The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) celebrates the opening of the offices of its Mission in Tunisia, this Saturday, September 17th, in Tunis.
During the press conference organized at this occasion, the Executive Director, Marc Schade-Poulsen, and the Director of the Mission in Tunisia, Ridha Raddaoui, have presented the work program for the coming months.
The formal agreement between the EMHRN and the Tunisian government having been signed in Aug. 2011 month regulating the presence of the Network in Tunisia, the EMHRN Mission can now fully implement its work-plan to support Tunisian civil society, particularly organizations working for the promotion of human rights in Tunisia.
“The EMHRN wishes to put this Mission at the service of all organizations of Tunisian civil society finally rediscovering their freedom and their inalienable rights. Therefore we consider that the opening of the offices of this Mission is an opportunity we could not ignore” said Marc Schade-Poulsen, Executive Director of the EMHRN.
Thanks to the popular revolution that occurred earlier this year in the country, the EMHRN decided to launch a mission in Tunisia. The objective is to support initiatives of civil society in the field of Human Rights.
“Tunisia began its long way to democracy and we truly live an historic moment. Nevertheless we are aware that the real battle is just beginning. It is now time to carry out a substantive discussion on key issues that also affect economic and social rights of Tunisian people. These urgent reforms cannot be dissociated from a clear vision of Human Rights in the post-Ben Ali Tunisia” said Marc Schade-Poulsen.
The EMHRN did not wait for the physical installation in the country to support Tunisian civil society organizations and their activities. Its partnership with independent organization goes back to the first months of EMHRN’s creation nearly 15 years ago. In recent years, and on the national level, the Network has worked primarily with:
– The Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH)
– The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD)
– The National Council for Freedoms in Tunisia (CNLT)
For the implementation of regional projects, the Network has also cooperated with the Arab Institute for Human Rights and the Collective 95 Maghreb Equality.
During the difficult years that the country have faced, the EMHRN’s main concern in its cooperation with Tunisian associations was essentially the protection of Human Rights Defenders. The numerous violations were reported each time and as soon as possible and the voice of the Defenders was helped to reach out to all the organizations and individuals committed to promote the respect of Human Rights. Today, although vigilance is still required, the EMHRN’s Mission in Tunisia plans to move further in promoting Human Rights and fundamental freedoms. To do so, it will support civil society organizations initiatives following this direction.
Thus, since last March, and while waiting for its presence in Tunisia to be officially recognized by the conclusion of the agreement, the EMHRN was able to make a series of actions within the country to identify new actors and analyze their needs. After co-organizing with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) a seminar in Tunis entitled the “Democratic transition in Tunisia” last March, the Mission has implemented in several governorates a series of actions to raise awareness and to build capacities systematically in partnership with local organizations.
Last June 19th, the Network has also presented in Tunisia its report on “Tunisia after January 14 and its economic and social policies; the issues at stake in a reconfiguration of European policy”. This report was based on extensive researches conducted before the revolution by a team of experts led by Beatrice Hibou, Research Director at the National Scientific Research Center (CNRS) in France.