Partners - Defender Center

The main project activities:

Within enhance the ability of HRDs programmes, and identifying them and their needs to advance them on safe right path, where Defender Center for human rights initiative was supported and funded by the European Endowment for Democracy (EED), in the form of protecting Libyan HRDs and enable them with digital security, proper documentation and advocacy campaign’s awareness by mapping & selecting depending on whether there was a certain risk they are facing.

Also, managing advocacy campaign in Geneva during UN Human Rights Council sessions. Indeed, Defender Center started the implementation of its business and the establishment of the entity and dragging in the search regard HRDs identifications outside and inside Libya.

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies 21 – October – 2016

Meeting with Cairo Institute for Human Rights studies represented by Mr. Ramadan Alamami – A human rights researcher & Libya project coordinator at Cairo Institute on Friday 21-10-2016.

this meeting was held to discuss the mechanisms of cooperation and partnership with the Cairo Institute for it has being one of the supporting regional organizations to Defender Center.
Reviewing the project called (the platform) supervised by the Cairo Institute and discussing its development mechanism as we discussed the need of cooperation the Libyan organization that formed the platform with Defender Center in respect of data exchange, reports and information.

Defender Center had attended & participated at (the platform) meetings in May, September and December 2016, which is a space where the representatives of civil society, activists and media workers can meet to reflect and document everything related to civil work in Libya.

Project Coordinator of Defender Center has participated in the training course that was organized by Cairo Institute for nine days; About Human Rights mechanisms and advocacy, the training course covered: (The United Nations organs. Definition of the updated mechanisms in both Human Rights Council, Special Procedure and the universal periodic review. The European Union mandate to European Commission, European parliament and the Member States. Advocacy mechanism in the United States, lobbyist and decision makers).

The training course had one day training about digital security and safety methods in using the Internet.

Front Line Defenders: 22 – October 2016

Meeting with Mr. Moataz El-Fegiery the protection coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa of the “Frontline Defender” on Sunday, 22nd October, 2016. “Frontline Defender” is one of the active and important organizations in this field.

Mr. Moataz El-Fegiery following up and interested in “Defender Center” work since the establishment. The meeting focused on how to strengthen cooperation and partnership across some of the projects and activities and the search\looking for a co-financing or fund for a bilaterally project to women defenders for Human rights.

Where he expressed his assistance in providing technical and logistical support as appropriate. FrontLine guaranteed to cover the expenses of the international expert in the training course that organized by the Defender Center in late January 2017.

In addition, we discussed the mechanism of the urgent & necessary aid to the defenders’, plus we agreed on the importance of communication and following-up.

The first meeting of Libyan HRDs 29 – 30 November 2016, Tunis:

In the framework of strengthening the capacity of Defender Center for Human Rights to expand its partner’s actors base and for the development of cooperation between organizations working in the field of human rights and between HRDs and to expand the horizons of work and goals. The first meeting of defenders, which was held in the presence of a Libyan defenders group and activists form inside & outside of Libya. The meeting focused on searching a coordination mechanism between HRDs at home/abroad and setting an advocacy campaign plan for 2017.

Database Establishment (Defender Database)

Since October 2016, the defender Center worked on the database establishment for all defenders on both levels individually and institutionally through distributing forms define their needs and how serious the risk they face. The form classified into two forms; the first from to be (for general) to create the database (enrollment), the second form to be (for defenders at risk), In addition, this form aim to facilitate contacting them and providing advice and urgent protection for those (defenders) whom in real need of help.

Training Course on Digital Security 28 – 30 January 2017

A training course on the protection and digital security to human rights defenders and media activists was held in late January at the Majestic Hotel in Tunis. The training was conducted by Mr. Mohamed Al Maskati, the Frontline Defender’s digital protection consultant. The training targeted about 20 participants from different regions in Libya and abroad, and enabled them to protect themselves digitally.

Training Course on Digital Documentation and Database Usage 11 – 13 January 2018

A three-day training course for 13 human rights defenders on digital documentation and digital safety and how to secure files and documents of human rights victims in Libya through a secure online database and how to use them.

