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Electronic copy available at:
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1
ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE PROTECTION OF
HUMAN RIGHT UNDER THE ARAB CHARTER ON HUMAN
RIGHTS (2004)
Prof. Dr. VIJAY N. GHORMADE1
OUTLINE
I. Introduction
II. Drafting History Of The Arab Charter
III. The League Of Arab States And Middle East Human Rights
System
IV. Foundation Of The Arab Charter: Preamble
V. Rights Recognised And Protected Under The Arab Charter
VI. Nature And Scope Of The Human Rights Under The Arab
Charter
VII. Enforcement Mechanism: The Arab Human Rights Committee
VIII. Criticism Of Arab Charter
IX. Efforts Of Improvements In Arab Charter & New Trends
X. Progressive Efforts For Promotion Of Human Rights At National
Level In The Arab Countries
XI. Universal Periodic Review Of Human Rights Implementation By
International Mechanism
XII. Conclusion
Annexure: The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
I. INTRODUCTION
The Arab Charter on Human Rights (2004) which came into force in
2008 is the latest regional
human rights documents in modern history of human rights and
international law. The Arab
world is spread in Asia and Africa and some few parts have also
been extended in Europe,
however, the Arab World is not a geographical concept, it is
cultural and religious. Arab Charter
is a typically different kind of documents based on the dual
combination of supremacy of
Quranic values and contemporary norms of human rights which are
reflected in International
Covenants. The subject matter of this paper is to highlight the
main features and provide the
analytical framework of the protection of human rights under
Arab Charter of Human Rights
2004. The paper also explains the enumerated human rights in
brief. In the next part of the paper,
explanation may contextualize recognised human rights under the
Arab Charter in relations with
contemporary norms of human right enshrined in major global and
regional documents human
1 Prof. Vijay N. Ghormade is a Professor of Law, Mzumbe
University, Tanzania (East Africa). He worked as a
Professor at Chanakya National Law University, Patna, Principal
and Professor at Advani Law College (Mumbai)
and New Law College (Pune & Ahmadnagar). This paper is a
part the forthcoming book Comparative Study of the Bill of Rights
in Post-Cold War Period. Email for contact:
[email protected]
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Electronic copy available at:
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2
rights instruments. At present there are 22 countries as members
of the Arab League, mainly
from the Middle East but cut across in the continents of Asia
and Africa.2 However, only ten
members3 have ratified the human right charter.
The European Human Rights Convention and International Covenants
of 1966 are the major
and relevant documents. The comparative perspective of the human
rights study and particularly
the Arab Charter of Human Rights may reveal the strength and
weaknesses of the regional
system adopted under the documents in parlance with universal
document. This kind of study
may be helpful to the civil society to take certain stand for
certain universal issues in comparison
with human right issues of relative importance.
In the modern history of human rights instruments,
chronologically the American regional
Organisations was first one to adopt regional instruments (OASs
Declaration of 1948) for the
protection of human rights, even before the UN adopted the
Universal Declaration. Like the
Universal Declaration, the American Declaration encompasses the
entire range of human rights.
Additionally, the declaration includes an explicit list of
duties, ranging from general duties
toward society and one's children, to an individual's duty to
vote, work, and pay taxes (articles
29-38). Despite its early beginnings, the Inter-American system
of human rights progressed more
slowly than its European counterparts. Not until 1969 did the
OAS adopt the American
Convention on Human Rights, which entered into force in June of
1978. European regional
organisation has been able to adopt Convention on Human Rights
in 1950. European system
though chronologically came latter but went ahead than the
American regional system in
adopting the treaty to enforce the human right at regional
level. And then later, the African
Union has also adopted the regional document: African Charter on
Human and Peoples' Rights
1981. Continent wise there was only one continent left out that
was Asia, so far there were some
attempt in Asia Pacific to adopt regional instrument of human
right, and however, they were not
successful yet.
The Arab League was successful to establish the regional system
of human right in 2004.
This is the latest regional system of human right which is
different from the earlier existing three
regional systems. The Arab League is an regional organisation
based on cultural affinity, cut
across the continental barriers and which spread in Asia and
Africa, the common thing among
them is that all of them belong to Arab culture and Islamic by
religion. On September 15, 1994,
the Council of the League by its resolution 5437 at Cairo
adopted the first version of the Arab
Charter on Human Rights.4 However, this Charter never came into
force because no state had
ratified it. On May 2004, the Arab Summit in Tunisia finally
adopted a new (current) version of
the Arab Charter on Human Rights. Here the object of this paper
is to provide analytical
2 The founding member states were Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq,
Transjordan (now Jordan), Saudi Arabia, and
Yemen. Other members who joined later are Libya, Sudan, Tunisia,
Morocco, Kuwait, Algeria, Bahrain, Oman,
Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, Mauritania, Somalia, the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Djibouti,
and the Comoros. 3 The ten ratifying countries are: Algeria,
Bahrain, Jordan, Libya, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the
United
Arab Emirates, and Yemen. 4 The copy of the Charter is available
in 18 Human Rights Law Journal 151 (1997)
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framework of the protection of human right under the Arab
Charter of human rights which they
have adopted in 2004.
II. DRAFTING HISTORY OF THE ARAB CHARTER
In fact the drafting history of the Arab Charter on Human Rights
begins in 1960. In that year,
members of the Union of Arab Lawyers as one of the NGO,
requested the League of Arab
States5 during their meeting in Damascus to adopt an Arab
Convention on Human Rights. The
Council of Arab League in meeting at Beirut in 1968 took the
decision to establish Permanent
Arab Commission and asked the commission to prepare Charter on
Human Rights for Arab
World.6 However this Commission was preoccupied primarily with
the rights of Arabs living in
Israeli-occupied territories. It is to be noted that the states
in the Middle East were greatly
divided over some issues of human rights including the
desirability of achieving a European type
of regional system for the promotion and protection of human
rights. Many other
intergovernmental and nongovernmental bodies manifested a
continuing desire to establish
human rights protection mechanisms in the Middle East. The
Commission was to bring an Arab
Convention on Human Rights to promote the idea of human rights
in Arab states in 1990s, but it
took some more years and ultimately the in 1994, the League of
Arab States adopted the Arab
Charter on Human Rights at its 50th anniversary at Cairo.
The Charter of 1994 has 43 articles after the Preamble7. The
Charter proclaims essentially the
same rights as those embodied in the other international and
regional human rights instruments.
The main weakness with the 1994 version was the lack of any
human rights enforcement
mechanism, particularly in comparison to the mechanisms within
the European and American
Conventions on Human Rights, and the African Charter on Human
and Peoples Rights.
Following the passage of the Arab Charter there was increasing
criticism of its deficiencies by
experts, NGOs, academics and others. The Charter of 1994 could
not come into force, because
the lack of required number of (seven States) ratification.
The Leagues adoption of the Arab Charter was critical because
the Charter of the League
makes no mention of human rights. Numerous meetings and
conferences were organized in
Europe and in the Arab World to pressure Arab governments to
amend the Charter. The Council
of the League of Arab States adopted resolutions in 2002 to
modernize the Charter of 1994
through the Arab Standing Committee on Human Rights. In a
resolution passed on January 10,
2003, the Arab Commission on Human Rights invited the Arab
States to submit observations and
proposals to improve the Charter, with a promise that the
Commission would examine the
Charter again in January 2004. On a parallel track, the High
Commissioner for Human Rights
5 See R. Macdonald, The League of Arab Stares, a Study in the
Dynamics of Regional Organisation. Princeton, New
Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1965 6 See R Daoudi, Human
Rights Commission of the Arab States, Encyclopedia of Public
International Law, Volume
Two, 1995. 7 See this first version in Human Rights Law Journal
(HRLJ), 29 August 1997, Vol. 18 N. 1-4, p. 151.
