MIFTAH, in cooperation with the Independent Commission for Human Rights capped off a training workshop last week on ” The Repercussions of International Human Rights Resolutions on Promoting Civic Peace and the Rule of Law in Palestine.” The three-day workshop was attended by members of the gender consultation committee in the Palestinian Civil Police and security services.

The workshop was conducted at the request of gender consultation committee in order to promote cooperation in supporting the committee’s capacities through workshops that address international human rights agreements, in particular the CEDAW Convention and resolutions on peace building and security.

The participants received theoretical material and practical exercises on several subjects such as including and promoting gender issues among those working in the security establishment; the ramifications of joining the CEDAW Convention and its impact on gender issues in Palestine; international human rights law, international humanitarian law and criminal law; contractual commitments based on human rights agreements and their status at the national level; and international resolutions pertaining to women’s issues, including civic peace.

International models and experiences of gender mainstreaming in the security sector were presented in the course of the workshop. Also, interventions and the protection of battered women were addressed, in addition to the services these women require from the security institutions. Guaranteeing a fair trial, especially for women, was discussed in addition to showcasing the legal guarantees for peaceful assembly. The participants then discussed ways of dealing with these issues from the perspective of the security services in respect to the human rights conventions.

One exercise entitled, “The Rule of Law”, revolved around the concepts of maintaining public order, the rule of law and civic peace and how these are related to respect for human rights and gender. It also addressed criteria for the use of firearms and force and the right to peaceful assembly in addition to mechanisms for monitoring violations against women, including their conditions in detention centers and shelters. A presentation was then made on the types of violations against women.

Director of the ICHR Public Training department, Islam Tamimi said the training workshop comes within the context of linking criteria and resolutions on human rights and women in particular and national legislation, policies and procedures at the national level. It also ties in the relationship of this link with the performance of national institutions in terms of increasing their response and sensitivity to gender and human rights issues. “We showed actual cases and examples and related them to the CEDAW Convention and UN Resolution 1325 for example, or to the system of social justice for women,” he said.

Lamis Hantouli, Director of MIFTAH’s Policy Dialogue and Good Governance Program pointed out that the significance of these workshops lies on their support for the rule of law and the promotion of civic peace. This is achieved, she said, by raising the level of response and preparedness of Palestinian security services and civil police to strengthen their relationship with citizens, especially with women, by falling back on a human rights system that requires efforts to achieve protection, justice and respect for freedoms. Ultimately, she maintained, this will strengthen the people’s confidence in the performance of the security services and the civil police.