In accordance with article 45 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, the Arab Human Rights Committee shall consist of seven members of the States parties to this Charter who shall be elected by secret ballot by States parties. Candidates for membership of the Committee are required to be highly experienced and competent in their field of work, with the members of the Committee serving in their personal capacity and with neutrality and impartiality. The Committee shall not include more than one person who is a national of the State party, may be re-elected only once and shall observe the principle of deliberation. The members of the Committee shall also be elected for a term of four years and the terms of three members elected at the election shall expire for the first time in two years and shall be determined by lot. Members of the Committee shall be elected to the highest percentage of the votes of those present. If the number of votes obtained is higher than the required number due to equal votes among more than one candidate, the election shall be re-elected equally. If the votes are equal, the member or members requested shall be chosen by lot. The election shall be held for the first time to the membership of the Committee at least six months after the entry into force of the Charter.
The Secretary-General shall then invite the States Parties to a meeting devoted to the elections of the members of the Committee and to be held at the headquarters of the League of Arab States. The quorum shall be complete for the meeting to be attended by a majority of the States Parties.
If the quorum is not completed, the Secretary-General shall convene another meeting, to be held in the presence of at least one third of the States parties. If the quorum is not met at this meeting, the Secretary-General shall convene a third meeting of any number of States parties present.
The Secretary-General then invites the Committee to hold its first meeting, during which a Chairperson shall be elected from among its members for a term of two years, renewable for a similar period and one term. The Committee holds its meetings at the headquarters of the Secretariat of the League of Arab States and may convene its meetings in any country party to this Charter at its invitation.
Guidelines and regulations on the conditions and
qualifications of candidates for membership of the Committee(Ar).pdf
Guiding principles for the procedures governing
the election of the members of the Committee (Ar).pdf
