Under the esteemed leadership of the Vice Chairman for the African Region and Ambassador at Large to the African Union, HE Amb. Abu Zein, the African office of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC AFRICA) in Accra is organizing the International Relations, Diplomacy, and Human Rights Summit 2023 (IRDHRS) on July 25, 2023, at 2:00 PM GMT.
The summit, chaired by HE Ambassador Dr. Muhammad SA Khan, World Chair and Ambassador-at-large of the International Human Rights Commission, will be conducted virtually via the Zoom communication platform and streamed on IHRC Africa and Geneva Facebook Pages.
With the theme “Assessment of Unjust Wars and Global Instability on Human Rights,” this summit is an integral part of the preliminary activities leading up to the 7th World Summit for Human Rights 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland, later in the year.
The International Human Rights Commission was founded in London on December 10, 1988, by seven organizations with the aim of establishing an international network for the protection of Human Rights. As an inter-governmental organization, IHRC Africa holds Observer status from the United Nations Environment Program and the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
This momentous summit, hosted by IHRC Africa, aims to shed light on the impact of unjust wars and global instability on human rights in the modern era. It endeavors to explore potential solutions that can advance human rights for a better world, leveraging IHRC Africa’s position as an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Accra, Ghana.
The International Relations, Diplomacy, and Human Rights Summit 2023 offers an opportune platform to initiate discussions on international relations, particularly emphasizing interactions among sovereign states and diplomacy. It highlights the linkage between International Relations and Diplomacy as primary instruments of foreign policy, representing the broader goals and strategies that guide a state’s engagement with the world and form the foundation upon which the fundamental human rights of all individuals are built. International human rights law, as a beneficiary of International Relations and Diplomacy, plays a crucial role in these endeavors.
Throughout history, unjustifiable actions in war have been regarded as war crimes, even if the wars in which they occur are deemed just. Conversely, unjust wars are counted as internationally illegal acts of aggression for which national governments or military commands, rather than individual soldiers, bear responsibility. The consequences of just and unjust wars have contributed to global instability in human rights.
Despite the historical antecedents of wars and conflicts on the African continent, the protection of basic human rights in Africa has been championed by courageous individuals within civil society.
As democracy has taken root across the continent, the significance of human rights for Africa’s long-term security and development has gained widespread recognition, prompting numerous African national and intergovernmental institutions to actively address human rights issues.
The summit will see the presence of high-profile personalities such as H.E. Abu Zein, Vice Chair for the African Region and Ambassador-at-Large to the Africa Union for IHRC Africa, and H.E. Dr. Mohammad Shahid Amin Khan, World Chairman of IHRC.
Distinguished speakers and moderators, including Dr. Ruby Appiah-Campbell, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Loughborough University and founder of Life Beacon International, UK, Hon. Ms. Silver Patino, Deputy Minister of Justice, Paraguay, and Hon. Hosna Jahil, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Interior, Afghanistan, will enrich the summit with their valuable insights. Additional speakers include Professor Stephen Alder Ph.D., Executive Director of the Centre for Business, Health, and Prosperity at the University of Utah, USA, Dr. Houda Chini, PHD, Senior Researcher and Technical Enthusiast Expert in Digital Transformation, Cyber Security, and Internet Governance, Chief Engineer at Tunisia telecom, Dr. Chief Nathaniel E Nsarko, Director General of the International Human Rights Commission Africa, Angelo Coroneo, International Relations Students and Junior Coordinator Associazione Diplomatic, Belgium, and Giulia Tariello, Italian Youth Delegate to the UN, Italy.
This summit endeavors to foster meaningful discussions on the actions and inactions of just and unjust wars and underscore the importance of protecting human rights in accordance with international human rights law.
It serves as a platform for understanding and upholding the dignity of all human beings and the rights that govern their relationships with society and the State.