This Cookie Policy explains how the MENA Human Rights Observatory (“the Observatory”, “we”, “us”) uses cookies and similar technologies on this website. It should be read together with our Privacy Policy, which describes the wider way in which we handle personal data.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device. They allow the website to recognise your device on later visits, to remember your choices, and to collect statistics about how the site is used. Some cookies are essential for the site to work; others are used only if you accept them.
On your first visit we display a consent banner that lets you accept or reject non-essential cookies. Your choice is recorded and respected on subsequent visits. You can change your mind at any time by clearing the relevant cookie in your browser and reloading the website.
2. Categories of Cookies We Use
We group the cookies on this website into three categories: strictly necessary, analytical, and preference cookies.
2.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are required for the website to operate and for the consent mechanism to function. They cannot be disabled through the consent banner because the website cannot work without them. They do not track you across other websites.
| Cookie name | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
mena_cookie_consent |
Stores your cookie choice (accepted or rejected) so that the consent banner is not shown again on every visit and so that analytics is loaded only when you have accepted. | First-party, persistent | 1 year |
wordpress_test_cookie |
Set by the WordPress content management system to check whether your browser accepts cookies. | First-party, session | Session |
wordpress_sec_[hash] |
Authentication cookie used only for logged-in administrators; it is never set for ordinary visitors. | First-party, session | Session / 14 days |
2.2 Analytical Cookies
Analytical cookies help us understand which pages are read, how visitors find us, and how the site performs. They are set only after you accept them, and we configure them to anonymise or truncate IP addresses where the provider supports it. The actual cookie names depend on the analytics provider configured for the site; the example names below reflect the default integration.
| Cookie name | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga |
Distinguishes visitors by a randomly generated identifier so we can count visits and sessions without identifying individuals. | Third-party (analytics provider) | 2 years |
_gid |
Distinguishes visitors for the purpose of producing daily usage statistics. | Third-party (analytics provider) | 24 hours |
_gat_[property] |
Throttles the request rate to the analytics service so that traffic spikes do not distort the data. | Third-party (analytics provider) | 1 minute |
If no analytics provider identifier is configured, no analytical cookies are set at all, even after acceptance.
2.3 Preference Cookies
Preference cookies remember optional choices you make so that you do not have to set them again on every visit. They are non-essential and are used only to improve your experience.
| Cookie name | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
mena_prefs |
Remembers display preferences such as your preferred interface language or reading layout. | First-party, persistent | 6 months |
3. Third-Party Cookies
Some content embedded in our pages — for example interactive maps or charts — may be served by third parties who set their own cookies. Where this is the case, you will be informed before the content loads, and the third party’s own cookie and privacy notices will apply. We do not control those cookies and recommend that you review the relevant third-party policies.
4. Managing and Disabling Cookies
You can control cookies in several ways:
- Use the consent banner on your first visit to accept or reject non-essential cookies.
- Clear cookies in your browser settings to reset your choice; the banner will then be shown again.
- Configure your browser to block or delete cookies. Note that blocking strictly necessary cookies may prevent parts of the website from working correctly.
Instructions for managing cookies can be found in the help section of your browser (for example, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Safari).
5. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy when we change the cookies we use or when the law requires it. The “last updated” date below shows when the current version took effect.
Last updated: 2026-09-22.