The League of Arab States: The Role of Regional Institutions in the Protection of Human Rights
This paper critically examines the role played by the Arab League in the protection of human rights. The League is the oldest existing organisation in the Arab region, having been established seven decades ago. It involves twenty-two states and is located on two different continents. This study will highlight the League’s efforts to promote and protect human rights in the area. The League attempted to take a significant step in this regard by adopting the Arab Charter on Human Rights in 1994 (1994 Charter).
However, this charter never entered into force, and the League was unable to surmount the regional difficulties that remained and hindered it from effectively defending human rights. The League updated the Charter in 2004, and it entered into force recently, but it has faced many criticisms in its provisions.
The main criticisms, which this study indicates, involve the wide margin given to the member states in implementing the Charter. It has been argued that the Arab Charter on Human Rights lacks efficiency, which calls into question the effectiveness of the Arab League to uphold international human rights standards. However, this paper argues that the Arab League is effective via the Arab Committee for Human Rights (Charter Committee). This effectiveness is evident from the Committee’s observations and
recommendations, which are examined by considering its prohibition of torture.
The Arab Charter on Human Rights is one of the most important developments in the human rights landscape of the Arab world. Part of the importance of the Arab Charter on Human Rights stems from…
This paper critically examines the role played by the Arab League in the protection of human rights. The League is the oldest existing organisation in the Arab region, having been established…