Beirut (24 February 2021) - The Regional Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for the Middle East and North Africa organised a virtual symposium, on Data Collection and Management in Cases of Enforced Disappearance and Approaching the Process in Lebanon, on Wednesday.

The symposium was held under the patronage of His Excellency MP Dr. Michel Moussa, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights, and featured the participation of Caretaker Information Minister Mrs. Manal Abdel Samad, the Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon and United Nations Resident,  Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms. Najat Rochdi, and the Regional Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Roueida El Hage. It was attended by a number of international and regional experts, ministers, Lebanese parliamentarians, academics and representatives of security institutions and civil society institutions in Lebanon with expertise in cases of enforced disappearance in Lebanon and the region.

The event aimed at defining the international legal frameworks related to data protection procedures and necessary tools to ensure data security. It also aimed at presenting best practices for dealing with data security and conducting assessments on how best to design and update security services and sharing lessons learnt and best practices from the region.

“The protection of personal data is linked to the protection of the privacy of each individual,” said Minister Manal Abdel Samad, adding that enforced disappearance must be addressed by the voluntary appearance of every piece of information that helps in tracking any trace of this disappearance.

Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon and United Nations Resident,  Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms. Najat Rochdi reaffirmed the United Nations “willingness to continue supporting all efforts exerted in the file of enforced disappearance in Lebanon and to assist the government in implementing the law effectively with the aim of putting an end to this illegal practise.”

As for the Ms. Roueida El Hage, Regional Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Middle East and North Africa, commended the efforts of the Lebanese authorities in adopting law 105 in 2018,  a significant step to mark a real commitment by the State to fulfil its obligations in bringing truth and justice to the families of the disappeared.

“We anticipate that this step would be a prelude to the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance,” El Hage said.

 Interactive discussions throughout the event addressed local laws related to enforced disappearance and access to information, in addition to the engagement of the International Committee of the Red Cross and its cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the Lebanese Armed Forces in this regard. The attending experts also presented successful experiences from the region in approaching cases of enforced disappearance in addition to discussing the advantages and limitations of technology in advancing human rights, particularly the case of enforced disappearances.

ENDS