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invited many Arab experts for a meeting in Cairo in December
2003 to present and discuss
proposals to improve the Charter.
The revised draft (new version) of the Charter came into
existence after a process of
consultation with Member States, independent experts and
nongovernmental organizations in
2004, and ultimately the Arab Charter on Human Rights was
adopted during the 16th Ordinary
Session of the Arab Summit which was held on 23 May 2004 in
Tunis.8 According to article 49
of the Charter, seven Member States must ratify it in order for
the Charter to enter into force.
Accordingly the Arab Charter on Human Rights came into force on
15 March 2008 after the
sufficient number of ratification (seven States). The 2004 Arab
Charter on Human Rights is now
a binding treaty. The Charter is now becomes reality, concerned
groups and individuals will have
to mount a significant campaign to persuade the more number of
Arab states should for
ratification. The Charter reflects the demands and aspirations
of the people of the Arab world,
and that it reflects their desire for a meaningful, enforceable
human rights system in their region.
The new version of the Charter contains 53 articles after the
Preamble, which remains
essentially the same as in the first version.9 The Arab Charter
affirms the principles contained in
the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and
the International Covenants on
Human Rights and the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
(1990). The Arab Charter
provide protection to well recognized and conventional
categories of human rights taking into
account most of the core values of human rights related with
right to liberty and security of
persons, equality of persons, protection of persons from
torture, etc. The Charter also provides
for the election of a seven-person Arab Committee for Human
Rights, as independent and
properly resourced body to consider States' reports. This fact
have welcomed by world leaders
and expressed the hope that this body will monitor the Charter
so that it will make the Charter
most effective and efficient. However, some of the features of
the Charter were subject to
criticism.
III. THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES AND MIDDLE EAST HUMAN RIGHTS
SYSTEM
The Arab Charter is a product of the efforts made by the League
of Arab States which is a
regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East, formed
in Cairo on March 22, 1945. It is
necessary to have a brief introduction of organisation of the
League of Arab State. At present
there are 22 member countries of the organisation mainly from
the Middle East but cut across in
both the continents: Asia and Africa. The founding member states
were Egypt, Syria, Lebanon,
Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Other
members who joined later are
Libya (1953), Sudan (1956), Tunisia and Morocco (1958), Kuwait
(1961), Algeria (1962),
8 Resolutions of the Council of Ministers of the League of Arab
States: 6184 March 2002, 6243 September 2002 and
6302/119 (Part II) March 2003,
www.arableagueonline.org/las/index.jsp, Mervat Rishmawi, The
Revised Arab Charter on Human Rights: A Step Forward? 5:3 (2005)
pp. 3623. 9 Mohammed Amin Al-Midani, The Enforcement Mechanisms of
the Arab Charter on Human Rights and the Need
for an Arab Court of Human Rights:
http://www.acihl.org/article.htm?article_id=22, accessed on 24 June
2010
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Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (1971),
Mauritania (1973), Somalia (1974),
the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; 1976), Djibouti
(1977) and the Comoros (1993).
The aims of the Arab League in 1945 were to strengthen and
coordinate the political,
cultural, economic, and social programs of its members and to
mediate disputes among them or
between them and third parties. The agreement among members
signed on April 13, 1950
expresses the commitment for joint defense and economic
cooperation and also coordination of
military defense measures. In its early years, the Arab League
concentrated mainly on economic,
cultural, and social programs. In 1959 it held the first Arab
Petroleum Congress and in 1964
established the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific
Organization (ALECSO). The
Arab League faced various internal as well as external problems.
Initially, because of the Egypts
agreement with Israel and then later the Iraqi invasion of
Kuwait in 1990 and the later
involvement, at the request of Saudi Arabia, of Western
countriesmainly the United Statesin
rescuing Kuwait from Iraq caused a deep rift in the League.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria,
Morocco, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates,
Lebanon, Djibouti, and Somalia
endorsed the presence of foreign troops in Saudi Arabia, whereas
the others are critical.
In 1960 at Damascus in Leagues meeting, there was a demand from
NGO for the human
rights document at regional level in Arab World. The Arab League
established the Permanent
Commission and its efforts culminated into the adoption of Arab
Charter on Human Rights in
1994. As mentioned above, the Charter of 1994 then had to revise
because of some of defects in
it and also because of non-ratification by the member states.
The revised charter came into
existence in 2004.
It is to be noted that the universal character of human rights
is already objected by many
Asian and African countries at regional and international forum,
particularly the diversity and
relativity of human rights norms are justified on the name of
cultures in the east predominantly
by the proponents of Islamic, Hindu or Chinese culture. They are
critical about the western
orientation of the human rights. The human right idea in the
Middle East is based on the
harmonization of both the view-points: on one hand the Charter
of the United Nations, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the provisions of the
International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, and on the other hand, full regards to the Cairo
Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
(1990), and the Islamic jurisprudence (religious views). The
human rights in the Middle East
were to build on such diverse sources. It may also be mentioned
that whatever the current
attitudes and policies of governments and their regional groups
subscribes, the reality of popular
demands for human rights, including both greater economic
justice and greater political freedom,
is beyond debate. A deepening and widening concern for the
promotion and protection of human
rights on all fronts, accelerated by the ideal of
self-determination in a postcolonial era, is now
unmistakably woven into the fabric of contemporary world
affairs.
The League of Arab States ultimately approved an Arab Charter on
Human Rights in
September 1994. In 2004, an acceptable version of the Charter
was brought into force in 2008.
This Charter provides for periodic reports to the independent
Human Rights Committee of
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Experts apparently empowered to request and study reports and
submit its own findings to the
Council. Except this body there is no other institution or
procedures for monitoring human rights
are specified in the Charter.
IV. FOUNDATION OF THE ARAB CHARTER: PREAMBLE
The preamble of the Arab Charter laid down the fundamental
principles on which the Charter of
Human Rights is based. The Preamble take into account the
Omnipresence and Omnipotent
Almighty, cultural history and role of the Arab Nations in
spreading knowledge, Islamic
religious principles such as fraternity, equality and tolerance
principle, unit of Arab world,
principle of self-determination and sovereignty, at the same
time indivisible and interdependence
among human rights. It says:
Based on the faith of the Arab nation in the dignity of the
human person whom God has
exalted ever since the beginning of creation and in the fact
that the Arab homeland is the
cradle of religions and civilizations whose lofty human values
affirm the human right to a
decent life based on freedom, justice and equality.
In furtherance of the eternal principles of fraternity, equality
and tolerance among human
beings consecrated by the noble Islamic religion and the other
divinely-revealed religions,
Being proud of the humanitarian values and principles that the
Arab nation has established
throughout its long history, which have played a major role in
spreading knowledge between
East and West, so making the region a point of reference for the
whole world and a
destination for seekers of knowledge and wisdom,
Believing in the unity of the Arab nation, which struggles for
its freedom and defends the
right of nations to self-determination, to the preservation of
their wealth and to development;
believing in the sovereignty of the law and its contribution to
the protection of universal and
interrelated human rights and convinced that the human person's
enjoyment of freedom,
justice and equality of opportunity is a fundamental measure of
the value of any society,
The Arab Charter made clear that it reject all forms of racism
and Zionism, which constitute a
violation of human rights and a threat to international peace
and security. This shows the
recognition of the close link that exists between human rights
and international peace and
security, and also reaffirmation of the principles of the
Charter of the United Nations, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the provisions of the
International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, and having regard to the Cairo Declaration on Human
Rights in Islam.
V. RIGHTS RECOGNISED & PROTECTED UNDER THE ARAB CHARTER
The Arab Charter on Human Rights protects civil, cultural,
economic, political and social rights.
