14 The Independent Commission for Human Rights - ICHR flections on public opinion, public rights and freedoms, and freedom of the press. The ICHR also continues to handle individual and collective complaints it receives from citizens and journalists, involving claims of physical assaults and seizure of mobile telephones. The ICHR has addressed all manifestations of arms chaos and insecurity by launching awareness-raising campaigns. On an ongoing basis, ICHR representatives were on the field. In addition to receiving and handling complaints, the ICHR maintained constant contact with all relevant bodies, including security agencies, Public Prosecution, governors, and Prime Minister’s Office. The ICHR released position papers and press releases on these developments. The ICHR monitors laws by decrees, which continue to be passed without a clearly defined and announced legislative plan or specific and concrete procedures, ensuring transparency and engagement of as many as stakeholders as possible in the consultations ahead of promulgating these regulations. A case in point was the Law by Decree No. 7 of 2021 Amending the Law on Charitable Associations and Civil Society Organisations No. 1 of 2000, as amended, which was enacted on 28 February 2021. Along with civil society groups, the ICHR was surprised at this law by decree which gravely violated and placed serious constraints on the freedom of action of associations and civil society organisations. In participation with active civil society actors and some international partners, the ICHR acted and engaged in direct dialogue with the government. This initiative eventually led to a suspension of the law by decree. As evidence of its high standing, distinction, and strong visibility at local, Arab, and international levels, the ICHR has been re-accredited with A status by the Sub-Committee on Accreditation of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). Hence, the ICHR has maintained the A status for the fourth consecutive time since 2005. The ICHR has fulfilled a significant number of criteria, including independence, legal authorization, wide-ranging tasks of protection and promotion of human rights, transparency in the selection of members, ability to access detention facilities, and tackling of human rights violations, among others. In this context, I should like to express my thanks and appreciation to members of the ICHR Board of Commissioners and Commissioner General Mr. Issam al-Arouri for their continued support and valuable guidance of the Executive Team. My particular thanks go to Mr. Issam Younes, former ICHR Commissioner General, who steered the ship in extremely complicated circumstances. I would also like to thank all ICHR staff members, who are doing everything in their power to defend the rights of Palestinian citizens. My profound appreciation and gratitude go to my colleagues who contributed to this Annual Report. At the forefront of these is Khadijah Zahran, lawyer and Director of the ICHR Monitoring of National Policies and Legislation Department, who led the report team. Thanks are also due to my colleagues and legal researchers Maen Id’eis, Aisha Ahmed, Hazem Haniyyah, Taher al-Masri, Ammar Jamous, Mousa Abu Duheim, and Sami Jabareen. Dr. Ammar Dwaik Director General The Situation of Human Rights in Palestine