On Monday 9 November 2009, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights in cooperation with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) opened a training course entitled “Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Documentation and Protection Mechanisms.
”   Mr.
Curt Goering, the director of OHCHR, Mr.
Saber An-Nairab, OHCHR, and Mrs.
Shirin Shobaki, Coordinator of Training and Mass Communication Unit at Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights opened the course at the Commodore Hotel in Gaza City and welcomed the 30 participants who work at civil society organizations in the Gaza Strip.
  Mr.
Curt Goering talked about the importance of economic, social and cultural rights (ESC rights) which are considered the second generation of human rights and a humanitarian need which the government should uphold including, the right to food and housing.
Mr.
Goering thanked Al Mezan for its ongoing cooperation with OHCHR.
  Mrs.
Shirin Skobaki emphasized on the importance of this specialized training course and presented the purpose and curriculum of the course.
The course aims to enhance the skills and knowledge of the participants in ESC Rights and international humanitarian law (IHL), and monitoring and documentation mechanisms.
   The course consists of 24 hours to be delivered over four days.
The course is intended to introduce participants to: the historical and legal framework of IHL and international human rights law (IHRL); the content of IHL and IHRL; the international Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; national and international protection mechanisms; monitoring and documentation mechanisms; the right to an adequate standard of living including food and housing; and the right to education.
 A team of Al Mezan and OHCHR trainers and experts will deliver the training.
  This course is part of the activities of Al Mezan and OHCHR that aim at enhancing the awareness and knowledge of civil society organization employees in human rights and protection and monitoring mechanisms.
In the first session, Mrs.
Shobaki presented an introduction to human rights; the historical and legal framework of human rights and the International Bill of Human Rights.
In the second session, Mr.
Saber An-Nairab talked about the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and mechanisms of implementation and international protection.
 In the third secession, advocate Fatma Al Sharif gave an introduction to IHL and presented ESC Rights in IHL.
     Ends