Human Rights Advocacy through Exterritorial Obligations (ETOs)

In cooperation with the International Consortium of Exterritorial Obligation (ETOs), the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) organized the first MENA ETO focal Group meeting on reinforcing the human rights advocacy through the Exterritorial Obligations, held in Beirut from the from 30-31 January 2014.

The focal group reviewed six different case studies across the MENA region dealing with the importance of applying ETOs. The goal was also to discuss the role of the civil society in promoting the historical and legal knowledge of using the Maastricht principles and determine how to best integrate them in the efforts and activities of civil society in the region.

The first case study from Morocco discussed the negotiations between the State and European Union on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), and how these agreements affect the right to health, education, social guarantee, and work. The  second case study reviewed the practices of “SEA Latelec” company in violating the labor rights in Tunisia by the systematic repression against labor unions, corruption, and arbitrary sanctions.

The study from Egypt showed the negative impacts of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s  project with the Egyptian company for petroleum refining, on the health, housing and labor rights for the affected residents living on the site for project  implementation. In Lebanon, we saw the negative practices of Spinneys and its violations against labor rights, including issue related to administrative and financial corruption. The World Food Program’s activities in Jordan were discovered to be corrupt through supplying expired foodstuffs for children in Iraq and Jordan, which affected the right to health and development cooperation with both states.

finally, HIC-HLRN reviewed five regional issues of concern in the MENA region:

1-    The role of international security companies in supporting the ongoing colonization of Palestinian and Arab lands by Israel;

2-    Veolia’s (a French company) contributions in supporting the infrastructure and transportation network for the settlements established on occupied lands in the West Bank;

3-    The Quartet’s aid cut and blockade in Gaza;

4-    The fisheries agreement between Morocco and EU in occupied Western Sahara;

5-    Environmental damages resulting from targeting the Lebanese power plant “Al-jayye” by Israeli Air Forces in south Beirut, which extended to Syria in the 2006 war.     

Following the review of the various case studies and discussing the challenges faced with the principles of ETO application, the focal group developed next steps to further this effort:

• Integrating the ETOs in the ANND activities and its members countries;
• Promote  communication with CBOs and researchers and other groups, including the members of parliament in MENA region;
• The participants in this focal group will conduct a mapping study to their countries for other CBOs interested in applying ETOs in their strategic plan;
• Supporting the membership in the consortium by ETOs members, and set strategic planning for the second regional meeting for the network and ETOs consortium;

If you are interested to be involved in the regional ETO work with HIC-HLRN and ANND, please contact hic-mena@hic-mena.org