The aim is to strengthen the Libyan legal community with practical skills in documenting and keeping their work and documents in a secure database and using international accountability mechanisms to take into account the digital security of internal and external communications.

Side events & participations outside the funded program.

Although the DCHR foundation took a long time in terms of administrative and legal registration proceedings; the discharge certificate was on 20 / January / 2016 and the official publicity was on 14 / July / 2016, but the presence and participation as Defender Center in several events and activities was mostly coinciding with the registration procedures and unprecedented.

Some of the activities and events:

A seminar on terrorism and the electoral climate in Tunisia 24 – July 2014

A seminar was organized in Tunisia on terrorism and the electoral climate in Tunisia, titled “Together we challenge terrorism,” sponsored by Chokri Belaid Foundation Against Violence, in collaboration with the Libyan judges Organization, and Defender Center of human rights.

The seminar focused on discussion about the phenomenon of terrorism in Tunisia, Libya and its impact on the electoral process, and the overall electoral atmosphere, with legislative and security side discussion.

The seminar received large presence from the Constituent Assembly members, the Libyan embassy, lawyers, judges, politicians, civil society organizations representatives and some security personnel, Reviewing the terror bill law before the Libyan Parliament.

Ways to resolve the crisis and enhance political dialogue in Libya. 06 – 07 May 2015

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, in conjunction with the Defender Center for human rights, organized a set of meetings and panel discussions on May 6 and 7 in Tunis, bringing together representatives of Libyan civil society, the head of the National Council for Civil Liberties and Human Rights, and participants in the UN- sponsored political dialogue seeking to resolve the crisis in the framework of respect for human rights principles. Attendees discussed the latest developments in Libya and how to include Libyan civil society in the political dialogue.

Proposals have been submitted to the UN mission and the dialogue parties to include the human rights criteria inside political agreement such as accountability and consolidate the protection against impunity principle and enhance the role of the National Council of public freedoms and human rights dialogue.

Seminar on women 03 – August 2015

At the fiftieth anniversary occasion of the personal status magazine issuance and the women’s day in Tunisia dated 03/08/2015, the Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates organized a seminar on family laws in the Arab Maghreb region.

Defender Center participated by intervention about the personal status law in Libya.

Immigration Seminar in the Arab Maghreb countries 20 – September 2015

Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights organized a seminar titled (migration in the Maghreb countries) on December 20, 2015 in Tunis. The Defender Center for human rights intervened with a presentation about the legal status of the Libyans in Tunisia, from within the Mediterranean program to defend the migrants rights in the Mediterranean and North Africa.

National dialogue in Libya in the light the current developments. December 21, 2015

Organized by the Defenders Center for Human Rights (DCHR) and the Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center (DAAM),) in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF), a roundtable on “The National Dialogue in Libya in Light of the Current Developments” was held on Saturday 19 December 2015 in Tunis, and was attended by a distinguished group of Libyan human rights experts, politicians, academics and lawyers among whom some took part in the various dialogue tracks whether in Algeria or Skhirat, as well as the representatives of the Department of Political Affairs and the Rule of Law and Human Rights, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). This roundtable dealt with the following themes:

A diagnosis of the political and human rights scene considering the current developments.

An evaluation of the political agreement (Skhirat).
After the implementation of the political agreement: the restoration of the Rule of Law State and addressing human rights violations.
The role of civil society and human rights activists in the dialogue and monitoring.
The security challenges facing the Libyan governments: the possible solutions.

Roundtable: Towards a law for civil society organizations in Libya

– experiences and challenges 18 – 16 May 2016

Democratic Transition and human rights support center (DAAM) and Defender Center (DCHR) has ended three days’ roundtable discussion which was held from 16 till 18 May 2016 in Tunis – Tunisia entitled” Towards civil society law in Libya – Experiences and challenges”.

