Al Mezan Center for Human Rights

Description

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights is a Palestinian human rights organization based in the Gaza Strip. Its mission is to strengthen respect for and protection of human rights, especially economic, social and cultural rights, in the Gaza Strip as part of the occupied Palestinian territories. It works toward democracy, the rule of law and separation of powers, and toward Palestinians’ awareness of their individual and collective rights, including self-determination through international law.

A field research unit monitors and documents human rights violations committed by the occupying forces and by Palestinian authorities, feeding this documentation into reports, referrals and advocacy. A legal aid unit represents detainees, defends people affected by land confiscation, house demolition and travel bans, and reviews draft Palestinian legislation against human rights standards. Other units run training courses, public dialogue programs, a peer-education program for university students, workshops and an annual conference on the Palestinian Authority’s budget. The center also maintains a library at its main office in the Jabalia refugee camp and publishes legal guides, studies, statements and periodic reports.

Al Mezan holds special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It belongs to the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, the International Federation for Human Rights, the ESCR-Net network, the World Organisation Against Torture, the Habitat International Coalition’s housing and land rights network, the Coalition for Accountability and Integrity, the Arab Organization for Human Rights, and a Palestinian digital rights coalition.