The Palestinian Institute for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights at the Faculty of Law and Political Science at An-Najah National University conducted a practical field visit on Wednesday, 12 November 2025, to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This visit comes as a part of the Institute’s applied activities aimed at enhancing students’ practical understanding of the work of the United Nations system in the protection of human rights in Palestine.
During the visit, students met with several members of the OHCHR staff, who introduced them to the Office’s role and its various units, including monitoring and documentation, legal follow-up, engagement with national and international institutions, and the preparation of UN reports related to human rights violations.
Participants also learned about the mechanisms used by the Office to document human rights violations, including the collection of field information, verification of data sources, and preparation of files submitted to the relevant UN bodies. The session further addressed the challenges and constraints associated with working in the context of occupation, as well as the importance of cooperation between the Office and Palestinian civil society organizations.
The OHCHR team emphasized the importance of students’ continuous engagement with up-to-date information and international reports in the fields of international humanitarian law and human rights. They highlighted that the rapidly evolving nature of these fields requires students and researchers to regularly follow UN documentation, treaty body reports, and materials issued by the Office, in addition to reports published by civil society organizations. Strengthening this knowledge base, they noted, is essential for building students’ analytical skills and enabling them to apply international legal standards to the Palestinian context and to engage effectively with international mechanisms.
This field visit represents a part of the activities implemented by the Institute within the framework of the project of establishment of the Palestinian Institute of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, funded by the European Union, that aims to enhance legal education in Palestinian universities, strengthen students’ practical learning, deepen their understanding of the role of international bodies in protecting human rights, and bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and the real work carried out by international institutions operating in Palestine.
عدد القراءات: 8