Joint press release … The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Northern Europe and the Civilization Rights Institute sign a memorandum of understanding

Netherlands – United States of America

Sunday, 19 November 2023

Given that the United Nations’ conventions on the protection of tangible and intangible heritage and the laws of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have contributed to framing the international efforts to protect heritage, they have not recognized the ownership rights of indigenous peoples over their tangible and intangible heritage in a way that legislates their display, copying, and commercial exploitation. Whereas the threats of armed conflict and foreign occupation to heritage sites and their communities exceed the scope of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and the threats of climate change and natural catastrophes exceed the scope of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. Whereas the severity of these problems is exacerbated in the Arab heritage societies that suffer from weak economic and social development, civil wars, and external interventions, which leads to weak management and abuse their heritage locally and internationally, which threatens their ability to recover and sustain.

Therefore, the Civilization Rights Institute (CRI), which is a non-profit research organization dedicated to enhance the public awareness for the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Civilization Rights, and the Arab Organization for Human Rights in Northern Europe (AOHR-NE) as an international non-governmental organization working on promoting the respect and protection of human rights in the countries of the North-Europe, have agreed to establish a partnership between the two organizations to provide a framework for cooperation to promote the awareness and protecting the cultural and civilizational Arabian heritage in Northern Europe, and to work to enhance the capacity and flexibility of Arab heritage communities.

The memorandum of understanding was concluded on August 1, 2023, and the CRI was represented by its president, Professor Dr. Ahmed Rashed, and the AOHR-NE was represented by its president, Mr. Yusri Al-Kashef, and its Secretary-General, Mr. Omar Almasalmeh.