Human rights law in Tunisia in the post-Arab Spring era

Tunisia was at the heart of the series of uprisings known as the Arab Spring, which resulted in the change of the regime. The people of Tunisia demanded political and social changes for a better economy, democracy, human rights, and equality. Since the uprising in 2011, the changes in law, society and politics have continued. The efforts towards change including public participation, the coalition between civil society organisations and political parties have amalgamated successfully as demonstrated by and recognised in the Constitution of 2014. The study of law and the society of Tunisia constitutes the core of this research aiming to explore why Tunisia is a beacon of hope in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and how it has implemented human rights successfully since 2011.
This is explored through the national legislation of Tunisia as well as investigating the role of the United Nations Universal Periodic Review mechanism (UPR). This research investigates the interwoven relationship between these three factors: social movement, civil societies, and the UPR and the outcomes of their cooperation in the law. This research proposes that the UPR mechanism and civil society organisations influenced the progress that Tunisia made in law and policy. The new Tunisian Constitution was developed between 2012 and 2014 with the recommendations of states considered by the Tunisian Parliament and the executive power. The 2014 Constitution included recommendations from states, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international organisations suggested from the second cycle of the UPR in 2012. The positive changes in law have continued, with Tunisia welcoming more UPR recommendations, conducting reports and ratifying new voluntary international protocols. Tunisia is progressing, learning, and advancing democracy and its human rights law. However, it has not been without its challenges and whether it can be maintained, particularly in the current financial crisis and pandemic era, remains to be seen as these factors have already harshly influenced progress on the Tunisian nation.