NIHR Organizes Virtual Awareness Event on “Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals”
The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR), as part of its “Young Human Rights Advocate” Programme, organized a virtual awareness event entitled “Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals,” with the participation of a number of children from the Friends of the Child Rights Commissioner team and members of the public. The event was held as part of NIHR’s efforts to promote a culture of human rights among children and enhance their awareness of their rights and responsibilities.
At the outset of the event, Dr. Maha Saleh Al-Shehab, Child Rights Commissioner at NIHR, welcomed the participation of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), expressing her appreciation for their contribution to enriching the programme. She emphasized the importance of raising awareness of human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals and reinforcing these concepts among children in a simple and interactive manner.
Ms. Ansam Alobaidji, Regional Gender Advisor at the Middle East and North Africa Regional Office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, delivered a presentation addressing the concept of human rights and mechanisms for their protection, as well as key rights guaranteed under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The presentation also highlighted the relationship between human rights, the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, and the underlying principles of equality, non-discrimination, participation and leaving no one behind.
The event was organized as part of the “Young Human Rights Advocate” Programme, launched by NIHR in July 2026 and running through October. The programme brings together 20 children between the ages of 9 and 18 and aims to enhance their awareness of children’s rights and responsibilities, develop their skills in expressing their views and participating in decision-making, foster the values of citizenship and belonging, and introduce them to the role of national and official institutions in protecting and promoting human rights.
The programme features a series of awareness-raising and interactive workshops and lectures, organized in cooperation with a number of official, national and international entities, contributing to broadening children’s knowledge and promoting their positive and informed participation in society.