Article 2 of the Charter is very similar to the Article 2
article in the International Covenants of
1966 concerning the rights of people to self-determination, to
control their natural wealth and
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resources, to freely determine the form of their political
structure and to freely pursue their
economic, social and cultural development. The rights recognised
in the Charter can be classified
into two categories:
The first category concerns civil and political rights which are
concerns with person in
individual capacity and majority of them are negative rights:
the right to life (articles 5, 6 and
7)8; the right not to be subjected to torture, inhuman or
degrading treatment (articles 8, 9, 18 and
20); the right to be free from slavery (article 10); the right
to security of the person (articles 14
and 18); the right of all persons to be equal before the law
(article 12); the rights to due process
and fair trial (articles 13, 15, 16, 17 and 19); the right to
freedom of movement (articles 24, 26
and 27); the right of respect for private and family life
(article 21); the right of political asylum
(article 28); the right to acquire a nationality (article 29);
liberty of thought, belief and religion
(article 30); the right of private property (article 31); the
right of information and liberty of
opinion, expression and research (article 32); the right to full
consent to marriage (article 33).
The second category concerns economic, social and cultural
rights and they demands some
positive actions from State and they are also more collectives
than the individualistic character:
the right to work (article 34); the right to form trade unions
(article 35); the right to social
protection (article 36); the right of development (article 37);
the right of education (article 41);
the right to participate in cultural life (article 42); rights
of minorities (article 25).
What is new and important in the new version is the confirmation
of equality between men
and women in the Arab World (article 3 & 1). The new version
also guarantees childrens rights
(article 34 & 3) and the rights of handicapped persons
(article 40).
The Arab Charter States parties undertake to implement and
protect the following rights and
freedoms as:
1. Right to non-discrimination: the right of all individuals to
enjoy the rights and freedoms in
the Charter without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex,
language, religious belief,
opinion, thought, national or social origin, wealth, birth or
physical or mental disability
(article 3);
2. the right to life (article 5);
3. freedom from torture (article 8);
4. the right to equality before the law and the equal protection
of the law (article 11);
5. the right to privacy: no one is to be subject to arbitrary or
unlawful interference with their
privacy, family, home or correspondence (article 21);
6. the right to political participation (article 24);
7. the freedom of movement and residence (article 26);
8. the prohibition of collective expulsions of aliens (article
26);
9. the right to nationality (article 29);
10. the freedom of thought, conscience and religion (article
30);
11. the right to own property (article 31);
12. the right to information and freedom of opinion and
expression (article 32);
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13. the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas
(article 32);
14. the protection, survival, development and well-being of the
child (article 33);
15. the right of workers to enjoy just and favorable work
conditions (article 34);
16. the right to join or form trade unions (article 35);
17. the right to an adequate standard of living which includes
access to food, clothing, housing,
services and the right to a healthy environment (article
38);
18. the right to health (article 39);
19. the right to education (article 41); and
20. the right to participate in cultural activities (article
42).
21. The Charter, moreover, guarantees that anyone whose rights
or freedoms recognized within
the Charter are violated will have an effective remedy,
notwithstanding that the violation has
been committed by persons acting in an official capacity
(article 23).
Limitations of the rights contained in the Charter
The Charter permits States parties to take measures derogating
from their obligations under the
Charter in exceptional situations of emergency which threaten
the life of the nation (article 4).
States parties may only take such measures if they have
officially proclaimed such an
emergency, where such measures are not inconsistent with their
other obligations under
international law and do not involve discrimination solely on
grounds of race, colour, sex,
language, religion or social origin. There are, however,
provisions within the Charter from which
no derogation is permissible such as, for example, the right to
life, freedom from torture,
freedom from slavery, right to a fair trial and the right to not
be imprisoned for being unable to
pay a debt arising from a contractual obligation (article
4).
VI. NATURE & SCOPE OF HUMAN RIGHTS UNDER THE ARAB
CHARTER
Article 1: Human rights is universal, indivisible,
interdependent, interrelated and at the
center of national concerns
The present Charter seeks, within the context of the national
identity of the Arab States and their sense of
belonging to a common civilization, to achieve the following
aims:
1. To place human rights at the centre of the key national
concerns of Arab States, making them lofty
and fundamental ideals that shape the will of the individual in
Arab States and enable him to improve
his life in accordance with noble human values.
2. To teach the human person in the Arab States pride in his
identity, loyalty to his country, attachment
to his land, history and common interests and to instill in him
a culture of human brotherhood,
tolerance and openness towards others, in accordance with
universal principles and values and with
those proclaimed in international human rights instruments.
3. To prepare the new generations in Arab States for a free and
responsible life in a civil society that is
characterized by solidarity, founded on a balance between
awareness of rights and respect for
obligations, and governed by the values of equality, tolerance
and moderation.
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4. To entrench the principle that all human rights are
universal, indivisible, interdependent and
interrelated.
Under Article 1 of Arab Charter intend to place human rights at
the centre of the key national
concerns and to teach pride in his identity and loyalty to his
country and to instill in him a culture
of human brotherhood, tolerance and openness towards others, in
accordance with universal
principles and values and with those proclaimed in international
human rights instruments. In
order to prepare the new generations a free and responsible life
in a civil society that is
characterized by solidarity, founded on a balance between
awareness of rights and respect for
obligations, and governed by the values of equality, tolerance
and moderation. This article also
recognizes all human rights are universal, indivisible,
interdependent and interrelated and also
entrenched. The claim of Arab Charter in this article is in
concord with the philosophy of modern
human rights which have been evolved in the post war period. The
effort is to reconcile Arab
culture of responsibility, brotherhood, pride, solidarity with
right approach of western
civilization.
Article 2: Right of self determination
1. All peoples have the right of self-determination and to
control over their natural wealth and resources,
and the right to freely choose their political system and to
freely pursue their economic, social and
cultural development.
2. All peoples have the right to national sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
3. All forms of racism, Zionism and foreign occupation and
domination constitute an impediment to
human dignity and a major barrier to the exercise of the
fundamental rights of peoples; all such
practices must be condemned and efforts must be deployed for
their elimination.
4. All peoples have the right to resist foreign occupation.
Article 2 of the Arab Charter guarantees the right of
self-determination. All peoples have the
right of self-determination and the right to national
sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is
important to note this article declared that all forms of
racism, Zionism and foreign occupation
constitute an impediment to human dignity and therefore such
practices must be condemned and
efforts must be deployed for their elimination. The Charter
recognizes that peoples have the right
to resist foreign occupation.
Article 3: Right of non-discrimination
1. Each State party to the present Charter undertakes to ensure
to all individuals subject to its jurisdiction
the right to enjoy the rights and freedoms set forth herein,
without distinction on grounds of race, colour,
sex, language, religious belief, opinion, thought, national or
social origin, wealth, birth or physical or
mental disability.
2. The States parties to the present Charter shall take the
requisite measures to guarantee effective
equality in the enjoyment of all the rights and freedoms
enshrined in the present Charter in order to ensure
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protection against all forms of discrimination based on any of
the grounds mentioned in the preceding
paragraph.
3. Men and women are equal in respect of human dignity, rights
and obligations within the framework of
the positive discrimination established in favour of women by
the Islamic Shariah, other divine laws and
by applicable laws and legal instruments. Accordingly, each
State party pledges to take all the requisite
measures to guarantee equal opportunities and effective equality
between men and women in the
enjoyment of all the rights set out in this Charter.
Article 3 of Arab Charter guaranteed right of non-discrimination
by declaring all individuals
have right to enjoy the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Charter without any qualification
such as race, colour, sex, language, religious belief, opinion,
thought, national or social origin,
wealth, birth or physical or mental disability. The right of
non-discrimination also have positive
dimension, the this article direct the State should take the
requisite measures to guarantee
effective equality in the enjoyment of all the rights and
freedoms in order to ensure protection
against all forms of discrimination based on any of the grounds
mentioned above.
