The Egyptian government, has banned – without giving any reasons why – the holding of a workshop for Iraqi activists holding legal qualifications. The planned workshop had been organized by the International Union of Lawyers, whose headquarters is in London, in co-operation with the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession..
The International Union of Lawyers convened six training workshops for judges, lawyers and prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates in 1994.
The administrative board of both the Union and the ACIJLP considered Cairo the natural choice for holding this workshop (without the Egyptian government having to bear any financial costs) because of Egypt’s leading role in the Arab region. The training and assistance of countries in the Arab region in all fields is an extension of this role.
It was planned that the programe for Iraqi lawyers would provide training on international human rights instruments with the aim of preparing them as trainers in the region. They would then go on to provide support for Iraqi rights activists in Iraq, educate them about international standards and spread a culture of human rights.