The roundtable targeted human rights activists, lawyers, journalists, Libyan commission for civil society (Benghazi) representatives, to know more about the Tunisian and Egyptian experiences, and to discuss positive amendments on the Libyan draft NGO law, and Libyan commission for civil society new resolutions regarding local and international organizations. To create favorable climate to the progress of the democratic structure based on the principles of the human rights in its integrations and comprehensiveness.

One of the main outputs of this activity is; to submit a civil society associations bill in Libya given to the Libyan parliament, with amendment to the regulations of local and international organizations work and referred it to the commission of civil society in Libya.

Joint meetings between international and local human rights organizations working on the Libya file. 06 – September 2016

Held in Tunis on September 06 2016 a joint meeting between the European Union mission (EU), the UN mission (UNSMIL), Oxfam to fight poverty (OXFAM), organization ACTED (ACTED), International Organization against Torture (OMCT), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), The Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center(DAAM), The German embassy The Polish embassy, Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defender (EMHRF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The meeting began with Introducing members of the Local Platform and the Libya Working Group, and then focused on Implementation of the peace agreement and an overview of the human rights and humanitarian situation on the ground, and about the political divisions and the efforts of the European Commission to facilitate the peace process and support CSOs, as well as Libyan CSOs needs from INGOs and international community and ways to bridge the gaps in coordination between local CSOs and international actors.

Seminar on the Constitution Draft 25 – September 2016

The Defender Center attended a seminar about the draft constitution, which was held on September 25, 2016, at the Arabian Gulf Oil Company in Benghazi, and sponsored by the Center of the Law Studies and Society – Benghazi University, a discussion where included several axes, the preamble and the contents, the rights, the freedoms and the bodies. The army, police and general provisions. The constitutional Court and the judiciary. Local government, natural resources and the financial system. The system of government and both legislative and executive authorities.

The event concluded with the adoption of the project procedures.

There was a several interested draft constitution figures among the audience, MPs, former ministers and faculty members of the University of Benghazi.

Human rights agenda in the political parties inside Libya. 11 – November 2016

A meeting with Mr. Alaa Kaoud, Mr. Ahmed Ghanem from the UN team, where the meeting was held at Democratic Transition & human rights Center (DAAM) in the presence of its executive director Mr. Mohammad Omran, as he adopted the whole idea in its entirety. The meeting dealt with human rights exacerbations and violations incident inside Libya, and about the human rights agenda within the political parties and the importance of political will in the protection of human rights; as well as the importance of deploying it as a culture and community awareness in the absence of law.

Prevention conference of torture and other ill-treatment – ICJ: 05 – 08 December 2016

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and Defender Center of human rights (DCHR) arranged a conference about (Prevention torture and other ill-treatment in Libya), where the conference was attended by a group of experts, jurists, judges and academics in criminal law field, plus several HRDs, activists and human rights workers, the conference came up with recommendations on criminal legislation, mechanism of torture prevention activation Libya.

Training Course on International Accountability Mechanisms 22 – 29 April 2017

As part of the partnership between Defender Center for Human Rights and Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, a training course on international accountability mechanisms was held.

The CIHRS and CHRDA in Tunis held an 8-day training course for 21 lawyers and human rights defenders on practical skills to use International accountability mechanism for Libyan’s human rights victims through an encrypted and secure online database.

The training was conducted by a UNSMIL team, a representative of the International Criminal Court’s (the Prosecutor Office), Herodocs Organisation’s instructors, as well as the staff of a French law firm. The training course was opened by the Ambassador of the European Union to Libya.

Training on effective use of Special complaints mechanism of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 14 – 15 – April 2018:

The Defender Center for Human Rights participated in the training organized by the International Commission of Jurists on the effective use of the complaints mechanism of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. About 40 lawyers from Libya, Tunisia and Egypt participated. The training was moderated by Mr. Clive Baldwin, legal advisor to Human Rights Watch, Mr. Hatem Al-Saim, Commissioner of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Ms. Valentina Cadillo, Legal Adviser to the International Commission of Jurists.

