ARAB CHARTER ON HUMAN RIGHTS 2004
Given the Arab nation’s belief in human dignity since God honoured it by making the Arab World the cradle of religions and the birthplace of civilizations which confirms its right to a life of dignity, based on freedom, justice and equality, Pursuant to the eternal principles of brotherhood, equality and tolerance among all human beings which were firmly established by the Islamic Shari’a and other divinely-revealed religions, Being proud of the humanitarian principles which it firmly established in the course of its long history and which played a major role in disseminating centres of learning between the East and the West, thereby making it an international focal point for seekers of knowledge, culture and wisdom, Conscious of the fact that the entire Arab World has always worked together to preserve its faith, believed in its unity, struggled to protect its freedom, defended the right of nations to self-determination, to safeguard their resources and to development, believed in the rule of law and its contribution to the protection of universal and interrelated human rights, and believed that every individual’s enjoyment of freedom, justice, and equality of opportunity is the yardstick by which the merits of any society are gauged, Rejecting racism and zionism which constitute a violation of human rights and pose a threat to international peace and security, acknowledging the close interrelationship between human rights and world peace, reaffirming the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the provisions of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam, The State Parties to this Charter have agreed as follows: Article 1 The present Charter shall undertake, in the context of the national identity of the Arab States, their sense of belonging to a common civilisation, to achieve the following goals: 1. To place human rights at the centre of national preoccupation in the Arab States, to create great (fundamental) ideals for guiding the individual’s will in these Arab States, and to help him improve his situation (life) in accordance with the noblest human values. 2. To instill (teach) in the human being in the Arab States pride in his identity, to (be) be faithful to his nation and to have a bond with his land, his history and common interests with all human beings in the Arab States. To encourage humane brotherhood, tolerance and open-mindedness in accordance with universal principles and the principles set out in human rights international instruments. 3. To prepare future generations in the Arab States to live free and responsible lives in a civil society united by a balance between consciousness of rights and respect for obligations, and governed by principles of equality, tolerance and moderation.
To read more, click this wibsite:
http://www.humanrights.ch/upload/pdf/091029_Arab_Charter_on_Human_Rights_2004.pdf