| EMHRN - Home > NEWS > EMHRN Releases > EMHRN Statements 1999 |
|
| EMHRN's executive committee meeting in Copenhagen | Date: 01-02-1999 |
|
Meeting of the Executive Commitee in Copenhagen: Human Rights in the Euro-Mediterranean Region The Executive Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) which convened in Copenhagen 26-27 February 1999, and expressed its concern that Abdullah Öcalan should receive a fair and open trial, as well as its grievance about the death penalty recently enforced by the Palestinian Authorities. During the meeting the Executive Committee approved a policy paper on The Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Euro-Mediterranean Region. The paper will be submitted to the 27 Foreign Ministers of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership before the Stuttgart Summit in April 1999. The EMHRN urges the Partner countries to engage actively in the following: * promoting civil society participation in the Barcelona process by providing it all legal means to act; * developing institutional mechanisms for cooperation between civil society and the official Partnership; * promoting and protecting the rights of refugees and migrants; * engaging in conflict resolution on the basis of the respect of international humanitarian law and international human rights standards, in particular the right of self-determination. * giving high priority to human rights education and training in the Euro-Mediterranean region; * ensuring that business practices and development aid do not exacerbate human rights problems but rather contribute actively to the social progress and the combat of corruption in the countries of the Partnership; * ensuring the free movement of persons between the countries of the Partnership. The Network will, in co-operation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Forum of the Mediterranean, coordinate a conference on Human Rights, Citizenship and Civil Society Dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region in Stuttgart 15-16 April, 1999. Representatives of 150 organisations and individuals will participate in the conference. The Executive Committee furthermore discussed the Third General Assembly of the EMHRN An agenda was agreed upon, that will be presented to all the members of the Network in the forthcoming letter of invitation. The Assembly will take place in Stuttgart 13-14 April, 1999. The Executive Committee also met with representatives of the Tunisian Human Rights League who presented a brief about the human rights situation in Tunisia and the difficult working conditions of the League. Finally, different means of cooperation with the League were explored. |
|
| Back to News List |
