Al-Haq Center for Applied International Law has concluded an orientation on “The International Law and its Applications in the OPT”, which was held in Ramallah, on 20- 23 September, and was attended by 20 participants of law students from different Palestinian universities. The orientation sessions included various interactive and detailed presentations on the international law and its applications in the OPT.
In the first day, Mr. Ashraf Abu Hayyeh has presented an introduction to the international human rights law, addressing the foundations and principles of the international human rights law. He has also focused on the international human rights conventions and treaties to which the state of Palestine has acceded in 2014. By following various methods, Abu Hayyeh has addressed the applications of the international human rights law in Palestine in light of these conventions and treaties. Moreover, he has addressed the extent to which the Palestinian legislations, especially the Basic Law, are appropriate and consistent with the International Human Rights law, and the extent to which the state of Palestine adheres to it in practice.
During the second day, Mr. Tahseen Alyyan has addressed the applications of the international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. After referring to the historical development of the international humanitarian law, Alyyan addressed the foundations and principles of this law and its main concepts, the commitments and violations of the Israeli occupying authorities alongside the rights of the Palestinians as civilians living under this occupation.
The third day of the orientation was marked of a field visit to the villages northwest of Jerusalem, during which Al-Haq field researcher, Omran Risheq, has accompanied the participants to the villages of Bir Nabala, Al Jib, Beit Ijza and Beit ‘Anan. This visit has aimed to learn about the situation and suffering caused by the Israeli occupying polices through besieging those towns with the annexation wall, bypass roads, military checkpoints and Israeli settlements. They have also visited the home of “Sabri Ghareeb” in the village of Beit Ijza, who suffers from difficult conditions as a result of being trapped by barbed wire and fence by the Israeli settlers. Moreover, they have visited the “tunnels” road and the military checkpoints surrounding and besieging the villages of Beit Iksa and Nabi Samuil.
In the fourth and last day of the orientation, Zahi jaradat has presented on the monitoring and documentation mechanisms of human rights violations, by delivering a presentation on both the theoretical dimension and the practical application of the monitoring and documentation process of the human rights violations.
This orientation course comes as part of the work of Al-Haq organization and Al-Haq Center for Applied International Law with the law faculties in the Palestinian universities. Each faculty nominates one female and one male students to participate in this annual orientation course on different issues related to the international law and human rights. At the end of the fourth day, the training and capacity-building officer, Ziad Hamidan, handed the participants certificates of appreciation for their participation in the course.