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The Centre enjoys Consultative Status with the ECOSOC of the United Nation. It is an affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists-Geneva; the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) - Pairs; member of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network - Copenhagen; member of the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) - Stockholm; member of the Arab Organization for Human Rights - Cairo; and member of the World Coalition against the Death Penalty - Rome. It is a recipient of the 1996 French Republic Award on Human Rights, the 2002 Bruno Kreisky Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Area of Human Rights and the 2003 International Service Human Rights Award (UNAIS). The Centre was established in 1995 by a group of Palestinian lawyers and human rights activists in order to: * Protect human rights and promote the rule of law in accordance with international standards. * Create and develop democratic institutions and an active civil society, while promoting democratic culture within Palestinian society. * Support all the efforts aimed at enabling the Palestinian people to exercise its inalienable rights in regard to self-determination and independence in accordance with international Law and UN resolutions. The work of the Centre is conducted through documentation and investigation of human rights violations, provision of legal aid and counseling for both individuals and groups, and preparation of research articles relevant to such issues as the human rights situation and the rule of law. The Centre also provides comments on Palestinian Draft Laws and urges the adoption of legislation that incorporates international human rights standards and basic democratic principles. To achieve its goals, the Centre has recruited a committed staff of well-known human rights lawyers and activists. 1 2 PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Annual Report 2008 The Philosophy of the Centre’s Work The Centre determined after a the peace agreement. The Israeli concludes it must continue its thorough legal assessment of the military court is still functioning work to protect Palestinian human peace accords signed by the PLO and to this day thousands of rights from ongoing violations by and the Israeli government that Palestinians languish in Israeli the Israeli government and courts. the occupation would continue prisons. The essential elements both physically and legally. of the Palestinian issue remain The peace accords and the major According to these agreements unresolved - the right to self- political changes resulting from Israel has redeployed its forces determination, the right to an the agreement, including the inside the West Bank and the Gaza independent Palestinian state establishment of the Palestinian Strip, while Israeli settlements and with its capital in Jerusalem, the National Authority in part of military installations maintain right of return for Palestinian the Occupied Territories, has led their presence in Palestinian refugees, and the right to remove to a vital and active role for the territory. The major legal aspects illegal Israeli settlements from the Centre in protecting civil and of the Israeli occupation remain in Occupied Territories. All of these political rights and in promoting place. Israeli military orders that constitute basic unfulfilled rights the development of democratic safeguard Israeli control over the of the Palestinian people. In light institutions, an active civil society, Palestinian people and their land of this wide-ranging disregard and a democratic legal system in remain valid in accordance with for Palestinian rights, the Centre Palestine. ••••••• 3 Work Units of the Centre The Centre is composed of specialised and the adoption of democratic laws. in Shari’a courts is included in its working units which carry out their The unit has been also involved in mandate. The Unit further aims to activities in an autonomous but providing training on human rights and raise awareness of women’s rights integrated manner. democracy for youth groups. established by international human rights conventions and to raise the Field Work Unit Economic and Social Rights Unit awareness of Palestinian women in The field work is considered the basic This unit seeks to ensure the regard to their rights under local law. activity of the Centre. Well-trained importance of economic and social Finally, the Unit is carrying out studies field workers located in different areas rights through research and study. on Palestinian women and the law, of the Gaza Strip obtain accurate and Such work is particularly important while supporting the amendment of documented legal information on because it tends to be neglected, to local laws inconsistent with women’s human rights violations in the Gaza Strip. some extent, by other human rights rights. They gather information in the field from organisations. To achieve its goals victims and witnesses of human rights the unit conducts studies, workshops, The Training Unit violations. The information is received and seminars that focus attention on The Training Unit is a main instrument by the co-ordinator of the unit and other economic and social rights in the in PCHR’s work in disseminating and researchers to verify accuracy. Through West Bank and Gaza Strip. The unit developing a human rights culture, and the field workers’ presence in the field seeks to develop recommendations promoting democratic concepts in the the Centre has been able to maintain and standards for each of these local community with all its various close contacts with the community. rights to be fulfilled in the Palestinian segments. The Unit organizes and In this way, the community is able to situation. Moreover, the unit reviews holds training courses and workshops in influence the work of the Centre and the and assesses the legislation and draft order to develop theoretical knowledge Centre is able to meet the community’s laws pertaining to these rights adopted and provide professional skills that interests and demands. by the Palestinian Authority in an can contribute to a real change in the effort to secure legislation that is in behavior of the society, which in turn Legal Unit harmony with international standards. can promote respect for, and protection This unit is composed primarily of a The unit further seeks to provide of human rights and participation in team of lawyers who give free legal an informative training base for community building. The target groups aid and counselling to individuals and governmental and non-governmental of the training courses and workshops groups. The unit also carries out legal personnel who are empowered to are particularly the youth, including intervention with concerned bodies set plans and implement programs university students, activists of political and makes legal representations and policies relevant to these rights. parties, lawyers, media, union members, before courts in cases that involve The goal of such training is to help and other civil society groups. broad principles of human rights that bring economic and social rights into affect not just the individual before alignment with the standards accepted The Library the court but the community as a internationally and to ensure the The Centre has established a whole. Furthermore, the unit attempts maximum degree of implementation specialised legal library in subjects to support the independence of the of these rights. related to local and international judiciary and the rule of law. law, human rights, and democracy. Woman Rights Unit The library includes books and Democratic Development Unit This Unit was established as a pilot periodicals in both Arabic and English This unit specialises in the promotion of project in May of 1997 for one year, and includes all Palestinian laws and democracy and the promotion