It also declared that men and women are equal in respect of
human dignity, rights and
obligations within the framework of the positive discrimination
established in favor of women by
the Islamic Sharias and laws. Therefore, State parties are under
a responsibility to take all the
requisite measures to guarantee equal opportunities and
effective equality between men and
women.
Article 4: No Derogation from Human rights
1. In exceptional situations of emergency which threaten the
life of the nation and the existence of which
is officially proclaimed, the States parties to the present
Charter may take measures derogating from their
obligations under the present Charter, to the extent strictly
required by the exigencies of the situation,
provided that such measures are not inconsistent with their
other obligations under international law and
do not involve discrimination solely on the grounds of race,
colour, sex, language, religion or social
origin.
2. In exceptional situations of emergency, no derogation shall
be made from the following articles: article
5, article 8, article 9, article 10, article 13, article 14,
paragraph 6, article 15, article 18, article 19, article
20, article 22, article 27, article 28, article 29 and article
30. In addition, the judicial guarantees required
for the protection of the aforementioned rights may not be
suspended.
3. Any State party to the present Charter availing itself of the
right of derogation shall immediately
inform the other States parties, through the intermediary of the
Secretary-General of the League of Arab
States, of the provisions from which it has derogated and of the
reasons by which it was actuated. A
further communication shall be made, through the same
intermediary, on the date on which it terminates
such derogation.
Article 4 of the Arab Charter guarantees non derogation from
human rights in public emergency.
When there is an exceptional situation of emergency which
threaten the life of the nation and the
existence of which is officially proclaimed, the States may take
measures derogating from their
human right obligations, to the extent strictly required by the
exigencies of the situation. Such
measures should not be inconsistent with their other obligations
under international law and do
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not involve discrimination solely on the grounds of race,
colour, sex, language, religion or social
origin.
However, in exceptional situations of emergency, no derogation
shall be made from the
articles: article 5 (right to life), article 8 to 10, article 13
and 14 (6), article 15, article 18 to 20,
article 22, article 27 to 30. In addition, the judicial
guarantees required for the protection of the
aforementioned rights may not be suspended. State, is also
responsible when availing the right of
derogation, to inform immediately to other States through the
Secretary-General of the League of
Arab States about the derogation when started with reasons and
also when such derogation
terminates.
Article 5: Right to Life
1. Every human being has the inherent right to life.
2. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be
arbitrarily deprived of his life
Article 5 guarantees right to life as human being possess it
inherently. Right to life shall be
protected by law and no arbitrary deprivation of life is
allowed. However, the right to life is not
absolute. The person can be deprived by laws which are
non-arbitrary.
Article 6: Death Penalty only for most serious Crime
Sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious
crimes in accordance with the laws in force
at the time of commission of the crime and pursuant to a final
judgment rendered by a competent court.
Anyone sentenced to death shall have the right to seek pardon or
commutation of the sentence.
Article 6 provides that death sentence may be imposed only for
the most serious crimes. The
condition is it should in accordance with the laws in force at
the time of commission of the crime
and pursuant to a final judgment rendered by a competent court.
Such person shall have the right
to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence. What are the
crimes comes in the category of
most serious crime, is a question to be determined on the basis
of domestic legal system.
Article 7: No Death Penalty on minor and woman pregnant or
nursing
1. Sentence of death shall not be imposed on persons under 18
years of age, unless otherwise stipulated in
the laws in force at the time of the commission of the
crime.
2. The death penalty shall not be inflicted on a pregnant woman
prior to her delivery or on a nursing
mother within two years from the date of her delivery; in all
cases, the best interests of the infant shall be
the primary consideration.
Section 7 prohibits the death sentence on persons below 18 years
of age, unless otherwise
stipulated in the laws in force at the time of the commission of
the crime. The death sentence is
also prohibited for a pregnant woman prior to her delivery or on
a nursing mother within two
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12
years from the date of her delivery; in all cases, the best
interests of the infant shall be the
primary consideration.
Article 8: Prohibition of Torture, Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment
1. No one shall be subjected to physical or psychological
torture or to cruel, degrading, humiliating or
inhuman treatment.
2. Each State party shall protect every individual subject to
its jurisdiction from such practices and shall
take effective measures to prevent them. The commission of, or
participation in, such acts shall be
regarded as crimes that are punishable by law and not subject to
any statute of limitations. Each State
party shall guarantee in its legal system redress for any victim
of torture and the right to rehabilitation and
compensation.
Section 8 prohibits the physical or psychological torture or to
cruel, degrading, humiliating or
inhuman treatment. State is bound to protect every individual
from such practices and shall take
effective measures to prevent them. The commission of torture
shall be regarded as crimes and
not subject to any statute of limitations. State has to
guarantee in its legal system redress for any
victim of torture and the right to rehabilitation and
compensation.
Article 9: No medical experimentation or use of organ without
consent
No one shall be subjected to medical or scientific
experimentation or to the use of his organs without his
free consent and full awareness of the consequences and provided
that ethical, humanitarian and
professional rules are followed and medical procedures are
observed to ensure his personal safety
pursuant to the relevant domestic laws in force in each State
party. Trafficking in human organs is
prohibited in all circumstances.
Article 9 guarantees that person should not be subjected to
medical or scientific experimentation
or to the use of his organs without his free consent. While the
consent is obtained he should be
given full awareness of the consequences. It is also necessary
that ethical, humanitarian and
professional rules must be followed and medical procedures are
observed to ensure his personal
safety pursuant. This article also declared that trafficking in
human organs is prohibited in all
circumstances.
Article 10: Prohibition of Slavery and Trafficking
1. All forms of slavery and trafficking in human beings are
prohibited and are punishable by law. No one
shall be held in slavery and servitude under any
circumstances.
2. Forced labor, trafficking in human beings for the purposes of
prostitution or sexual exploitation, the
exploitation of the prostitution of others or any other form of
exploitation or the exploitation of children
in armed conflict are prohibited.
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13
Article 10 prohibit slavery and trafficking in human beings in
all its form. It is declared offence
as punishable by law. The person shall not be held in slavery
and servitude under any
circumstances. There are numerous form and manifestation of
slavery or trafficking, such as
forced labor, trafficking in human beings for the purposes of
prostitution or sexual exploitation,
the exploitation of the prostitution of others or any other form
of exploitation or the exploitation
of children in armed conflict- all these manifestations are
prohibited.
Article 11: Equality before law
All persons are equal before the law and have the right to enjoy
its protection without discrimination.
Article 11 declared that all persons are equal before the law.
This is a negative aspect of the
equality. The positive side of the equality is also declared by
this Article as all persons have the
right to enjoy its protection without discrimination.
Article 12: Equality before courts and independence of
judiciary
All persons are equal before the courts and tribunals. The
States parties shall guarantee the independence
of the judiciary and protect magistrates against any
interference, pressure or threats. They shall also
guarantee every person subject to their jurisdiction the right
to seek a legal remedy before courts of all
levels.
Article 12 guarantees three kinds of rights, firstly that all
persons are equal before the courts and
tribunals. Secondly that the States should provide guarantee of
the independence of the judiciary
and protection of magistrates against any interference, pressure
or threats. Thirdly, the state shall
also guarantee of the right of a person to seek a legal remedy
before courts of all levels.
Article 13: Right to fair trial
1. Everyone has the right to a fair trial that affords adequate
guarantees before a competent, independent
and impartial court that has been constituted by law to hear any
criminal charge against him or to decide
on his rights or his obligations. Each State party shall
guarantee to those without the requisite financial
resources legal aid to enable them to defend their rights.
2. Trials shall be public, except in exceptional cases that may
be warranted by the interests of justice in a
society that respects human freedoms and rights.
