June 16, 2021 – The Africa-Middle East Regional Forum on “Conflict prevention and the protection of the human rights of minorities” convened online from June 15-16, 2021. The main purpose of the forum was to provide opportunities for regional insight to feed into the thematic work of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues for his report.
On behalf of AUA Americas’ Director of Human Rights and Legal Aid Department, Eilona Betkolia-Gevargiz, provided written and verbal recommendations.
The recommendations detailed the situation on the ground pertaining to Assyrians in Iraq as it is the most aberrant of those countries that operate with an institutional and civil framework. Although, the situation in Syria is markedly different given the complete breakdown of an institutional framework and of civil society therein; the recommendation focused on the important developments in Syria such as the development of a new constitution.
The detailed recommendations can be found on AUA Americas’ website.
The Forum on conflict prevention and the protection of the human rights of minorities concluded with a set of recommendations to be presented at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2022 by the Special Rapporteur on minority issues.
