Mervat Rishmawi

Publications

***  THIS  PAGE  IS  BEING  UPDATED  ***

Forthcoming
  • An analytical report and case studies on laws related to the crime of rape in the 22 Countries members of the League of Arab States, for Equality Now
  • A Guidebook on advocating for the Women Peace and Security Agenda in the Palestinian context using international and regional bodies and mechanisms, Oxfam International – Palestine
Resource Manuals
(See also below for studies and chapters in books)
Studies and chapters in books
  • 2023: “Chapter 14: Advancing Gender Equality through the Arab Charter on Human Rights”, in Frontiers of Gender Equality, Rebecca J. Cook (ed.)
  • 2021: “Children’s rights in Arab countries: selected issues”, in the Journal of International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict
  • 2020: “Bullets are Cheaper than Sugar: The Need for New Approaches to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the MENA region”; WILPF. 
  • 2020: Second regional report of the implementation of Arab countries of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda; UN Women and League of Arab States.
  • 2019: “Torture prevention is an essential part of the sustainable development agenda”, Blog co-author, Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT). 
  • 2019: Contributing documents, research and analyses and drafting parts of “Cultivating Resilient Institutions in the Arab Region: National Women’s Machineries in Challenging Times”; UN ESCWA Centre for Women.
  • 2017: contributed to a study on women, peace and security agenda by ESCWA.
  • 2015: “Sustainability of Human Rights Organisations in the MENA Region” (project sponsored by Open Society Foundations, Oxfam, and Ford Foundation), outcome report to be published by Oxfam in both Arabic and English.
  • 2015: Study as Senior Researcher and Expert, on alternative methods of detention and punishment for children in MENA for UNICEF-IDLO
  • 2015: Chapter 8: “The League of Arab States and the Arab Revolts, in Human Rights, Human Security, and State Security.
  • 2015: Chapter 3: “The League of Arab States and the protection of migrants” in “Migration in the Mediterranean: Mechanisms of International Cooperation“,
  • 2015: Chapter 36: “The Arab Human Rights System”, in SAGE Handbook of Human Rights.
  • 2014: Chapter 8: “The League of Arab States and the Arab Revolts, in Human Rights, Human Security, and State Security.
  • 2013: Chapter 27: “The League of Arab States and Human Rights”, in Routledge Handbook of International Human Rights Law
  • 2013: Chapter 2: “Strengthened NGO Engagement in the League of Arab States” in “Civil Society Interaction with the League of Arab States“, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
  • 2012: “The League of Arab States: Recent Developments on Human Rights and Social Justice”, in “Defending Human Rights: Tools for Social Justice: Volume in Honour of Fried van Hoof on the Occasion of his Valedictory Lecture and the 30th Anniversary of the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights / ed. by Ida Lintel, Antoine Buyse, Brianne McGonigle Leyh”
  • 2012, 2009: Chapter 23: “The Revised Arab Charter on Human Rights”, in “International Protection of Human Rights: A Text Book”; Catarina Krause and Martin Scheinin (editors), Second revised edition, Turku/ Abo
  •  2010: “Justice and Human Dignity – a concept paper”, Institute of Law, Birzeit University, Palestine and University of Windsor, Canada. Available on request from the author.
  • 2010: “Introduction: Freedom of Association in the Euro-Mediterranean Region – A Threatened Civil Society”.
  • 2008-2010: Three entries in the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law on the League of Arab States, the Arab Charter on Human Rights and the Arab Standing Committee on Human Rights.
  • 2007: INTRAC Praxis Paper No. 20, Overview of Civil Society in the Arab World”.
  • 1997: “Labour laws from a Human Rights Perspective” in Labour Legislation in Palestine: The Reality and Ambitions (Law Centre, Birzeit University in co-operation with and sponsorship of the French General Federation of Unions (CFDT)).
  • 1995: “Documentation of the Campaign: Women, Justice and Law, Documentation of the Conference Women, Justice and Law (Chapter 1, Arabic) in Women, Justice and Law: Towards the Empowerment of Palestinian Women (Al-Haq).
  • 1991: “Human Rights Violations against Workers” (Chapter 9), and “Religion” (Chapter 14) in Protection Denied: Continuing Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (Al-Haq).
  • 1990: “Religion” (Chapter 14) in A Nation Under Siege: Al-Haq Annual Report on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (Al-Haq).