Article 13 guarantees for the fair trial and opportunity of
hearing. Everyone has the right to a fair
trial that affords adequate guarantees before Court. This court
is a competent, independent and
impartial established by law. It is also necessary to have
financial arrangement to provide legal
aid to enable them to defend their rights. The Trials shall be
held in public, except in the interests
of justice.
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Article 14: Right to Liberty and security and rights of arrested
person
1. Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No
one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest,
search or detention without a legal warrant.
2. No one shall be deprived of-his liberty except on such
grounds and in such circumstances as is
determined by law and in accordance with such procedure as is
established thereby.
3. Anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at the time of
arrest, in a language that he understands, of
the reasons for his arrest and shall be promptly informed of any
charges against him. He shall be entitled
to contact his family members.
4. Anyone who is deprived of his liberty by arrest or detention
shall have the right to request a medical
examination and must be informed of that right.
5. Anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge shall be
brought promptly before a judge or other
officer authorized by law to exercise judicial power and shall
be entitled to trial within a reasonable time
or to release. His release may be subject to guarantees to
appear for trial. Pre-trial detention shall in no
case be the general rule.
6. Anyone who is deprived of his liberty by arrest or detention
shall be entitled to petition a competent
court in order that it may decide without delay on the
lawfulness of his arrest or detention and order his
release if the arrest or detention is unlawful.
7. Anyone who has been the victim of arbitrary or unlawful
arrest or detention shall be entitled to
compensation.
Article 14 provides right to liberty and security. There are
number of components of this right.
Firstly, the person shall not be subjected to arbitrary arrest,
search or detention without a legal
warrant. Secondly the person shall not be deprived of his
liberty except procedure established by
law. Thirdly, the arrested person shall be informed about the
reasons for his arrest in the
language which he understands and he shall be entitled to
contact his family members. Fourthly,
such person has the right to request a medical examination and
must be informed of that right.
Fifthly, arrested person on a criminal charge shall be brought
promptly before a judge and shall
be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to release.
Detention before the trial shall not be
the general rule. Sixthly, arrested person is entitled to make
petition in a competent court to
decide the legality and order his release if the arrest is
unlawful. Lastly, person who has been the
victim of arbitrary or unlawful arrest is entitling for
compensation.
Article 15: No crime or punishment without law
No crime and no penalty can be established without a prior
provision of the law. In all circumstances, the
law most favorable to the defendant shall be applied.
Article 15 has provided two guarantees to the person, firstly,
there is no crime and no penalty
without established law, and secondly, the law which is the most
favorable to the defendant shall
be applied in every circumstance.
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Article 16: Presumption of Innocence until proved guilty and
Rights of Detenues
Everyone charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed
innocent until proved guilty by a final
judgment rendered according to law and, in the course of the
investigation and trial, he shall enjoy the
following minimum guarantees:
1. The right to be informed promptly, in detail and in a
language which he understands, of the charges
against him.
2. The right to have adequate time and facilities for the
preparation of his defense and to be allowed to
communicate with his family.
3. The right to be tried in his presence before an ordinary
court and to defend himself in person or through
a lawyer of his own choosing with whom he can communicate freely
and confidentially.
4. The right to the free assistance of a lawyer who will defend
him if he cannot defend himself or if the
interests of justice so require, and the right to the free
assistance of an interpreter if he cannot understand
or does not speak the language used in court.
5. The right to examine or have his lawyer examines the
prosecution witnesses and to on defense
according to the conditions applied to the prosecution
witnesses.
6. The right not to be compelled to testify against himself or
to confess guilt.
7. The right, if convicted of the crime, to file an appeal in
accordance with the law before a higher
tribunal.
8. The right to respect for his security of person and his
privacy in all circumstances.
Article 16 provides the guarantees of the principles of criminal
justice available to accused under
modern criminal law. The person charged with offence shall be
presumed innocent until proved
guilty and in the course of the investigation and trial, he
enjoy some minimum eight guarantees:
the right to be informed the charges promptly in a language
which he understands; the right to
have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his
defense; the right to be tried in his
presence before an ordinary court and to defend himself in
person or through a lawyer of his own
choosing; the right to the free assistance of a lawyer and if
needed interpreter; the right to
examine the prosecution witnesses; the right not to be compelled
to testify against himself; the
right to file an appeal before a higher tribunal; the right to
respect security of person and privacy
in all circumstances. These all the eight rights to be
guaranteed under the domestic criminal to
every accused facing a trial or prosecution.
Article 17: Protection and Special treatment to Juvenile
Each State party shall ensure in particular to any child at risk
or any delinquent charged with an offence
the right to a special legal system for minors in all stages of
investigation, trial and enforcement of
sentence, as well as to special treatment that takes account of
his age, protects his dignity, facilitates his
rehabilitation and reintegration and enables him to play a
constructive role in society.
Article 17 provides the special protection to the juvenile.
State shall ensure that any child
charged with an offence, he has a right to a special legal
system in all stages of investigation,
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trial and enforcement of sentence. The child also deserves to
get a special treatment that takes
account of his age and dignity which facilitates his
rehabilitation and reintegration.
Article 18: No Imprisonment for inability of contractual
obligation
No one who is shown by a court to be unable to pay a debt
arising from a contractual obligation shall be
imprisoned.
Article 18 prohibits the imprisonment for the person who is
unable to pay a debt arising from a
contractual obligation.
Article 19: Protection from Double Jeopardy
1. No one may be tried twice for the same offence. Anyone
against whom such proceedings are brought
shall have the right to challenge their legality and to demand
his release.
2. Anyone whose innocence is established by a final judgment
shall be entitled to compensation for the
damage suffered.
Article 19 provides the guarantees of criminal justice to
person. The person may not be tried
twice for the same offence, which is known as guarantee against
double jeopardy. If person face
such proceedings shall have the right to challenge their
legality and to demand his release. The
person establishes his innocence by a final judgment is entitled
to compensation.
Article 20: Prisoners right to be treated with humanity
1. All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with
humanity and with respect for the inherent
dignity of the human person.
2. Persons in pre-trial detention shall be separated from
convicted persons and shall be treated in a
manner consistent with their status as un-convicted persons.
3. The aim of the penitentiary system shall be to reform
prisoners and effect their social rehabilitation.
Article 20 provides the right of prisoners to be treated with
dignity. The person deprived of his
liberty is entitled to get respect to the inherent dignity of
the human person and humanity. If the
person is in detention, the pre-trial detunes shall kept be
separate from convicted persons and are
entitled to be treated as un-convicted persons. The aim of the
prison system should be to reform
the person and facilitates his social rehabilitation but not to
punish them.
Article 21: Right to Privacy
1. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful
interference with regard to his privacy, family, home
or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honour or his
reputation.
2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against
such interference or attacks.
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Article 21 prohibited the interference or attack on right to
privacy. The right to privacy has wider
dimension. The person shall not be subjected to arbitrary or
unlawful interference in his privacy,
family, home or correspondence or to unlawful attacks on his
honour or his reputation. The
person has the right to the protection of the law against such
interference or attacks. Thus, the
right to privacy includes protection from arbitrary interference
in the home and correspondence;
and also the protection from attack on honour or reputation.
Article 22: Right of Recognition as a Person
Everyone shall have the right to recognition as a person before
the law.
Article 22 provides that the person have the right to
recognition as a person before the law.
Article 23: Right to effective Remedy
Each State party to the present Charter undertakes to ensure
that any person whose rights or freedoms as
herein recognized are violated shall have an effective remedy,
notwithstanding that the violation has been
committed by persons acting in an official capacity.
Article 23 provides for the right to effective remedy. Any
person whose rights or freedoms are
violated is entitled for an effective remedy. There is no excuse
to person even if the person has
acting in an official capacity.
