The members of the Scientific Committee of the Rabat-Driss Benzekri Institute for Human Rights were officially introduced at a ceremony held on Wednesday 15 May 2019 in Rabat, Morocco.
Amina Bouayach, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), said that the idea of setting up an international scientific committee composed of various experts, academics and actors is justified by the complexity of human rights issues.
Thus, it is no longer possible to limit human rights issues as a mere matter of a moral consciousness, which draws on goodwill and commitment to principles, stated CNDH Chairperson. It is a complex field, with a wide range of problems. It requires a minimum of knowledge, not only related to human rights components: repository of international law, mechanisms, and conferences…, but also on issues related to history, political thoughts, cultural and religious history, she added.
The scientific committee members will notably monitor the scientific quality and good practices of the institute' actions. Therefore, it will meet the requirement of consolidating the prevention of human rights violations, the effective protection of victims and the promotion of human rights.
The scientific committee is composed of foreign members namely: Marcela Cubillos Poblete, human rights activists in Chile, Katharina Rose, representative of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in Geneva, Mabassa Fall, Professor of political sciences at Cheikh AntaDiop University, Raji Sourani, lawyer and founding President of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Souhayr Belhassen, honorary president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Hanny Megally, Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation focusing on violent extremism, human rights and rule of law.
As for the Moroccan members of the Committee, they are listed as follows: Amina Bouayach CNDH Chairperson, Ahmed Chaouki Benyoub, Inter-ministerial Delegate for Human Rights, Mohamed Benalilou, the Mediator (Ombudsman), Asmae Lamrabet, member of the Academic Committee of the Musawah International Network, based in Kuala Lumpur, Mustapha Raissouni, lawyer, Hassan Tarik, Tayeb Biad and Mohamed Mhaifid, academicians and Mbarka Bouderka, human rights activist.
Several personalities, including Jean François Girou, the French ambassador to Morocco, Latifa Akherbash, High Authority for Audiovisual Communication, Ahmed Herzenni, Itinerary Ambassador in charge of human rights, Driss El Guerraoui, President of the Competition Council and Abdellah Boussouf, Secretary General of the Council of the Moroccan Community Living Abroad attended this ceremony.
Download the statement of CNDH Chairperson (Available in French)
