Presidential decree set to restructure the National Consultative Council for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights

The Algerian government has definitely defined the status of the National Consultative Council for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights giving it the legal power to enable it to join the United Nations’ Human Rights Committee.

• However, it has been decided to forbid the holding of several posts concurrently, as it is the case with the present head of this institution Farouk Kesentitni who still chairs the council and exercises as lawyer at the same time.
• The national Council for the Promotion of Human Rights has been assigned the task to denounce any forms of human rights’ violations and propose all the means likely to put an end to them.  Moreover, it has the prerogatives to give its view on the national legislation with the view to making it in conformity with the relevant international institutions.
• This institution has to foster cooperation with other international and regional bodies in the field of human rights in addition to its role as a mediator between the national institutions and the citizens.
• According to the presidential decree, the council will comprise 6 national independent personalities known for their commitment to Human Rights combat and 4 other experts operating within the international institutions.
• For his part, Farouk Kessentini has denied allegations that political drives were behind this decision, arguing that the United Nations’ Committee called for the change of the National Council’s status.
• Talking yesterday in a telephone call, Farouk Kessentini has declared that the prerogatives of the institution he leads were not altered except the joining of 6 national personalities set to be anointed by the president later on.