And Professor Yara Salam, Advisor to the International Commission of Jurists.

Joint consultative workshop on Legal Aid and Psychological rehabilitation with UNSMIL 17/18/19-April 2018

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya and the Defender Center for Human Rights organized a workshop on psychological and legal assistance for victims of human rights violations and an internal referral mechanism. The workshop was attended by several lawyers, psychiatrists, diplomats and international organizations.

Training on the international standards for the effective investigation and prosecution of gross human rights violations 28/29 – April 2018

the Defender Center for Human Rights participated in the training sessions organized by the International Commission of Jurists and the Libyan Legal Aid Organization on international standards for the effective investigation of gross violations of human rights

Memorandum of understanding with commission of civil society in Libya:

During 2016, Defender Center for human rights has participated in many activities and has organized few numbers of seminars and workshops which would enhance the capacity of civil society in Libya – noted the poor performance of the Commission of civil society in Libya, which need development & building to its staff capacity.

Due to their importance as supervising body of Libyan civil society organizations work, a cooperation wad framed by signing a Memorandum of Understanding between

Defender Center for Human Rights (DCHR).
Friedrich Naumann Fondation for liberty (FNF) – Tunisia, Libya office.
Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center “DAAM”.
Commission of Civil Society in Libya

to provide technical assistance to the Commission in 2017.

These workshops and training courses comes within the framework of cooperation between the Libyan Commission of civil society, Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center “DAAM” and Defender Center for human rights in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for liberty in supporting and building the commission capacities to contribute supporting civil society work development.

Workshop on (How to determine the development and communication strategy): 18 -21 October 2016

A training workshop was held entitled with: (Setting the strategy of communications and development) for the Libyan Commission of Civil Society’s, that was organized by Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center “DAAM” and Defender Center for Human Rights “DCHR” ,in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann foundation. Which extended from 18 October until October 21, 2016 in Tunis. To enable Commission’s staff from media communication mechanisms.

Organizing a course on strategic planning: 14 – 20 December 2016

In the framework of Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center‘s capacity development program, a workshop entitled “setting the strategy of communication and development” is held , in the meantime, for the Libyan Commission for Civil Society’s employees, organized by Defenders For Human Rights “DHR” and Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center “DAAM”, in collaboration with the Fondation Friedrich Naumann Tunisie-Libya office(FNF) extended for a period of five days in Tunisia. Aiming to develop the commission’s staff about strategic planning in human rights approach.

The headquarters of the ministry of the Relations with the Constitutional Authorities, Civil Society and Human Rights December 16, 2016

A visit to (the ministry of the Relations with the Constitutional Authorities, Civil Society and Human Rights), was organized by Defender Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center “DAAM”, in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty “FNF” for the Commission of Civil Society delegation in Libya.

The delegations were received by Mr. Mondher Bousnina the minister’s chief of staff who listed the Tunisian civil society’s stages of evolution, and its importance, as well as the ministry’s duties, plan, and future strategy and its role in contributing to the issuance of a basic law per the Constitution during the next phase. He also interacted and answered the delegations’ questions.

The headquarters of the Tunisian Association for the integrity and democratic elections (ATED) 20. December 2016

A visit to (the Tunisian Association for the integrity and democratic elections (ATED)), was organized by Defender Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center “DAAM”, in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty “FNF” for the Commission of Civil Society delegation in Libya.

where the delegations were received by Mr. Moez Bouraoui the association’s president and Mr. Raouf Boutara the vice president. Mr. Moez Bouraoui presented the emergence of the association and its position from Constituents’ Assembly elections as well as legislative and presidential elections in Tunisia. He also presented his vision towards the Tunisian civil society and its substantial role in different fields and he stressed on the importance of the cooperation with Libyan civil society as each of them is an extension to the other.

These organized events are considered within the project objects, which seeks to develop the performance of the civil society commission’s staff in Libya, and building its capabilities due to the importance role of the Commission regarding assessment, publicization and following-up to the civil society organizations work.

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