Just observe the law

The just concluded sixth West Asia-North Africa Forum winded up its meeting in Amman with a call to empower marginalised people, which include women, refugees, migrant workers, and religious and ethnic minorities.

These vulnerable, at times disadvantaged, groups deserve, indeed, to be given rights all human beings enjoy to conduct their daily life, but while saying so is easy, affording them their rights and providing them with protection is a different cup of tea.

The WANA conference participants did not go into detail on how to empower these groups of people. They left it to the countries attending the conference to draw their respective plans to realise this goal. WANA is composed of Arab countries in the West of Asia and North Africa. These countries have different challenges related to their own respective marginalised groups of people but the remedy is basically the same.

The first order of business for all these countries is to show the respect required by, and apply, international human rights conventions which mention clearly how marginalised groups of people can be accorded full civil, political rights, economic, social and cultural rights.

All the attending countries need to do is to implement what they have agreed to under the various international human rights norms.

It is as simple as that. Just observe the letter of the law, follow the international treaties agreed to, and thus give all groups that are, or believe they are, marginalised their dues.

It is important to end all forms of discrimination by word and deed, and promote gender equality throughout the society.

Nothing more is required and nothing more should be recommended.