Lakhdar Brahimi, former Foreign Minister of Algeria and member of The Elders, speaking at the World Conference. (Photo courtesy of the Geneva Center.)

GENEVA, June 28, 2018 (WAFA) –  Speaking at the Geneva Center for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue World Conference earlier this week, Lakhdar Brahimi, former Foreign Minister of Algeria and member of The Elders, urged the members to keep the Palestinians in mind when working to advance the idea of equal citizenship, according to a press release.

"Please keep in mind the Palestinians when you implement the decisions you will be taking today, and when you will be working together to advance this wonderful idea of equal citizenship rights for all," he told the conference held under the theme of "Religions, Creeds and Value Systems: Joining Forces to Enhance Equal Citizenship Rights" at the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The conference was held in collaboration with the International Catholic Migration Commission, the World Council of Churches, the World Council of Religious Leaders, Bridges to Common Ground and the European Centre for Peace and Development.

The World Conference - held under the patronage of Jordan’s Prince El Hassan bin Talal - was addressed by more than 35 world-renowned religious, political and lay leaders from the major regions of the world.

Lakhdar Brahimi was among the distinguished speakers on the plenary panel discussing equal citizenship rights and vulnerable/disadvantaged/discriminated social segments, particularly migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons.

Brahimi praised Prince El Hassan‘s statement, and reiterated that it was necessary to discuss the question of Palestine in the context of the World Conference, remarking that the topics of the session fitted the Palestinians, who were being "treated as foreigners in their own country."

He recalled his statement during a briefing on "The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question" at the UN Security Council in June 2017, which stated that "Gaza was a large concentration camp," and further deplored the plight and the suffering of the Palestinian people.

The Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue, an organization with special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, is a think tank dedicated to the promotion of human rights through cross-cultural, religious and civilizational dialogue between the Global North and Global South, and through training of the upcoming generations of stakeholders in the Arab region. Its aim is to act as a platform for dialogue between a variety of stakeholders involved in the promotion and protection of human rights.

M.K.