THE LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER, MR. ABDULLAH YAFI, YESTERDAY (MONDAY) INAUGURATED THE ARAB REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN BEIRUT, CAPITAL OF THE LEBANON. DELEGATES TO THE NINE-DAY CONFERENCE WILL DISCUSS RECENT PROBLEMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND GENERAL TOPICS AFFECTING HUMAN RIGHTS.

ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY, GENERAL HASSOUNA, MADE AN ADDRESS OF WELCOME TO DELEGATES TO THE CONFERENCE. HE TOLD HIS AUDIENCE THAT DURING THE PAST 20 YEARS - SINCE THE DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS WAS FIRST DRAFTED - THE MIDDLE EAST HAD SEEN A "FLAGRANT AGGRESSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS".

GENERAL HASSOUNA SAID: "THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS...WAS TORN TO PIECES BY ZIONISM ON THE LAND OF PALESTINE AND BY RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN SOUTH AFRICA AND RHODESIA."
PRIME MINISTER YAFI REMINDED HIS AUDIENCE THAT THE UNESCO CONFERENCE HALL, IN WHICH THE DELEGATES WERE MEETING, WAS THE SCENE OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE ORIGINAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

"IT IS AN OCCASION FOR CELEBRATION IN LEBANON BECAUSE HUMAN RIGHTS ARE THE VERY BASIS OF THIS COUNTRY'S EXISTENCE, AND THE SOLE SOURCE OF ITS STRENGTH", HE SAID.