Article 24: Right to participate in public affairs and
politics
Every citizen has the right:
1. To freely pursue a political activity.
2 To take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or
through freely chosen representatives.
3. To stand for election or choose his representatives in free
and impartial elections, in conditions of
equality among all citizens that guarantee the free expression
of his will.
4. To the opportunity to gain access, on an equal footing with
others, to public office in his country in
accordance with the principle of equality of opportunity.
5. To freely form and join associations with others.
6. To freedom of association and peaceful assembly.
7. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of these rights
other than those which are prescribed by
law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the
interests of national security or public safety,
public health or morals or the protection of the rights and
freedoms of others.
Article 24 provides the right to citizen (as this right is not
available to every person) to pursue
political activities including to take part in the conduct of
public affairs, to contest election or
choose his representatives and also to the opportunity to gain
access to public office in his
country in accordance with the principle of equality of
opportunity.
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The article 24 also recognizes the right of freedom to form and
join associations and peaceful
assembly. There shall not be any restrictions on the exercise of
these rights other than those
which are prescribed by law.
The restrictions must be justifiable in a democratic society in
the interests of national security
or public safety, public health or morals or the protection of
the rights and freedoms of others.
Article 25: Right to Minorities
Persons belonging to minorities shall not be denied the right to
enjoy their own culture, to use their own
language and to practice their own religion. The exercise of
these rights shall be governed by law.
Article 25 provides Persons belonging to minorities shall not be
denied the right to enjoy their
own culture, to use their own language and to practice their own
religion. The exercise of these
rights shall be governed by law.
Article 26: Right to Freedom of movement and protection from
expulsion
1. Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State party
shall, within that territory, have the right to
freedom of movement and to freely choose his residence in any
part of that territory in conformity with
the laws in force.
2. No State party may expel a person who does not hold its
nationality but is lawfully in its territory,
other than in pursuance of a decision reached in accordance with
law and after that person has been
allowed to submit a petition to the competent authority, unless
compelling reasons of national security
preclude it. Collective expulsion is prohibited under all
circumstances.
Article 26 provides the right to freedom of movement within the
country. The person who is
lawfully within the territory of a State, shall have the right
to freedom of movement and to freely
choose his residence in any part of the territory in conformity
with the laws in force.
The State may not expel a foreigner but is lawfully in its
territory. The decision of expulsion
must be taken in accordance with law and after that person has
been allowed to submit a petition
to the competent authority. The person may be expelled for
compelling reasons of national
security; however, the collective expulsion is prohibited under
all circumstances.
Article 27: Right to reside, leave and return the country
1. No one may be arbitrarily or unlawfully prevented from
leaving any country, including his own, nor
prohibited from residing, or compelled to reside, in any part of
that country.
2. No one may be exiled from his country or prohibited from
returning thereto.
Article 27 prohibits the state to prevent the person from the
residence, leaving the country and
return back to country. The person may not be arbitrarily or
unlawfully prevented from leaving
any country, nor prohibited from residing, or compelled to
reside, in any part of that country.
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This right also includes that person may not be exiled from his
country or prohibited from
returning thereto.
Article 28: Right to political asylum
Everyone has the right to seek political asylum in another
country in order to escape persecution. This
right may not be invoked by persons facing prosecution for an
offence under ordinary law. Political
refugees may not be extradited.
Article 28 provides the right to seek political asylum. The
person has the right to seek political
asylum in another country in order to escape persecution.
However, this right is not available to
person who is facing prosecution for an offence under ordinary
law. This article also prohibits
the extradition of political refugees.
Article 29: Right to Nationality
1. Everyone has the right to nationality. No one shall be
arbitrarily or unlawfully deprived of his
nationality.
2. States parties shall take such measures as they deem
appropriate, in accordance with their domestic
laws on nationality, to allow a child to acquire the mother's
nationality, having due regard, in all cases, to
the best interests of the child.
3. Non one shall be denied the right to acquire another
nationality, having due regard for the domestic
legal procedures in his country.
Article 30 declares every person have the right to nationality.
The issues in the right of
nationality are involved: denial of nationality, nationality to
newly born children and acquiring
nationality of another country. According article 30, the person
shall not be arbitrarily or
unlawfully deprived of his nationality by the state. States is
under a responsibility to take such
measures to allow a child to acquire the mother's nationality.
In such cases the best interests of
the child is to be considered. The person shall not be denied
the right to acquire another
nationality.
Article 30: Right to Thought, conscience and religion
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion and no restrictions may be
imposed on the exercise of such freedoms except as provided for
by law.
2. The freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs or to
perform religious observances, either alone or in
community with others, shall be subject only to such limitations
as are prescribed by law and are
necessary in a tolerant society that respects human rights and
freedoms for the protection of public safety,
public order, public health or morals or the fundamental rights
and freedoms of others.
3. Parents or guardians have the freedom to provide for the
religious and moral education of their
children.
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Article 30 provides the right to freedom of thought, conscience
and religion subject to the
restrictions only imposed by law. However, the freedom to
manifest one's religion either alone or
in community with others shall be subject to limitations as
prescribed only by law. These
restrictions justifiable in a tolerant society that respects
human rights and freedoms for the
protection of public safety, public order, public health or
morals or the fundamental rights and
freedoms of others. The parents have the freedom to provide
religious and moral education to
their children.
Article 31: Right to Property
Everyone has a guaranteed right to own private property, and
shall not under any circumstances be
arbitrarily or unlawfully divested of all or any part of his
property.
Article 31 guarantees every person a right to own private
property. In any circumstances
property of a person shall not be arbitrarily or unlawfully
divested of all or any part from him.
Article 32: Right to Information and freedom of opinion
1. The present Charter guarantees the right to information and
to freedom of opinion and expression, as
well as the right to seek, receive and impart information and
ideas through any medium, regardless of
geographical boundaries.
2. Such rights and freedoms shall be exercised in conformity
with the fundamental values of society and
shall be subject only to such limitations as are required to
ensure respect for the rights or reputation of
others or the protection of national security, public order and
public health or morals.
Article 32 guarantees three interrelated rights with regards to
information: the right to
information, freedom of opinion and expression, and right to
seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any medium, regardless of
geographical boundaries. However,
this right is not absolute; it shall be exercised in conformity
with the fundamental values of
society. It is also subject to such limitations as are required
to ensure respect for the rights or
reputation of others or the protection of national security,
public order and public health or
morals.
Article 33: Right to marry and found family
1. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of
society; it is based on marriage between a man
and a woman. Men and women of marrying age have the right to
marry and to found a family according
to the rules and conditions of marriage. No marriage can take
place without the full and free consent of
both parties. The laws in force regulate the rights and duties
of the man and woman as to marriage, during
marriage and at its dissolution.
2. The State and society shall ensure the protection of the
family, the strengthening of family ties, the
protection of its members and the prohibition of all forms of
violence or abuse in the relations among its
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members, and particularly against women and children. They shall
also ensure the necessary protection
and care for mothers, children, older persons and persons with
special needs and shall provide adolescents
and young persons with the best opportunities for physical and
mental development.
3. The States parties shall take all necessary legislative,
administrative and judicial measures to guarantee
the protection, survival, development and well-being of the
child in an atmosphere of freedom and dignity
and shall ensure, in all cases, that the child's best interests
are the basic criterion for all measures taken in
his regard, whether the child is at risk of delinquency or is a
juvenile offender.
4. The States parties shall take all the necessary measures to
guarantee, particularly to young persons, the
right to pursue a sporting activity.
Article 33 declares that the family is the natural and
fundamental group unit of society and such
group is based on marriage between a man and a woman. Article 33
provides right to every man
and woman of marrying age have the right to marry and to found a
family according to the rules
and conditions of marriage. The marriage cannot take place
without the full and free consent of
both parties. The consent is the basis of marriage and it is
subject to law in force.
