Insaf Center participated via cyberspace in the Regional Forum for Africa and the Middle East on Minority Issues. The forum that lasted for two days, 14 and 15 June 2021, discussed the most important issues and problems of minorities.
The Forum hosted by the Government of Gambia with the participation of more than 200 participants from minorities, state representatives, representatives of the United Nations, regional organizations, minority communities and civil society organizations. During the briefing, Ms. Eman Homaid,, chairperson of Insaf Center for Defending Freedom & Minorities, made four recommendations to ensure conflict prevention and protection of human rights for the minorities in Yemen. First, human rights values should be enshrined. Second, human rights concepts should be included in educational curricula. Third, human rights concepts should be included in the media. Fourth, a legislative environment should be provided to limit hate speech and incitement.
Furthermore, she recommended that international pressure should be maintained on all authorities with regard to the protection of minorities and their rights. She also recommended to work seriously to protect minority defenders and encourage them to continue their support for minority rights. The achievement of the rights of Yemeni minorities will lead definitely to the achievement of rights of the rest of the Yemeni groups, she confirmed.
The Regional Forum for Africa and the Middle East is the second of four regional forums held in 2021 on maintaining peace through justice and human rights for minorities. The two-day forum discussed the issue of addressing grievances, that are often the root of conflicts in the world, as an important approach to preventing violent conflicts. Moreover, the organizers said that these presented discussions will be useful to the work and recommendations of the 14th session of the United Nations World Forum on Minority Issues to be held in Geneva in December 2021 on “Conflict prevention and protection of human rights of minorities”.