Articles, journals and periodicals
  • 2015: “Can the Arab League Be Civil Society’s Partner for Human Rights?”, published by the Open Society Foundations, please click here
  • 2015: “Rabat Plan of Action: between international direction and the direction of the League of Arab States”, published by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies in Riwaq Arabi (Arabic only)
  • Amnesty International/ Mawared: Regular articles in Arabic (and occasionally English as well) in Mawared, a Human Rights Education magazine produced by the Middle East and North Africa Regional Office of Amnesty International. Articles deal with aspects of international human rights law on each of the related themes. Most recent articles include:
    • 2014, Issue 22: “Stop Torture” (English and Arabic)
    • 2012, Issue 19: “Minority rights in international law: some highlights” (English and Arabic)
    • 2012, Issue 18: “Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials: International Human Rights Law Aspects” (English and Arabic)
    • 2011, Issue 17: “Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly in International Law” (Arabic)
    • 2011, Issue 16: “The Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression: some important aspects from perspective of international law” (Arabic),
    • 2010, Issue 15: “The Death Penalty in International Law and Practice in Arab Countries” (English and Arabic).
  • APT electronic bulletin “Middle East and North Africa: A Torture Free Zone”, Editor.
    • 2014, Issue 6
    • 2013, Issue 5
    • 2013, Issue 4
    • 2013, Issue 3
    • 2012, Issue 2
    • 2012, Issue 1
  • 2010: “The Arab Charter on Human Rights and the League of Arab States: An Update”, Human Rights Law Review, Oxford University Press, Volume 10, January 2010.
  • 2009: “The Arab Charter on Human Rights”, Arab Reform Bulletin, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
  • 2005: “The Revised Arab Charter on Human Rights”, Human Rights Law Review, Oxford University Press, Volume 5, Number 2, 2005.
  • 1996: “Towards Global Endorsement of the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” in Economic Social and Cultural Rights and the Role of Lawyers, (The Review, No. 55: Special Issue – International Commission of Jurists).
Reports and edited books
  • 2009: Palestine Yearbook of International Law, Volume 14 (editor-in-chief), Brill Publishers and Institute of Law, Birzeit University, Palestine.
  • 2005: “CRC Article 4: The Nature of States Parties’ Obligations”, in: A. Alen, J. Vande Lanotte, E. Verhellen, F. Ang, E. Berghmans, M. Verheyde (Eds.) A Commentary on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Leiden, 2006).
  • 1999: Rights to Work: Economic Rights Under Military Occupation, (LAW, Palestine).
  • 1997: Commentary on the Draft Palestinian Labour Law, (Al-Haq, Palestine).
  • 1997: The Situation of Palestinian Working Women: A legal Analysis (Al-Haq, Palestine)
  • 1997: National report on child Labour in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Report in English and Arabic, (IPEC/ILO, Geneva)
  • 1997: “Obstacles to Respect of Human Rights and their Effects on Sustainable Human Development in Palestine”, (the Sustainable Human Development Project, UNDP, and Al-Haq, Palestine).
  • 1996: Legislation Relating to Palestinian Children (Law Centre/ Birzeit University). Report sponsored by UNICEF/ West Bank and Gaza.
  • 1995: Women, Justice, and Law: Towards the Empowerment of Palestinian Women (Al-Haq, Palestine). Principal editor of the book.
Amnesty International publications
Sole author of the following publications (among others written for Amnesty International):
  • July 2009: “Recommendations for the elaboration of Rules of Procedure of the Arab Human Rights Committee”, (AI Index IOR 65/001/2009).
  • June 2008: “Middle East and North Africa: The Arab Human Rights Committee: Elections of Members and Criteria of Membership”, (AI Index: IOR 65/001/2008) 10 June 2008.
  • May 2005: “Iraqi Special Tribunal- Fair trials not guaranteed”, (AI Index MDE 14 /007/2005).
  • August 2005: “Iraq: The New Constitution Must Protect Human Rights”, (AI Index 14/ 023/005).
  • March 2004: “Middle East and North Africa Region: Re-drafting the Arab Charter on Human Rights: Buildingfor a better future”, (AI Index MDE 01/002/2004), 11 March 2004.
  • November 2004: “Reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women – Weakening the protection of women from violence in the Middle East and North Africa region”, (AI Index IOR 51/009/2004).
  • January 2002: “The Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism: A serious threat to human rights” (AI Index IOR 51/001/2002).