On Thursday 15 September 2011, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation opened a training workshop entitled “Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and Protection,” held at the Grand Palace hotel in Gaza City.
About 35 journalists participated in the workshop.
  Al Mezan’s director, Mr.
Issam Younis, and Mrs.
Shireen Ash-Shobaki, Coordinator of the Training and Mass Communication Unit at Al Mezan, concluded the workshop by thanking the participants for their commitment to the workshop.
Mr.
Younis reiterated that the workshop aimed to enhance journalists’ awareness of economic, social, and cultural rights.
Journalists play an effective and positive role in Palestinian society.
They do have an effect on political decision-making.
  In his concluding remarks to the trainees, Mr.
Younis discussed the state of expectation in Palestinian society after the Palestinian Authority’s decision to apply to the UN Security Council for full UN membership for a Palestinian state.
He said it is difficult to predict what will happen or to judge this initiative before listening to the speech of President Mahmoud Abbas.
Mr.
Younis expressed his hope that this step would serve the Palestinians’ struggle to achieve their rights to freedom and the establishment of an independent state.
  Mrs.
Ash-Shobaki thanked the participants for their great interest in the workshop, their positive evaluations, and their requests that the organizers continue conducting workshops targeting journalists.
She expressed her hope that the participants would make use of their newly acquired knowledge of economic, social, and cultural rights in their professional lives.
  The workshop consisted of ten training hours delivered over two days.
The participants were introduced to the historical and legal framework of international humanitarian law, the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and its national and international enforcement mechanisms.
Participants were also introduced to UN special procedures for the protection of human rights.
  Dr.
Bassam Abu Hasheesh presented the first session of the workshop, an “Introduction to human rights and economic, social, and cultural rights.
”He discussed the human rights concept, the historical development of human rights, the “International Bill of Human Rights,” and ICESCR, and presented a case study on the right to education.
Mr.
Saber An-Nairab, an officer of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, discussed UN special procedures for the protection of human rights.
On the second and final day of the workshop, certificates were presented to the 32 participating journalists.
  The workshop was part of the “Enhancing Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights” program implemented by Al Mezan in cooperation with Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
  End