The Arab Human Right Committee: a promising mechanism in an emerging human rights system

Abstract

This research discusses the effectiveness of Arab human rights mechanisms within the League of Arab States (LAS) over the past 52 years. It argues that LAS Member States lacked interest and political will to advance human rights in the Arab world, evident by their efforts to block the development of a system that genuinely seeks to protect human rights. Instead, a primitive human rights system with varying instruments emerged within LAS, primarily to respond to international and national pressures for political reforms. This thesis also analyzes the historical and political contexts that have contributed to shaping the Arab human rights system, including the deficiencies that have undermined its development. The research focuses on the Arab Human Rights Committee (The Charter Committee), mandated by the Arab Charter on Human Rights in 2004, as a cornerstone for independent and effective human rights mechanisms. While the Charter Committee has demonstrated a level of independence and adherence to international standards over the past eight years which could strengthen the human rights system, effective engagement from civil society has remained absent. Such engagement must be required by the Charter Committee to ensure tangible protection and advancement of human rights in the Arab world.