights obligations, while gender dimensions are recognized
Institutional reforms for security and justice sectors, with a stronger gender participation
5- Engage with civil society actors on capacity building activities and technical assistance mainly in support of preventive networks against reprisals with gender perspective considered
-Organizing meetings for the women human rights defenders network created in 2018
-Quarterly meetings for non-governmental organizations and NHRIs involving discussions on civil space and ESC rights
6- Conduct systematic and regular monitoring of the human rights situation in the region, in particular, the civic environment with a view to engaging with authorities re addressing violations or preventing recurrence
-Documenting and verifying cases in the database
-Regular public reports on the human rights situation that would include status of fundamental freedoms in the region
-Constructive dialogue with authorities to prevent, protect and address human rights violations.