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We Joined the ETKİNİZ EU Program



As a Volunteer of Vicdan Foundation, Human Rights Defender Mukadder Alakuş participated in the "Why Are We Watching" forum organized by Etkiniz.eu in Antalya on 18-19 April 2024. The forum was organized by the EU Etkiniz Program and supported by the EU Delegation to Turkey. The event brought together approximately 150 participants, including national and international institutions, civil society organizations and activists.


Day One: Human Rights Monitoring and Accountability

The first day of the forum began with the theme of "Human Rights Monitoring for Solidarity, Accountability and Healing." Participants sought answers to the question of #WhyWeMonitor, while discussing accountability mechanisms for human rights organizations. Presenters in this section included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jama Petman, President of the International Commission of Jurists, Prof. Dr. Helene Tigroudja, member of the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), and Prof. Dr. Yakın Ertürk, UN Rapporteur on the Causes and Consequences of Violence against Women. The session was moderated by Adem Arkadaş Thibert.


The first session was held in the afternoon on the first day, titled "International and local civil society solidarity for more effective human rights monitoring and advocacy." In this session, Emma Sinclair Webb, Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), Jolietta Bisiouli from the European Network of Practice (EIN), Lianne Minasian and Emel Kurma from the Children's Rights International Network (CRIN) explained to the participants the different aspects of human rights advocacy. Later in the day, presentations and Q&A sessions were held on the themes of healing and learning.


Day Two: Disaster Management and Non-Discrimination

The second day was held under the titles of "Implementation of the Prohibition of Discrimination in Disaster Management" and "Where Are We and Where Are We Going in Human Rights Implementation". The most important moment for me was meeting Prof. Dr. Helene Tigroudja, a member of the UN Human Rights Committee. Tigroudja had ruled on multiple rights violations in the Mukadder Alakuş case on November 15, 2022, resulting in an acquittal and compensation award. In her presentation, she explained in detail the impact of this decision on the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and its relationship with Articles 15 of the Convention on Civil and Political Rights and Article 7 of the ECHR.


Conclusion and Next Steps

During the forum, I had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with many civil society representatives. I had the chance to introduce the goals and activities of our foundation. We also spoke with participants from the Dutch Embassy about the Matra Program. The forum demonstrated the importance of the UN Human Rights Committee's decision on the Mukadder Alakuş case for human rights advocacy and developed new relationships for human rights defenders.


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