Maat for Peace, Development, and Human Rights signed a cooperation protocol with the Observatory of International Humanitarian Law of the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), within the framework of Maat’s interest in promoting the culture of human rights and disseminating international humanitarian law and international human rights law at the national, regional and international levels.

The International Observatory is a research institution for teaching and providing legal aid in international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict. The cooperation between the observatory and Maat aims to promote the exchange of experiences in the field of international humanitarian law, enhance the capabilities of young people, and equip them with the scientific skills needed to do research in this field. Besides, it also aims to provide legal advice and training to Arab and Argentine organizations on the principles of international humanitarian law. The two institutions have exchanged visits and are preparing to hold training courses for young people from both countries.

The training is provided by a group of trainers specialized in the field of international human law from Maat and the International Observatory, in addition to a number of independent trainers, media experts as well as Arab and international legal experts..

In this context, Ayman Okeil, President of Maat, welcomed this cooperation, especially in light of the scarcity of Arab organizations specializing in international humanitarian law. Okeil stressed that Arab youth need to exchange knowledge with other cultures. Besides, they need to get familiarized with the international humanitarian law, and be empowered to promote the culture of peace, especially in light of the ongoing clashes and armed conflicts that a number of Arab countries are witnessing.

For her part, Nourhan Mostafa, director of the International Humanitarian Law Unit at Maat, said that this cooperation aims to train a large number of Egyptian, Arab, as well as Argentine youth, on the principles of international humanitarian law and how to apply it. The training also focuses on how to resolve disputes among countries and promote the culture of peace and dialogue. Lastly, Prof. Emiliano Buis, director of the UBA Observatory of International Humanitarian Law, has warmly welcomed this agreement between both institutions. “This is a great achievement”, he said, “because it will set the ground for future cooperation throughout the global South in many areas of legal expertise”. He added that this step forward is a good indication of potentials for interaction between Latin America and Africa, to promote common values related to human rights, dignity and peace.