This article also provides protection to family system by
imposing responsibility on the State
and society that they should ensure the protection of the family
and all its members and the
strengthening of family ties. All forms of violence or abuse in
the relations among its members,
and particularly against women and children are prohibited.
State and society shall also ensure the necessary protection and
care for mothers, children,
older persons and persons with special needs and shall provide
adolescents and young persons
with the best opportunities for physical and mental
development.
It is a responsibility of States to take all necessary
legislative, administrative and judicial
measures to guarantee the protection, survival, development and
well-being of the child in an
atmosphere of freedom and dignity. It should be ensured in all
cases, that the child's best
interests are the basic criterion for all measures taken in his
regard, whether the child is at risk of
delinquency or is a juvenile offender.
The States shall take all the necessary measures to guarantee,
particularly to young persons,
the right to pursue a sporting activity.
Article 34: Right to Work
1. The right to work is a natural right of every citizen. The
State shall endeavor to provide, to the extent
possible, a job for the largest number of those willing to work,
while ensuring production, the freedom to
choose one's work and equality of opportunity without
discrimination of any kind on grounds of race,
colour, sex, religion, language, political opinion, membership
in a union, national origin, social origin,
disability or any other situation.
2. Every worker has the right to the enjoyment of just and
favourable conditions of work which ensure
appropriate remuneration to meet his essential needs and those
of his family and regulate working hours,
rest and holidays with pay, as well as the rules for the
preservation of occupational health and safety and
the protection of women, children and disabled persons in the
place of work.
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3. The States parties recognize the right of the child to be
protected from economic exploitation and from
being forced to perform any work that is likely to be hazardous
or to interfere with the child's education or
to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental,
spiritual, moral or social development. To this end,
and having regard to the relevant provisions of other
international instruments, States parties shall in
particular:
(a) Define a minimum age for admission to employment;
(b) Establish appropriate regulation of working hours and
conditions;
(c) Establish appropriate penalties or other sanctions to ensure
the effective endorsement of these
provisions.
4. There shall be no discrimination between men and women in
their enjoyment of the right to effectively
benefit from training, employment and job protection and the
right to receive equal remuneration for
equal work.
5. Each State party shall ensure to workers who migrate to its
territory the requisite protection in
accordance with the laws in force.
Article 34 guarantees the right to work as a natural right of
every citizen (this guarantees is not
applicable to any person). The responsibility of the State is to
provide, to the extent possible, a
job for the largest number of those willing to work.
The state should also pay attention to the freedom to choose
one's work and equality of
opportunity without discrimination on grounds of race, colour,
sex, religion, language, and
political opinion, membership in a union, national origin,
social origin, disability or any other
situation.
The worker has the right to just and favorable conditions of
work which ensure appropriate
remuneration to meet his essential needs and those of his
family. The working condition should
consider working hours, rest and holidays with pay, as well as
the rules for the preservation of
occupational health and safety and the protection of women,
children and disabled persons in the
place of work.
The children have right to be protected from economic
exploitation and from being forced to
perform any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere
with the child's education or to be
harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual,
moral or social development.
In order to achieve this aim, States shall in particular define
a minimum age for admission to
employment; establish appropriate regulation of working hours
and conditions; and establish
appropriate penalties or other sanctions to ensure the effective
endorsement of these provisions.
The discrimination between men and women is prohibited
particularly in their right to
effectively benefit from training, employment and job protection
and the right to receive equal
remuneration for equal work. The migrant workers are entitled
for requisite protection in
accordance with the laws in force.
Article 35: Right to Form trade union
1. Every individual has the right to freely form trade unions or
to join trade unions and to freely pursue
trade union activity for the protection of his interests.
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2. No restrictions shall be placed on the exercise of these
rights and freedoms except such as are
prescribed by the laws in force and that are necessary for the
maintenance of national security, public
safety or order or for the protection of public health or morals
or the rights and freedoms of others.
3. Every State party to the present Charter guarantees the right
to strike within the limits laid down by the
laws in force.
Article 35 provides rights with respect to trade union. This
right has three aspects: form or join
the union, participate in the union and to go on strike. Article
35 says that every individual has
the right to form trade unions or to join trade unions and to
freely pursue trade union activity for
the protection of his interests. This right is subject to
restrictions as are prescribed by the laws
and that are necessary for the maintenance of national security,
public safety or order or for the
protection of public health or morals or the rights and freedoms
of others.
The right to strike is a part of the right to join the union
which of guaranteed under the
Charter, however, it is to be exercised within the limits laid
down by the laws.
Article 36: Right to Social Security
The States parties shall ensure the right of every citizen to
social security, including social insurance.
Article 36 provides right to social security and social
issuance. It is the responsibility of the
States to ensure the right of every citizen to social security,
including social insurance.
Article 37: Right to development
The right to development is a fundamental human right and all
States are required to establish the
development policies and to take the measures needed to
guarantee this right. They have a duty to give
effect to the values of solidarity and cooperation among them
and at the international level with a view to
eradicating poverty and achieving economic, social, cultural and
political development. By virtue of this
right, every citizen has the right to participate in the
realization of development and to enjoy the benefits
and fruits thereof.
Article 37 recognizes the right to development as a fundamental
human right. The Arab Charter
recognizes the right to development at both the level: it is
operational at international level for
the states and also at domestic level for individual. It is the
responsibility of State to establish the
development policies and to take the measures needed to
guarantee this right. The states are duty
bound to give effect to the values of solidarity and cooperation
among them. The right to
development also has an international dimension.
Article 37 directs that it should be implemented at the
international level with a view to
eradicating poverty and achieving economic, social, cultural and
political development. The
implication of right to development for an individual is that by
virtue of this right, every citizen
has the right to participate in the realization of development
and to enjoy the benefits and fruits
thereof.
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Article 38: Right to an adequate standard of living
Every person has the right to an adequate standard of living for
himself and his family, which ensures
their well-being and a decent life, including food, clothing,
housing, services and the right to a healthy
environment. The States parties shall take the necessary
measures commensurate with their resources to
guarantee these rights.
Article 38 guarantees the right to adequate standard of living.
Under Article 38 every person has
the right to an adequate standard of living for himself and his
family. The right is granted to
persons to ensure well-being and a decent life, including food,
clothing, housing, services and the
right to a healthy environment. It is a responsibility of the
States to take the necessary measures
commensurate with their resources to make this a reality.
Article 39: Right to enjoy highest attainable standard
1. The States parties recognize the right of every member of
society to the enjoyment of the highest
attainable standard of physical and mental health and the right
of the citizen to free basic health-care
services and to have access to medical facilities without
discrimination of any kind.
2. The measures taken by States parties shall include the
following:
(a) Development of basic health-care services and the
guaranteeing of free and easy access to the centers
that provides these services, regardless of geographical
location or economic status.
(b) Efforts to control disease by means of prevention and cure
in order to reduce the morality rate.
(c) Promotion of health awareness and health education.
(d) Suppression of traditional practices which are harmful to
the health of the individual.
(e) Provision of the basic nutrition and safe drinking water for
all.
(f) Combating environmental pollution and providing proper
sanitation systems;
(g) Combating drugs, psychotropic substances, smoking and
substances that are damaging to health.
Article 39 recognizes the right to enjoy highest attainable
standard of physical and mental health.
This right is applicable to the member of the society and
citizens. States recognize the right of
every member of society to the enjoyment of the highest
attainable standard of physical and
mental health. The state also recognizes the right of the
citizen to free basic health-care services
and to have access to medical facilities without discrimination
of any kind.
