Re-examining the role of Palestine’s Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) within the 1990s human rights surge and Oslo’s state-building program.

Abstract

The 1990s marked an important milestone in human rights, leading to several advancements including but not limited to the establishment of additional declarations, international tribunals and an increase in popular activism. In addition, there was an increased focus on nationalizing human rights within states, emphasizing, as well, the necessity of creating national human rights institutions – which are state bodies with the constitutional and legislative mandate to protect human rights. In Palestine, and through the state-building programs suggested through Oslo, an Independent Commission for Human Rights was created. Its role will be further contested throughout its paper particularly with the presence of other NGOs before nationalizing human rights and the limitations-obstacles it faced. While being an officially recognized institution, the ICHR seems to be closely linked to the Oslo process which led to a deterioration rather than an advancement in terms of human rights, this time, creating an additional authority, the PA, committing violations as well.