Human Rights Commission, headed by Professor Rashid bin Hamad Al-Balushi, Chairman of the Commission, participated in a series of international events and meetings at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. This participation took place within the framework of the Annual Meetings of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI).
The delegation’s agenda included organizing specialized events, contributing to panel discussions, and holding coordination meetings with United Nations officials and heads of peer national institutions.
As part of its programme, the Commission organized a side event on the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights,” which featured the launch of an interactive digital identity powered by artificial intelligence for the Commission’s website.
The event began with opening remarks by Professor Rashid bin Hamad Al-Balushi, followed by presentations delivered by H.E. Maryam bint Abdullah Al-Attiyah, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar; H.E. Samar Al-Haj Hassan, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the National Centre for Human Rights in Jordan and Chair of the Asia Pacific Forum, Mr. Abdelghani Bardi, Director of Communication at the National Human Rights Council of Morocco; and Ms. Shatha bint Abdulmajid Al-Zadjali, Director of the Organizations Department at the Commission.
The Session was moderated by Katherine Tuohy-Duane Smith, Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Forum (APF), in the presence of a wide audience of UN officials and stakeholders.
The delegation’s activities also included attending the Annual Meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, during which the efforts and effectiveness of the Oman Human Rights Commission were formally acknowledged in the opening remarks delivered by H.E. Amina Bouayach, Chairperson of Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI.
The delegation further participated in the meeting of the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) and the Alliance’s annual conference, which focused on the role of national institutions in protecting human rights in the digital space. During the conference, the Chairman of the Commission delivered an intervention in the presence of H.E. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighting the Commission’s efforts to facilitate public access to its services through modern digital tools. Ms. Shatha bint Abdulmajid Al-Zadjali also delivered remarks in the closing session, emphasizing the importance of integrating technology into human rights strategies.
Within the framework of regional cooperation, the Commission contributed to an event organized by the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions entitled “Defending International Law and the Multilateral System in an Era of Regression.” The Chairman of the Commission presented a paper addressing manifestations of the decline in the international system and practical recommendations to strengthen the role of national institutions, while the Commission’s staff provided logistical and technical support for the event.
In addition, the Commission organized a mini-exhibition to showcase its efforts and publications translated into six languages, facilitating the exchange of best practices with participating delegations.
On the sidelines of these activities, the delegation held a series of bilateral coordination meetings with several international officials, most notably the Chairperson of Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI; Mr. Mohammed Ali Al-Nassour, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Section at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); and H.E. Sultan bin Hassan Al-Jamali, Secretary-General of the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions, in addition to a number of heads of peer institutions, to explore avenues for coordination and to further develop mechanisms for joint action.