As a part of the implementation of this rights, state has to
undertake various measures
including: development of basic health-care services available
freely and easily without
discrimination of geographical location or economic status;
efforts to control disease by
prevention and cure; promotion of health awareness through
education; suppression of harmful
traditional practices; provision of the basic nutrition and safe
drinking water; combating
environmental pollution and providing proper sanitation systems;
and combating drugs,
psychotropic substances, smoking.
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Article 40: Right of Disabled
1. The States parties undertake to ensure to persons with mental
or physical disabilities a decent life that
guarantees their dignity, and to enhance their self-reliance and
facilitate their active participation in
society.
2. The States parties shall provide social services free of
charge for all persons with disabilities, shall
provide the material support needed by those persons, their
families or the families caring for them, and
shall also do whatever is needed to avoid placing those persons
in institutions. They shall in all cases take
account of the best interests of the disabled person. 3. The
States parties shall take all necessary measures
to curtail the incidence of disabilities by all possible means,
including preventive health programmes,
awareness raising and education.
4. The States parties shall provide full educational services
suited to persons with disabilities, taking into
account the importance of integrating these persons in the
educational system and the importance of
vocational training and apprenticeship and the creation of
suitable job opportunities in the public or
private sectors.
5. The States parties shall provide all health services
appropriate for persons with disabilities, including
the rehabilitation of these persons with a view to integrating
them into society.
6. The States parties shall enable persons with disabilities to
make use of all public and private services.
Article 40 provides the right of disable person. There are
various activities which are needed to
be done by the State to integrate the person with disabilities
into the society.
It is the responsibility of State to ensure the persons with
mental or physical disabilities a
decent life. The state should provide guarantees to their
dignity, and to enhance their self-
reliance and facilitate their active participation in society.
The person with disabilities should be
provided all social services free of charge.
The state shall also provide the material support to needy
persons and their families. The
state should make an effort to support families who are caring
them so to avoid placing them in
institutions. The best interest of the disabled person is the
main consideration while taking any
decision in his matter.
The State is under responsibility to curtail the incidence of
disabilities by all possible means.
They should undertake preventive health programmes, awareness
raising and education.
The State is also under responsibilities to provide full
suitable educational services which are
integrating these persons in the educational system. The state
shall also take into account as a
part of such program to provide vocational training and
apprenticeship and the creation of
suitable job opportunities in the public or private sectors.
The health services which are appropriate for disable should be
provided which may include
the rehabilitation with a view to integrating them into
society.
The person with disabilities should be made enabled to make use
of all public and private
services.
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Article 41: Right to education
1. The eradication of illiteracy is a binding obligation upon
the State and everyone has the right to
education.
2. The States parties shall guarantee their citizens free
education at least throughout the primary and basic
levels. All forms and levels of primary education shall be
compulsory and accessible to all without
discrimination of any kind.
3. The States parties shall take appropriate measures in all
domains to ensure partnership between men
and women with a view to achieving national development
goals.
4. The States parties shall guarantee to provide education
directed to the full development of the human
person and to strengthening respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms.
5. The States parties shall endeavor to incorporate the
principles of human rights and fundamental
freedoms into formal and informal education curricula and
educational and training programmes.
6. The States parties shall guarantee the establishment of the
mechanisms necessary to provide ongoing
education for every citizen and shall develop national plans for
adult education.
Article 41 provides guarantees of right to education to
everyone. It is the binding obligation on
the State to eradicate illiteracy.
As a right to education of every individual, States is under the
responsibility to provide to
their citizens (here no individual but only citizen) free and
compulsory education at least
throughout the primary and basic levels. The primary education
in every form is not only
compulsory but also accessible to all without
discrimination.
It is also the responsibility of the States to take appropriate
measures to ensure partnership
between men and women with a view to achieve national
development goals. The education
should be directed to the full development of the human person
and to strengthening respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms. The education should
incorporate the principles of
human rights and fundamental freedoms into formal and informal
education curricula and
educational and training programmes.
It is also the responsibility of the States to establish the
mechanisms to provide continuing or
ongoing education for every citizen including adult
education.
Article 42: Right to take part in cultural life
1. Every person has the right to take part in cultural life and
to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress
and its application.
2. The States parties undertake to respect the freedom of
scientific research and creative activity and to
ensure the protection of moral and material interests resulting
from scientific, literary and artistic
production.
3. The state parties shall work together and enhance cooperation
among them at all levels, with the full
participation of intellectuals and inventors and their
organizations, in order to develop and implement
recreational, cultural, artistic and scientific programmes.
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Article 42 provides the right of every person to take part in
cultural life and to enjoy the benefits
of scientific progress and its application. The freedom of
scientific research and creative activity
of individual is recognised with a view to ensure the protection
of moral and material interests
resulting from scientific, literary and artistic production. In
order to develop and implement
recreational, cultural, artistic and scientific programmes, the
state is under an obligation work in
cooperation intellectuals and inventors and their
organizations.
Article 43: No interpretation so as impairing the rights and
freedoms
Nothing in this Charter may be construed or interpreted as
impairing the rights and freedoms protected by
the domestic laws of the States parties or those set force in
the international and regional human rights
instruments which the states parties have adopted or ratified,
including the rights of women, the rights of
the child and the rights of persons belonging to minorities.
Article 43 provides the rule of interpretation. The provisions
of the Charter should not be
interpreted in the way which will impair the rights and freedoms
protected by the domestic laws,
international and regional human rights instruments which the
states parties have adopted or
ratified. The specifically the rights of women, the rights of
the child and the rights of persons
belonging to minorities should not be interpreted in the way
which may impair their rights.
Article 44: Obligation of legislative/non-legislative measures
to give effect
The states parties undertake to adopt, in conformity with their
constitutional procedures and with the
provisions of the present Charter, whatever legislative or
non-legislative measures that may be necessary
to give effect to the rights set forth herein.
Article 44 provides that the states are under an obligation to
adopt all legislative or non-
legislative measures to give effect, in accordance with the
constitutional procedures, to the rights
set forth in the Arab Charter
VII. ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM: THE ARAB HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
There are three article devoted for the enforcement mechanism of
the Arab Charter. The Charter,
under article 45, establishes the Arab Human Rights Committee of
seven members for four year.
Article 46 elaborate the vacancies-how to fill up. Article 47
immunities which are available to
the member of the Committee and last Article 48 provides details
about the obligation of the
member state to submit periodic Report to Secretary General of
League. There is no further
mechanism or any other organ for the supervision of human rights
observance of human rights
under Arab League. States parties in accordance with article 48
undertake to submit reports on
the measures they have taken to give effect to the rights and
freedoms recognized in the Charter
and on the progress made towards their enjoyment. The Committee
will consider the reports in
the presence, and with the participation, of the State party in
question. The Committee may
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request additional information relating to the implementation of
the Charter. Having considered
the report, the Committee will issue final comments and
recommendations which will be
included in the annual report to the Council of the League of
Arab States.
It is to be noted that under article 48 the Committee is
empowered to issue general
recommendations or comments, similar to those issued by the
United Nations human rights
treaty bodies, on the Charter in order to clarify State parties
duties with respect to certain
provisions and/or suggest approaches to implementing the
provisions of the Charter. The reports,
final comments and recommendations of the Committee are to be
made public and the
Committee will ensure wide dissemination of this documentation
(article 48).
Article 45: Establishment and Composition of Arab Human Rights
Committee
1. Pursuant to this Charter, an "Arab Human Rights Committee",
hereinafter referred to as "the
Committee" shall be established. This Committee shall consist of
seven members who shall be elected by
secret ballot by the states parties to this Charter.
2. The Committee shall consist of nationals of the states
parties to the present Charter, who must be
highly experienced and competent in the Committee's field of
work. The members of the Committee shall
serve in their personal capacity and shall be fully independent
and impartial.
3. The Committee shall include among its members not more than
one national of a State party; such
member may be re-electe