Geneva Centre to cooperate with the League of Arab State

GENEVA: "We are working to cooperate with the League of Arab States and its specialised agencies to promote the Arab role in the United Nations system", said Dr. Hanif Al Qassim while meeting with Dr. Nabil El Araby On the sidelines of the visit of a high-level ministerial Arab delegation to Switzerland, Dr. Hanif Al- Qassim, the Chairman of the Geneva Centre has met with Dr. Nabil El Araby, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States in order to discuss the future cooperation, and to enhance the coordination related to Arab issues, particularly with regard to the work of the United Nations Human Rights Council and its related mechanisms. Dr. Hanif Al Qassim briefed the Secretary-General on the Centre’s vision, its message, and the intended goals of its establishment in Geneva, the international capital of human rights. He also provided him with an overview on the activities carried out by the Centre and its current and upcoming programmes, in addition to the role it is playing in strengthening the Arab position and performance including through providing the necessary support for the different Arab delegations in their dealings with the United Nations system. The Chairman highlighted the efforts of the Centre concerning its role in providing legal and technical assistance, as well as to the dimensions in connection with academic research, raising awareness, issuing publications, providing electronic information and various other efforts that will enhance dialogue and tolerance between the Arab region and the rest of the world. El Araby emphasised, in turn, the importance of the initiative that had led to the establishment of the Geneva Centre, especially in this particular time of challenges the Arab region is currently facing. He expressed his full support for the Centre's activities and programmes that are in line with the agenda pursued by various mechanisms of the League of Arab States. He also praised the implemented projects and programmes as well as the ongoing ones, especially with regard to developing the UN Human Rights Council mechanism of Special Procedures, and the joint activities with UN international organisations relevant to defamation of religion, criminalisation of hate speech, and renouncing sectarian fanaticism and extremism. It has been agreed between the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and the Chairman of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights and Global Dialogue to follow up on the implementation of the meeting outcomes at the level of Ambassador Mohammed Al Khamlishe, Permanent Representative to the Arab League in Geneva and Imad Zuhairi, Executive Director of the Centre, in order to identify areas for joint action and to arrive at a cooperation framework agreement between the Centre and the League of Arab States to be signed in the near future. - Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/arab/1395268978758.html