Press Releases:
October 9, 2003
International Center for Transitional Justice Welcomes New Director
Hanny Megally to Lead Center's Middle East and North Africa Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Suzana Grego
Director of Communications
International Center for Transitional Justice
Tel: 917.438.9331
E-mail: sgrego@ictj.org
NEW YORK, October 9, 2003—The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) today announced that Hanny Megally, an internationally recognized human rights professional, recently joined the Center as director of the Middle East and North Africa Program.
"We are delighted to have a committed human rights expert of Hanny's caliber and integrity on our team," said Alex Boraine, president of the ICTJ. "His tremendous experience and insight into the Middle East will be invaluable as we look to expand our work in such a complex yet critical region."
Mr. Megally has more than 26 years of human rights experience in the Middle East and North Africa. A dual national of Egypt and the United Kingdom, he comes to the ICTJ from his position as executive director of the Middle East and North Africa Division of Human Rights Watch, which he held from 1997 to 2003. Previously, he ran the Ford Foundation's social justice program in the Middle East from the Foundation's Cairo office for four years. From 1984 to 1994, Mr. Megally headed the Middle East research department at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International, based in London. He is widely traveled in the region, including leading human rights research missions and conducting high-level meetings with heads of state and government officials.
"The ICTJ is uniquely positioned to effectively assist countries seeking accountability, truth, and justice," said Hanny Megally. "I am pleased to have this opportunity to work closely with local partners, governments, and colleague organizations in seeking to promote these universal values in this region."
Mr. Megally can be reached at hmegally@ictj.org or 917.438.9300.
The ICTJ in the Middle East and North Africa
While most states in the Middle East and North Africa are not formally in political transition, key reforms are constantly taking place and the opportunities for strengthening accountability and rule of law exist. By adding to its existing units a cross-cutting program for transitional justice in the Arab/Muslim world, the ICTJ seeks to facilitate and encourage efforts for democratic change in the region.
The Center is already engaged in Iraq, having just conducted consultations with Iraqis to ensure that their views are incorporated into the planning of a transitional justice policy. Efforts to deal with past abuses should involve wide consultation with victims and representatives of all sectors of Iraqi society. The ICTJ has also worked with Iraqi NGOs and policy makers, United Nations officials, and a number of key governments and human rights organizations to help ensure that transitional justice strategies are fair and impartial, and are aimed at strengthening national institutions and the rule of law.
For more information on the Center's work in Iraq, please refer to our website at www.ictj.org.
About the ICTJ
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved.
In order to promote justice, peace, and reconciliation, government officials and nongovernmental advocates are likely to consider a variety of transitional justice approaches including both judicial and nonjudicial responses to human rights crimes. The ICTJ assists in the development of integrated, comprehensive, and localized approaches to transitional justice comprising five key elements: prosecuting perpetrators, documenting and acknowledging violations through nonjudicial means such as truth commissions, reforming abusive institutions, providing reparations to victims, and facilitating reconciliation processes.
The Center is committed to building local capacity and generally strengthening the emerging field of transitional justice, and works closely with organizations and experts around the world to do so. The ICTJ works in the field through local languages and provides comparative information, legal and policy analysis, documentation, and strategic research to justice and truth-seeking institutions, nongovernmental organizations, governments and others.
